Culturally Responsive Teaching A Pedagogical Paradigm Shift

Épryl King, M.Ed.Doctoral Candidate

Indiana University of Pennsylvania

This session is designed to allow participants to think differently about the instruction of diverse groups of students. Through the research of Geneva Gay (2000) and Gloria Ladson-Billings (1995), culturally responsive and relevant pedagogical practices have espoused to meet the needs of diverse learners. This session helps educators to better understand their role in meeting the needs of these learners and equips them with strategies to close educational gaps, while addressing the whole child.

Why Culturally Responsive Teaching? And why me?

• 2006, Masters, Gannon Univ. - Black/White Achievement Gap Focus• Countywide Professional Development, Closing Achievement Gaps• Contact/collaboration with University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University, Harvard University• Communication with PSEA leadership, Legislative, MAC Committees• Research Advisory Committees, Pitt, IUP• PSEA Northwest Regional, Minority Leadership Conferences, Gettysburg• NEA/RA, Washington DC• Founding of non-profit, RAMP (Raising Achievement in Monroeville and Pitcairn, Inc.)• Presentations –

• International Conference at University of Pittsburgh• Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University • PA-NAME (National Association of Multicultural Education), Millersville Univ.

• Dissertation Focus

Differentiated Instruction

• Interest

• Readiness

• Learning profile

Culturally Responsive Teaching

• Interest

• getting to know your students through their

cultural background, and using that information

to help them learn

Agenda/Objectives

• Understand the background/rationale for CRT

• Identify characteristics of CRT

• Apply characteristics of CRT to develop CRT lessons

• Become equipped with to guide

implementation of CRT resources

Agenda/Objectives

• Understand the background/rationale for CRT• Indications of differences by race

• honors/AP courses• standardized test scores (NAEP, PSSA)• graduation rates• college entrance, matriculation rates• career/profession obtainment• wealth• health• conviction rates

Agenda/Objectives

• Understand the background/rationale for CRT

from a historical perspective…

How did inequities arise with diverse cultural groups?

Historical Challenges of Being a Country with Diverse Ethnic GroupsEarly laws/court rulings enacted to marginalize minority groups

• 1793, 1850 Fugitive Slave Act• 1790 Naturalization Act excluded Asians from naturalized

citizenship• 1800 -1835 Southern States outlawed educating slaves to read and

write• 1830 The Indian Removal Act• 1872 California school code provides no public education for any

minority• 1882 Chinese Exclusion Law banned all Chinese workers from U.S.• 1896 Plessy Decision (separate but equal)• 1941 Internment of Japanese Americans into concentration camps

(Nelson, Palonsky & McCarthy, 2010; Spring, 2010; NCLB 2001)

Historical Challenges of Being a Country with Diverse Ethnic GroupsLater laws which set to help minority groups

• 1927 U.S. Supreme Court rules in favor of Japanese language in Hawaii schools

• 1954 Brown vs. Board (ended segregation)• 1954 - Hernandez vs. Texas• 1961, 1965 Affirmative Action• 1965 Immigration Act – ended discrimination against Asians• 1968 Bilingual Education Act• 1970 Cisneros v. Corpus Christi (Brown vs. Board applied to

Mexican-Americans)• 1972 Indian Education Act• 1974 Lau v. Nichols (guaranteed assistance for non-English

speaking students to learn English)(Nelson, Palonsky & McCarthy, 2010; Spring, 2010; NCLB 2001)

Agenda/Objectives

• Understand the background/rationale for CRT• Indications of differences by race

• honors/AP courses• standardized test scores (NAEP, PSSA)• graduation rates• college entrance, matriculation rates• career/profession obtainment• wealth• health• conviction rates

Gateway’s 2012 PSSA Scores

MathematicsAll 77%White 82%Black 60%Hispanic 62%ED 68%IEP 44%

ReadingAll 78%White 83%Black 60%Hispanic 65%ED 66%IEP 45%

Gateway’s 2012 PSSA Scores

MathematicsAll 77%White 82%Black 60%Hispanic 62%ED 68%IEP 44%

ReadingAll 78%White 83%Black 60%Hispanic 65%ED 66%IEP 45%

Gateway’s 2012 PSSA Scores

“There are virtually no racial or social class differences in mental ability among infants before their first birthday and a few social class indicators are able to explain the small differences that do exist.” – Harvard Achievement Gap Initiative

http://www.agi.harvard.edu/projects/thegap.php

Holistic ApproachThe body of research points to all stakeholders in an effort to close achievement gaps

All Stakeholders

• Parents• Teachers• Administrators• Community

Holistic ApproachThe body of research points to all stakeholders in an effort to close achievement gaps

All Stakeholders

• Parents• Teachers• Administrators• Community

Culturally Responsive Teaching “can be defined as using the cultural knowledge, prior experiences, frames of reference, and performance styles of ethnically diverse students to make learning encounters more relevant to and effective for them. It teaches to and through the strengths of these students” (Gay, 2000, p.29).

