Among the educational obstacles that restrict the academic performance of underrepresented and Limited English Proficient students is the failure of schools to convey a belief that such students have worth and the capacity to learn. The characteristics of such students often lead teachers, parents, fellow students and even the underrepresented students themselves to have low expectations for educational competence. These low expectations frequently become self-fulfilling prophecies for students perceived to be low status. But notwithstanding their ethnic, cultural, linguistic, religious and socio-economic characteristics, it is essential that teachers relate to all their students with dignity and understanding. Unless teachers and their students create classroom environments characterized by trust and mutual respect, students will take few educational risks, and there can be little real hope that learning will occur. These values are reflected in the program designs of project sites, which give a significant priority to modeling "inclusive" school and classroom environments.

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