The SOE developed a Conceptual Framework, Professionals for the Future. From this conceptual framework the SOE’s Diversity Committee developed a plan that encompasses classroom, field, and everyday experiences. They are designed to develop the following six competencies:

1. The professional believes that all people can learn, albeit in different ways and to different degrees.

2. The professional minimizes cultural, religious, ethnic, linguistic, socio-economic, gender, and cognitive barriers to learning.

3. The professional possesses knowledge, skills, and dispositions to enhance learning for a diverse student population.

4. The professional recognizes how diversities affect the design of, outcomes of, interpretation of, and feedback stemming from, assessments.

5. The professional prizes the richness and quality of classroom interactions that result from diversities.

6. The professional includes all families as partners in the education process and shares information pertaining to community resources.