Culturally Responsive Individualized Education Programs: Building Transition Bridges Between Families and Schools

Students with disabilities from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds often experience barriers and inequities in transition supports and services due to the cultural mismatch of beliefs, values, and expectations between their families and their schools. Though transition planning was designed for students and families to provide input, there is often a lack of space for the family to share their voice and long-term goals in the decision-making process. Through culturally responsive transition individualized education programs, in combination with a person-centered framework, bridging partnerships between the student, family, communities, and schools can be accomplished and built for sustainability. In urban settings and communities, these boundary-crossing collaborations for students with disabilities and their families could be more complex, as additional factors in urban schools are presented. This article presents a practical tool that could guide educators and families from cultural and linguistically diverse backgrounds into depth and breadth in transition individualized education program (IEP) development.

An Evaluation of ‘Get Smart’ English Language Textbook from the Perspectives of English Teachers

<p>This study aimed to evaluate Get Smart year three ELT textbook. A mixed method<br />design of quantitative questionnaires and qualitative interviews was used. Thirtyeight ESL lecturers from primary schools in Malaysia have been studied for their perspectives on Get Smart textbook. The quantitative questionnaires were analyzed for descriptive statistics and interviews were analyzed thematically. The findings from both questionnaire and interviews showed that Get Smart is one of the most useful books for ELT in primary schools in Malaysia. However, there were some<br />parts which need to be improved such as the lack of creativity in illustrations,<br />challenging vocabulary, the social and cultural mismatch, use of difficult words in<br />grammar explanations, lack of sentence and paragraph structures in the writing part. These findings show that Get Smart textbook is suitable but still there are some parts that need improvement.</p>

Deconstructing the Three Pillars of Evidence-Based Practice to Facilitate Social Justice Work in Speech Language and Hearing Sciences

This chapter reviews the limitations of the evidence-based practice (EBP) framework adopted by American Speech Language Hearing Association for the field of speech, language, and hearing sciences (SLHS) in addressing systemic racism. The authors argue that a shift from a medically-based EBP model to a pluralistic EBP model would better serve the needs of black, indigenous, people of color (BIPOC) with communication impairments in the current sociopolitical landscape. The authors examine the three pillars of EBP through the lens of social justice work. They describe how the current EBP model limits the development of social justice work in SLHS. They describe the need to refine the EBP model by validating the contribution of qualitative research as scientific evidence, reevaluating the basis of clinical expertise in client-clinician cultural mismatch, and address the importance of integrating policy and culture in consideration of client and family preferences. These transformations are critical in light of the under-representation of BIPOC clinicians in the field of SLHS profession.

A Decolonizing Study Abroad Program in Mexico for Pre-Service Teachers

Due to the well-documented cultural mismatch between predominantly white teachers and the majority of non-white youth entering U.S. schools, teacher educators have sought multiple avenues to address this problem. This chapter explores one university study abroad program for pre-service teachers of English learners and its efforts to decolonize education by indigenizing the curriculum. The chapter explores the major program set-up, from curricular issues to building relationships with partners in Mexico. The chapter provides multiple insights into the partnership between the Mexico-based language institute, with its focus on social justice, and the doors it opened toward partnership with one indigenous school that embraced the Four Agreements. The pre-service teacher participants were dramatically impacted by that experience in ways that the author argues are enduring and decolonizing.

Care, Control, and Color: A Conversation About Disparities in School Disciplinary Practices

Disciplinary practices teachers use in their classrooms frequently result in life-altering consequences for students who are historically marginalized and struggling to meet normalized standards of academic success. Research suggests teachers often lack the skill needed to connect with students, manage their classrooms, and administer corrective action that is equitable, reasonable, and effective without being excessive and detrimental to the student’s future. This disconnection and lack of judgment is frequently attributed to 1) the cultural mismatch that exists between the majority U.S. teacher who is a young, White female, and the growing diverse population of students; 2) teachers’ deficit view of students of color, their families and communities; and 3) deficient pre-service teacher training that does not equip future teachers with the culturally relevant pedagogical skills needed to meet the needs of today’s students. Employing the qualitative research methods of interactive interviewing and parallel stories, an African American, veteran teacher and a young, White pre-service teacher explore the topic of disciplinary practices at the intersection of race, ethnicity, and a classroom culture of care in the k-12 U.S. classroom.

Consumers’ Perception towards Branded Fast Food Restaurants – A Study in Erode City

Fast food restaurant is one of the fastest-growing industry in India. The people prefer fast food restaurants for their convenience, time saving and relaxing dining experience. The lifestyle of the people is changing in day-to-day life which results in increasing number of people to choose fast food restaurants. Initially fast food restaurants faced assertive challenges in getting accepted by consumers due to cultural mismatch. Today, fast food industry is being fitted to food concern and is welcomed by public as well as getting famous by the country. Fast food chains are achieving acclaim among the youngsters. A firm can satisfy the customer by meeting the specific expectations of the product they have by virtue of interaction with the firm. A model of customer perception varies across firms depending on the product they offer. All the components or the attributes should focus on the quality, core service or the value. The customers experience these states as an emotion of delight. In order to increase the customer delight, the firm needs experience based expectations rather than the normal expectations. In this aspect, the study has made an attempt to analyse the consumers’ perception towards branded fast food restaurants in Erode city.