Culturally Responsive Teaching

…is something that we already do, and for centuries has been directed at mainstream culture.• Pictures in textbooks• Choices of literature taught• Learning of scientist, inventors, musicians, theories, history• These have mostly appealed to mainstream (white, middle class) society.

Culturally Responsive Teaching…

• “It acknowledges the legitimacy of the cultural heritages of different ethnic groups, both as legacies that affect students’ dispositions, attitudes, and approaches to learning and as worthy content to be taught in the formal curriculum.

“Furthermore, culturally responsive teaching has the following characteristics:”

• “It acknowledges the legitimacy of the cultural heritages of different ethnic groups, both as legacies that affect students’ dispositions, attitudes, and approaches to learning and as worthy content to be taught in the formal curriculum.• It builds bridges of meaningfulness between home and school experiences as well as between academic abstractions and lived socio-cultural realities.

“Furthermore, culturally responsive teaching has the following characteristics:”

• “It acknowledges the legitimacy of the cultural heritages of different ethnic groups, both as legacies that affect students’ dispositions, attitudes, and approaches to learning and as worthy content to be taught in the formal curriculum.• It builds bridges of meaningfulness between home and school experiences as well as between academic abstractions and lived socio-cultural realities.• It uses a wide variety of instructional strategies that are connected to different learning styles

“Furthermore, culturally responsive teaching has the following characteristics:”

• “It acknowledges the legitimacy of the cultural heritages of different ethnic groups, both as legacies that affect students’ dispositions, attitudes, and approaches to learning and as worthy content to be taught in the formal curriculum.• It builds bridges of meaningfulness between home and school experiences as well as between academic abstractions and lived socio-cultural realities.• It uses a wide variety of instructional strategies that are connected to different learning styles• It teaches students to know and praise their own and each others’ cultural heritages.

“Furthermore, culturally responsive teaching has the following characteristics:”

• “It acknowledges the legitimacy of the cultural heritages of different ethnic groups, both as legacies that affect students’ dispositions, attitudes, and approaches to learning and as worthy content to be taught in the formal curriculum.• It builds bridges of meaningfulness between home and school experiences as well as between academic abstractions and lived socio-cultural realities.• It uses a wide variety of instructional strategies that are connected to different learning styles• It teaches students to know and praise their own and each others’ cultural heritages.• It incorporates multicultural information, resources, and materials in all the subjects and skills routinely taught in schools” (Gay, 2000, p29).

“Furthermore, culturally responsive teaching has the following characteristics:”

Agenda/Objectives

• Understand the background/rationale for CRT

• Identify characteristics of CRT

• Apply characteristics of CRT to develop CRT activities

• Become equipped with resources to guide

implementation of CRT

Agenda/Objectives

• Understand the background/rationale for CRT

• Identify characteristics of CRT

• Apply characteristics of CRT to develop CRT activities

• Become equipped with resources to guide

implementation of CRT

• Is Validating• Comprehensive• Multidimensional• Empowering• Transformative• Emancipatory

Descriptive Characteristics of Culturally Responsive Teaching

Use cultural references

• “using cultural referents to impart knowledge, skills, and attitudes” (Ladson-Billings, 1992, p.382).

How can I demonstrate culturally relevant teaching?

Use cultural references

• “using cultural referents to impart knowledge, skills, and attitudes” (Ladson-Billings, 1992, p.382).

• This is empowering and helps to combat the learned helplessness that permeates our many cultural groups

How can I demonstrate culturally relevant teaching?

The gravity of “CARING”

• According to Ronald Ferguson (2002), the MSAN student survey of 2001 shows that African- American and Hispanic students attributed their successes to “teacher encouragement” as opposed to “teacher expectations” to do well.

How can I demonstrate culturally relevant teaching?

Know and use your resources:

• Internet, Journal Articles

• Television and movies are one of the most impactful ways that people are socialized. Carefully select those that will inform you of historical and current cultural practices and values.

• Text is wide and expansive. Magazines that espouse the general values of cultural groups are helpful…Ex. Jet, Ebony Magazines

How do I get to know my students’ cultural backgrounds better?

