The United States is among the countries that embrace the diversity of its people. One area through which diversity is reflected is in students who are highly populated in most schools. One aspect that relates to learning is culture. Culture is an intricate structure of beliefs, attitudes, and actions that play a role in shaping the thoughts and behaviors of a certain group of people (Friend, 2013, 67). Culture is among the aspects that is influenced by the environment and is learned, shared, and constantly changing. This concept relates to the information presented in the article accommodations Considerations for English Language Learners with disabilities in diverse ways.
One of the ideas that are worth noting from the article relates to the current assessment context of ELLs. Most students with ELLs come from cultural backgrounds which do not emphasize much on English proficiency. However, when they come to the American education system, they face numerous hurdles since they are required to take two proficiency assessments that can be used later for accountability purposes.
The other idea that is worth noting relates to CCSSO’s efforts in helping English learners improve their proficiency in English. According to the textbook, the experiences and contributions of women, students with disabilities, and people of color have often been marginalized. This is attributed to the fact that school knowledge has for a long time been assumed to be objective and neutral (Friend, 2013, 71). However, CCSSO creating an Accommodations manual for ELLs with disabilities lays a foundation for learners to gain access to sophisticated content and experience a high level of discourse across all subject areas.
The last idea relates to evaluating and improving accommodations. With the current technological advancements, it is easy to collect massive data that can be used in decision-making, policy development, and resource allocation. Before conducting an evaluation process decision-makers should think about the evaluation process since this will lay a foundation for developing informed practices. According to the textbook, when the decision-making process is biased, it predisposes students and educators to distorted curricula or incomplete curricula (Friend, 2013, 72). By constantly conducting evaluations, it lays a foundation for identifying any omissions and institute the recommended changes.
References
Friend, M. (2013). Special education: Contemporary perspectives for school professionals. Pearson Higher Ed.
