Location
Greenspun Hall, UNLV
Description
Introduction: This study looks at the factors that contribute to the adoption of multicultural education policies in the fifty US state legislatures plus the District of Columbia. The demographics of the US are changing significantly. According to Frey (2011), “The 2010 census showed that among infants, almost half—49.8 percent—are minorities, and a quarter of these are Latinos.” Furthermore, it is now projected that by 2023 Whites will become a minority in the student populations nationwide and by 2042 Whites will be a minority within the general US population. In fact, according to the 2010 census there are already 11 states that have a minority-‐majority student population while an additional 11 states have minority student populations of 40% or more. Therefore, this study seeks to understand what states are legislating multicultural education policies and what factors are contributing to this legislation.
Keywords
Education and state; Minority students; Multicultural education
Disciplines
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education | Demography, Population, and Ecology | Educational Sociology
Language
English
Included in
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons, Demography, Population, and Ecology Commons, Educational Sociology Commons
Multicultural Education Policies and State Legislatures: Analyzing the Factors Affecting Policy Adoption
Greenspun Hall, UNLV
Introduction: This study looks at the factors that contribute to the adoption of multicultural education policies in the fifty US state legislatures plus the District of Columbia. The demographics of the US are changing significantly. According to Frey (2011), “The 2010 census showed that among infants, almost half—49.8 percent—are minorities, and a quarter of these are Latinos.” Furthermore, it is now projected that by 2023 Whites will become a minority in the student populations nationwide and by 2042 Whites will be a minority within the general US population. In fact, according to the 2010 census there are already 11 states that have a minority-‐majority student population while an additional 11 states have minority student populations of 40% or more. Therefore, this study seeks to understand what states are legislating multicultural education policies and what factors are contributing to this legislation.