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FLOYD D. BEACHUM AND GINA L. GULLO

There never was in the world two opinions alike, no more than two hairs or two grains; the most universal quality is diversity.

— Michel Eyquem

The universal quality of diversity is becoming more apparent in K–12 education. Current demographic trends and future projections indicate that the student population of the United States is becoming increasingly diverse, especially racially and ethnically. The U.S. Census Bureau indicated that by the year 2050, people of color will constitute more than 50% of the population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2011). In reference to schools, “While children of color constituted about one-third of the student population in 1995, they are expected to become the numerical majority by 2035. This change will render the expression ‘minority students’ statistically inaccurate” (Villegas & Lucas, 2002, p. 3). At the same time, most school leaders and teachers are White, middle class, and monolingual, which may result in cultural misunderstandings, cultural mismatch (Delpit, 2006), and/or cultural collision (Beachum & McCray, 2004, 2011). These problems will inevitably force school leaders and the core of teachers in America to reassess their pedagogical approaches and leadership strategies, and result in a deeper look at students, their behaviors, and their academic performance. A promising solution may very well be what is known as School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS). ← 159 | 160 →

SWPBIS is “a systems approach to promoting evidence-based practices to affect important social and academic...