CULTURAL CONTEXTS THAT INFLUENCE LEARNING AND ACADEMIC-PERFORMANCE

When students experience academic or behavioral difficulties, examinin g their learning experiences from an ecological perspective provides a much broader understanding of the relationships between culture, lear ning, and academic performance. The value of the systems approach to v iewing culture is that it points to the limitations oi focusing on a s ingle aspect of the interactions between culture and academic performa nce. As we move to articulate an integrated, inclusive educational sys tem, Lye must develop programs and services that are responsive to the diverse sociocultural and linguistic backgrounds of the students and families we serve so that all children participate in equally meaningf ul educational experiences.