. Introduction
Located in a rural area staff would not expect to find much diversity in Millard County when it comes to K-12 grade. As the years progress the community is finding more growth and more diversity coming into the area. The schools are seeing challenges with the children coming in with diverse backgrounds that are entering the district. These challenges create opportunities in which the staff can diversify their teaching and strengthen classroom relationships.
A1. Local Demographics
Almost 12% of the students that attend the schools in Millard County speak another language other than English in their home. (United States Census Bureau, 2015) Due to the language diversity in the district the staff needs to pay particular attention to the students’ parents may have a hard time overcoming language barriers. The ethnicity groups that are located in the Millard County School District are becoming more diverse. In the last four years Millard County’s ethnicity groups have had the following changes: increase 4% that are Black or African American, a decrease of 1% American Indian, decrease of .3% Asian, decrease of .1% Native Hawaiian and increase of 2% Hispanic. (United States Census, 2014) The faculty needs to be aware and educated on the student’s backgrounds to further facilitate the teaching of these students. They also need to be able to adjust to the ethnicity changes as they happen weather they be an increase or decrease in numbers. The socio-economic levels of the district are divided into three distinct quadrants. They have the upper class consisting of approximately 25% of the students. The middle class consists of the other 50% and lower class makes up the other 25% of the student body. There needs to be a consideration of the needs of the lower class students.
A1a. Demographics across the United States
Millard County School Districts students reflect on a small scale on the Nations cultural demographics. “Young adults today are more likely to be foreign born and speak a language other than English at home, compared with young adults in 1980.” (United States Census, 2014) These students enter into the school districts and language barriers become more prominent. The ethnic groups in the United States have all increase over they years. The white ethnicity has only increased 5.7% while the Asians, Native Hawaiian, and Hispanic or Latino have all increased over 35%. (Census, 2010)These increases across America need to be recognized by the faculty as this will help them better prepare for any changes that will happen within their own racial demo graphs. The poverty rate is increasing throughout the United States. The poverty rate has increase 2.3% from 2007-2014.
A1ai. Two Sources
One source that was helpful in gathering information on language diversity in the United States was and article from the United States Census Bureau entitled, New Census Bureau Statistics Show How Young Adults Today Compare With Previous Generations in Neighborhoods Nationwide. The report includes information from various data points in the US census. The other source used to gain information on ethnic diversity was from the Pew Research web site. It helped clarify the changes of the ethnic groups in the United States.
A2. Benefit of Diversity
Millard County School District being a small community is able to adapt to the language barriers it now faces due to the shift of ethnic groups. The faculty will gain experience and become more comfortable in teaching those with different backgrounds. The students will be able to build relationships of trust with the teachers and each other. The community will be able to expand and transform the culture with the integration of different diversity backgrounds.
B1. Culturally Based Communication Practices
Millard County Schools provide multiple types of communication between parents, students and the faculty. The faculty engages communication via back to school nights, parent teacher conference, as well being available before and after school for any concerns that may arise. These are some of the ways in which they communicate face to face. Teachers that are able to communicate and have even the slightest bit of understanding of Spanish are able to build a better relationship with the student as well as the parents. If the teacher is able to “slip in some Spanish” will be able to relate to Hispanics as this mirrors their own usage patterns. (CDC's Healthy Communities Program, 2015)The school also provides means of communication by use of digital boards of “billboards” to get important information out. (Blogger, 2013) According to an article wrote by the CDC says that “Hispanics consume every type of media” and that they have a special attraction to television and radio. (CDC's Healthy Communities Program, 2015)The faculty is encouraged to communicate with the students via e-mail, blog, or other electronic means of their choice. Status updates and grades are also available online.
B2. Stereotypical Assumptions
Teachers must be aware of and steer clear of making assumptions of students and their parents. One assumption may be that those with a lower economic status do not care about their child’s education. Due to their lower economic status it does not mean that the parents are lazy or that they do not value education. (Stauss, 2013) Student’s parents that are of a different nationality may have different priorities due to their culture than the faculty. These barriers may make it difficult to teach certain topics. Religion is another large part of Millard County School District. Many of the teachers come from a religious background and being a small community they are able to know which children also come from a similar background. Knowing which students come from these backgrounds can create a stereotype that they are not in need of extra help because they “have good parents” that are willing to help them, or that if their integrity comes into question against a student that doesn’t have a religious background the teacher may not question who is the one responsible for the cheating, stealing or other things of this type. Being able to keep outside feelings of both economical backgrounds as well as religious beliefs aside are of the upmost importance for a teacher to succeed for each individual child.
B3. Potential Barriers
Language may be a potential barrier within the communication of the Millard County School District. Many students that are coming in may have English as their second language and their parents may not speak English at all. Students may get discouraged in learning due to the language barrier. Another barrier is for those students that transfer mid year that also come with a different national background. They may have difficulties continuing their education and the continuity with the things that they have learned in the previous school and what is being taught in the Millard County School District. Recently a Charter school was opened in the school district that is able to teach Saxton math instead of Common Core math. If a student was to transfer into the public school mid year they would have a hard time figuring out the math that is being taught.
C1. Ways to Better Serve the Needs
Millard County School District is made up mainly of children that come from a Caucasian home. With the upswing of Hispanic children moving into the area the district needs to expand and diversify the way that they operate. Integrating an option of learning secondary languages for the students will help the students communicate and feel comfortable with those they are with. Those that have grown up in the area need to be sensitive to those that are coming from another culture. “Schools and educators must begin to develop curriculums that integrate awareness, knowledge, and skills within educational materials.” (Eric Digest, 1995)Through such things the children will be better equipped with the knowledge to become friends.
C2. Cross-Cultural Communication
1-NEA website has many articles pertaining to cultural communications and be found at this web site: www.nea.org
2- Ed change website offers workshops and other resources for teachers and may be foiund at the site: www.edchange.org
C2a. Summaries of Resources
According to the NEA there are five basic cultural competence skill areas and many strategies to help cross-cultural communication. “Teaching as using the cultural knowledge, prior experiences, and performance styles of diverse students to make learning more appropriate and effective for them; it teaches to and through students’ strengths” (Natonal Educatoin Association, 2015) EdChange offers a workshop and training in Diversity, equity, and multiculturalism. This workshop specializes in the philosophy of helping individuals, organizations, and schools shift from a “celebrating diversity” to one that is grounded with principles of equality. (EdChange, 2015) With these two resources it will provide helpful tools for the organizational leaders in their area.
C2b. Benefits of Applying Information Learned
Millard County School District will be able to apply the strategies found at the NEA website into its classrooms. The teachers will be able to reference and learn from the ideas presented. The five skills found on NEA website will be able to be practiced and referred to at any time. The teachers and students will have a positive reflection when dealing with cultural diversity.
The training for the teachers can be pulled from the workshops that are made available through EdChange. These workshops will help broaden the teacher’s horizons and have a better understand as to how they should teach the children in their classrooms. The training and projects will give the teachers experience and knowledge that they would not have gained otherwise.

