Multicultural Education In Multiple Subject Teacher-Training Programs In California

The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which multicultural education is included in the multiple subject training programs in California. A rating scale was developed and applied to the evidence presented in the Program Approval Review Documents and the External Assessment Reports of sixty professional preparation programs approved by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to provide teacher-training. The overall results of this study indicate that approximately twenty-two percent (22%) of the institutions received a rating of 1 . A rating of 1 means that these institutions restrict their multicultural training to activities such as cultural fairs and ethnic songs, thereby showing an inadequate commitment to provide multicultural teacher-training. Approximately seventy-six percent (76%) of the institutions received a rating of 2 . A rating of 2 means that these institutions show an adequate commitment to provide multicultural teacher-training and indicates that there is at least a minimal recognition of the importance of diversity. Institutions that received a rating of 2 meet the basic intent of the Commission-mandated multicultural guidelines. Approximately 3% of the institutions received a rating of 3 , demonstrating a strong commitment to provide multicultural teacher-training as evidenced by the presence of multicultural elements, such as a recognition of the strength of diversity and accurate presentation of facts, throughout the total training program