Diversity

Finding strength in differences.

Successful schools build cohesive, functional teams that celebrate and fully exploit their diversity. This is not only one of the most challenging tasks that the principal must face, it is one that promises the greatest reward for lasting school improvement and student success.

Exceptional Students

New Horizons. A warehouse of great information and resources on inclusion, working with exceptional learners, multicultural education, and lots more.

LD Online. The most comprehensive and informative source on learning disabilities for teachers, parents, and school leaders.

NICHCY. National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities site has numerous links to resources on autism, ADD, deafness, blindness, and physical and learning disabilities.

ESOL Students

Center for Applied Linguistics. The Center for Applied Linguistics' site is probably the most comprehensive resource for ESOL, Foreign Language and Linguistics sites and information. It offers teaching materials, news, research, and other resources.

TESOL. The largest membership organization for ESOL teachers, this site is rich with information, links and opportunities to network with other educators.

Dave's ESOL Cafe. "The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!" Loaded with resources and easy to navigate, this is a must-visit site.

Ethnic and Socioeconomic Diversity

Council of Great City Schools. This organization of the nation's largest school systems has task forces on achievement gaps, finance, and other critical issues facing diverse, urban schools.

ERIC database. Use this great web site by entering the words "urban education", or other appropriate keywords, into the search box.

Urban League. Educational initiatives of the Urban League include the Campaign for African American Achievement and a number of other innovative programs.

Laboratory for Student Success. The federally funded LSS is located at Temple University. Its mission is to: (a) put into practice what is known from research and practical know-how in coherent and practical ways to significantly improve the education of children and youth in urban communities; and (b) assist urban communities in scaling up systemic urban reform to ensure a high standard of achievement of every child.

The Fourth R: Responsibility. This handbook from NWREL helps schools achieve equity in their learning communities by focusing on building responsibility and ambition among high school students.

Southwest Educational Development Lab. Located at the University of Texas, this lab's mission is to create high performing learning communities among diverse populations. Their focus extends across all of the diverse peoples of the south and southwest.

Teaching and Learning with Native Americans. This handbook for non-native American educators helps bridge the gap between formal schooling and native culture. This is an excellent and highly readable piece of writing.

Teaching Tolerance. A project of the Southern Poverty Law Center, Teaching Tolerance is a national educational project dedicated to helping teachers foster equity, respect and understanding in their classrooms and beyond.

Coalition for Asian American Families and Children. This non-profit organization is working to improve the well being of Asian American children by increasing services for Asian American families struggling with poverty, social isolation, limited education, and cultural and language barriers.

La Raza. The National Council of La Raza's (NCLR) Center for Community Educational Excellence (C2E2) works to build community-school education collaboratives, to strengthen the quality of education for Hispanic students, and to more effectively involve Hispanic families in the education of their children.

Arab-American Anti-discrimination Committee. ADC's program of "Reaching the Teachers" utilizes a grassroots network of chapters, activists and members, including many parents of school-aged children, to reach out to teachers, schools and school systems with information about Arab-American culture and educational resources.