References:

Blogger, G. (2013, September 30). Ving. Retrieved October 22, 2015, from Best Practices for Internal Communication in Public Schools: http://vingapp.com/best-practices-for-internal-communication-in-public-schools/

Butcher, R. D. (2010). Diversity Consciousness: Opening Our Minds to People, Cultures, and Opportunities (Vol. 3rd. ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson.

CDC's Healthy Communities Program. (2015). CDC. Retrieved October 28, 2015, from Building Our Understanding:Culture Insights Communicationg with Hispanic/Latinos: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dch/programs/healthycommunitiesprogram/tools/pdf/hispanic_latinos_insight.pdf Census. (2010). 2010 Census Data. Retrieved October 28, 2015, from United States Interactive map: www.census.gov/2010census/data/

EdChange. (2015). EdChange. Retrieved October 25, 2015, from Diversity, equity, and multiculturalism workshops: http://www.edchange.org/consulting.html

Eric Digest. (1995). Retrieved Ocotber 25, 2015, from Working with Diverse
Learners and School Staff in a Multicultural Society. ERIC Digest.: http://www.ericdigests.org/1996-3/working.htm

Howard, G. R. (2007). Educational Leadership. Retrieved October 22, 2015, from As Diversity Grows, So Must We: http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar07/vol64/num06/As-Diversity-Grows,-So-Must-We.aspx

Natonal Educatoin Association. (2015). Natonal Educatoin Association. Retrieved October 25, 2015, from Diversity Toolkit: Cultural Competence for Educators: http://www.nea.org/tools/30402.htm#S

Pew Research. (2015, October 15). Pew ResearchCenter. Retrieved Ocotber 23, 2015, from http://www.pewglobal.org/

Stauss, V. (2013, October 28). Washington Post. Retrieved October 22, 2015, from Five stereotypes about poor families and education: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2013/10/28/five-stereotypes-about-poor-families-and-education/

United States Census Bureau. (2015, October 14). Retrieved October 22, 2015, from Millard County, Utah: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/49/49027.html

United States Census. (2014, December 4). United States Census. Retrieved October 23, 2015, from New Census Bureau Statistics Show How Young Adults Today Compare With Previous Generations in Neighborhoods Nationwide: http://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2014/cb14-219.html