• Incorporate characteristics of CRT throughout instruction and across content areas

(this is our main focus for today)

How can I demonstrate culturally relevant teaching?

• Use parents as resources and extensions of the educational team

• Parents face many different challenges in educating their children. Many will benefit from your expertise in sending newsletters or other educational material home with students to help parents better support their children’s education at home

How can I demonstrate culturally relevant teaching?

• Include parents in the homework process (Epstein & Voorhis) – TIPS

* 1x or 2x a month* Includes directions for parent* Student must interact with parent to complete

the assignment* This helps promote student/parent interaction with homework

How can I demonstrate culturally relevant teaching?

• 90/90/90 Schools (Douglas Reeves)– Dame-Dame Schools (University of Pittsburgh)

• 75% or more African-American• 75% or more low-income backgrounds• 75% or more proficient• (Gold standard is 85% in all three categories, and

proficient in both reading and math)

What are some examples of successful schools?

What are some examples of successful schools?Name Enrollme

ntCity %

Black

% Poor

% At/Above inReading

Proficiency2007 2008

2009

% At/Above inMath

Proficiency2007 2008

2009Franklin Square

Elementary (preK-5)

286 BaltimoreMD

98.6 89.0 90.0 97.4 94.6 86.4 94.8 86.3

KIPP Ujima Village

Academy (5-8)

394 Baltimore MD

98.4 79.4 83.9 85.4 88.0 99.0 96.3 96.0

IndependenceHigh

(9-12)909 Columbus

OH90.7 78.3 90.8 89.9 84.5 83.7 76.3 75.1

What are some examples of successful schools?Locally

Pittsburgh Public Schools (Fulton Academy)High percentage of African-American studentsHigh percentage of students from low-income backgrounds

2012 PSSA ScoresAll Students Math = 87%Black Students Math = 86% (n=113/129)All Students Reading = 62%Black Students Reading = 60%

For Comparison 5 Year Trend in Reading PSSAs by Subgroup

Gateway School District Overall Results (3-8, 11)

Subgroup% Proficient

White African American Hispanic

2007 74 45 642008 76 51 502009 82 58 652010 82 62 432011 84 65 63

For Comparison 5 Year Trend in Math PSSAs by Subgroup

Gateway School District Overall ResultsSubgroup

% ProficientWhite African American Hispanic

2007 73 45 592008 77 49 682009 83 59 592010 86 66 672011 84 69 75

For Comparison2005 PSSAs in Math and Reading

Moss Side Middle SchoolSubgroup

% ProficientWhite African American Hispanic

2005Math

62 40 n/a

2005 Reading

73 47 n/a

What does a culturally responsive classroom or lesson look like?Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning (8:53), 2:40 – lesson examplehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=_uOncGZWxDc&NR=1

* Introduction to Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (4:40) (1:08 – 3:00) (3:52-4:15) (Gay, 2000)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGTVjJuRaZ8&feature=related

* Gloria Ladson-Billings Cultural Competency (3:10)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccEu7r2IwM0&feature=related

What do the expert scholars say?Who are Culturally Competent Teachers?

* Introduction to Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (4:40) (1:08 – 3:00) (3:52-4:15) (Gay, 2000)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGTVjJuRaZ8&feature=related

* Gloria Ladson-Billings Cultural Competency (3:10) ( :47-2:21)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccEu7r2IwM0&feature=related

* Culturally Responsive Teaching (Multiple Histories) – (3:00)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKK2nuFxfbY

Looking at multiple histories…how people change their trajectories

What Culturally Responsive Teaching Is Not:• Standardized test prep – teaching students how to take testCulturally Responsive Teaching…• Immerses students in activities and contexts that are culturally meaningful and relevant. It builds bridges from that meaning to other contexts (text to text). It makes learning more efficient and teaching more effective. Because students have learned they will do better on tests.

Multicultural Curriculum – Fifth Grade Science/Math Lesson Plan: Egyptian hieroglyphs

http://www.palmbeachschools.org/multicultural/documents/MultiFifth.pdf

Diversity in Mathematics: Census Statistics in Utahhttp://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=22271

What does a sample culturally responsive lesson plan look like?

Reading: • authentic multicultural literature• skills areas situated within a cultural context

Science, Math: • skills areas situated within a cultural context• contributions of different backgrounds reflected in lessonsSocial Studies:• minority perspectives reflected in historical accounts, key events, implications on today’s society

What does CRT look like in different subjects?

What might a culturally responsive lesson plan look like using our KUD Lesson Plan Template?

