 efinitions
- Access -
- Providing equal opportunity to participate in all aspects of the educational process to every student. Refers to both physical and institutional access to learning facilities, resources, and curricular programs. To meet the diverse needs of all students, some of whom require specific skills to access the school curriculum, compensatory policies and practices are necessary to ensure equal participation in school programs by all groups.
- Discrimination -
- The differential treatment of individuals considered to belong to a particular group, including the denial of opportunity, privilege, role, or reward on the basis of sex, race, national origin, or other factors. Prejudice is an attitude; discrimination is its manifestation. Any attitude, action, or institutional practice that functions to subordinate a person or group because of their color or orientation.
- Educational Equity -
- The elimination of discrimination in educational institutions, programs, and curricula on the basis of race, national origin, or sex and of those elements of role stereotyping and role socialization that prevent full and fair participation by all students in educational programs. Educational equity is concerned with the elimination of biased stereotyping to enable all students to freely choose among and benefit from opportunities in educational institutions and programs, with limitations determined only by each individual's interests and abilities.
- Institutional Racism -
- Policies and practices of a society that function intentionally and unintentionally to subordinate individuals and groups because of their race; racism with origins in established and respected institutional norms and societal values; the type of racism that originates in the operation of established and respected forces in the society, stemming from the dominant culture's norms and values. As a result, all citizens frequently act in ways that are socially acceptable and yet reflect long-standing discriminatory assumptions and practices. When these kinds of practices are imbedded in school systems, schools can act to perpetuate the class differences and racial discrimination that are prevalent in society at large, having subliminal effects on the aspirations and academic achievement of many students of color and females.
- Limited-English-Proficient (LEP) -
- Individuals whose native language is a language other than English, and who may be either born in the United States or in another nation and whose native language has significant impact on their level of English language proficiency.
- National Origin -
- An individual's cultural or ethnic origin acquired either by birth in a country outside the United States, by being a direct descendent of an individual born in the United States, such as a Native American or Native Alaska, or from immigrants born outside of the United Sates.
- Prejudice/Bias -
- Attitudes that predispose an individual to make either negative or positive judgments about persons, objects, concepts, or groups prior to objective evaluation. Preconceived judgment or opinion; an adverse opinion or learning formed without just grounds or before sufficient knowledge; an irrational attitude of hostility directed against an individual, a group, a race, or their supposed characteristics.
- Pluralism -
- Ethnic and racial identity. Valuing culture, class, language, race differences as rich resources that enhance schools and society.
- Racism -
- Any attitude, action, or institutional structure that subordinates a person or group because of their color. Racism is not just a matter of attitude; actions and institutional structures can also be racist.
- Sexism -
- Any attitude, action, or institutional practice that functions to subordinate a person or group because of their sex. The control of institutional power distinguishes sexism from individual bias.
- Sex-Role Stereotype -
- The assumption that all females or males share common abilities, interests, values, and roles. In the context of schools, the term refers to practices, activities, and materials that prescribe the development of girls and boys and prepare them for traditional and often limiting sex roles.
- Socialization -
- A lifelong process by which people are prepared to occupy various roles in society. Socialization is achieved through the provision and accumulation of life experiences that transmit knowledge, attitudes, and skills to perform functions necessary for these roles. Socialization is often deliberate and readily observable as children are being prepared to carry out a complex collection of economic, social, physical, political, and psychological roles as adults. However, most socialization is subtle and goes unnoticed.
- Stereotype -
- An oversimplified perception in which individuals are ascribed certain traits merely because of their membership in a specific group, race, or sex.
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