Second Grade Reading Comprehension Lesson: Character

Agenda/Objectives

• Understand the background/rationale for CRT

• Identify characteristics of CRT

• Apply characteristics of CRT to analyze or develop

CRT lesson

• Become equipped with resources to guide

implementation of CRT

Steps to developing a Culturally Responsive repertoire

• First, get to know your students’ background• Identify cultures• develop relationships• talk to parents• use media resources

• Draw from that knowledge to develop culturally responsive lessons.

Culturally Responsive Teaching ResourcesContributions of Minorities to United States Culture

(quick examples)The Hispanic American.com

http://www.thehispanicamerican.com/famous-hispanic-american/hisanic-american-scientist-02/ http://www.thehispanicamerican.com/famous-hispanic-american/hispanic-american-inventor-02/

Native American Scientistshttp://bio.sacnas.org/biography/listsscientist.asp

Buzzlehttp://www.buzzle.com/articles/famous-black-mathematicians.html

Contributions of Minorities to U.S. Culture

Culturally Responsive Teaching ResourcesContributions of Minorities to U.S. History

(quick examples)Trail of Tears, Pt. 1 Documentaryhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGBHAqur5YY&feature=related

Slavery and the Making of America (Chapter 1) "The Capture" (clips from Amistad)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsdosE10EjU&feature=related

A Short History of Asians in Americahttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hVlSuuaQhs

Hispanic AmericansUnivision: The New American Reality

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQnhuj11zgI

Immigration to the United States, 1789-1930 (Harvard University Library)http://ocp.hul.harvard.edu/immigration/timeline.html

Agenda/Objectives

• Understand the background/rationale for CRT

• Identify characteristics of CRT

• Apply characteristics of CRT to analyze or develop

CRT activities

• Become equipped with resources to guide

implementation of CRT

Agenda/Objectives

• Understand the background/rationale for CRT

• Identify characteristics of CRT

• Apply characteristics of CRT to analyze or develop

CRT activities

• Become equipped with resources to guide

implementation of CRT

Where can you find information about the cultures represented in your classroom?

•Here’s a start.

• Historical Contributions, Cultural History• Scientists, mathematicians, inventors

• Representative Literature• Literature by and/or about the race/culture

represented.

Agenda/Objectives

• Understand the background/rationale for CRT

• Identify characteristics of CRT

• Apply characteristics of CRT to analyze or develop

CRT activities

• Become equipped with resources to guide

implementation of CRT

Develop a culturally responsive lesson plan

Let’s put what we’ve learned into action!

K-4th Grade Teachers(Storytown Manuals)

• Group by grade level if you can.• Select a major concept/skill in Reading and develop a culturally responsive Reading Lesson

5th-6th Grade Teachers(Either Storytown or Math Manuals)• Group by subject/grade area:

• Reading• Math

• Select a major concept/skill in Reading or Math and develop a culturally responsive lesson

References

Gay, G. (2000). Culturally responsive teaching: Theory, research, and practice. (pp. 29-36). New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Ferguson & Martin, 2009. The love to read survey. The Achievement Gap Initiative at Harvard University. Retrieved from: http://www.agi.harvard.edu/projects/lovetoread.php

Ladson-Billings, G. (1992a). Culturally relevant teaching: The key to making multicultural education work. In C.A. Grant (Ed.), Research and multicultural education (pp. 106-121). London: Falmer Press.

Ladson-Billings, G. (1992b). Liberatory consequences of literacy: A case of culturally relevant instruction for African-American students. Journal of Negro Education, 61, 378-391.

Ladson-Billings, G. (1992c). Reading between the lines and beyond the pages: A culturally relevant approach to literacy teaching. Theory Into Practice, 31, 312-320.

Ladson-Billings, G. (1995). But that’s just good teaching! The case for culturally relevant pedagogy. Theory Into Practice, 34, 159-165.

Pennsylvania Department of Education. (2012, August 19). State Report Card 2010-2011. Retrieved August 19, 2012 from: http://paayp.emetric.net/Content/reportcards/RC11M.PDF

Taylor, J., Orgass, S., Kouyatè, M., & King, E. (in preparation). A Gardening Metaphor:Framework for Closing and Reversing Racial Achievement Gaps in America.Department of Africana Studies, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.

Evaluation

I value your feedback as to what could help make this

presentation more effective in the future. Please take a

moment to complete a short, anonymous evaluation of

this session.

Thank you.Épryl King, M.Ed., Doctoral Candidate

Indiana University of Pennsylvania

eprylking@achievementgap.info