cultural, ethnic, and social diversity (indicators 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, aqts)

Helping Beginning Teachers Recognize, Understand, and Value Divers i ty (4 .3) and Differentiate Instruct ion to Bui ld

on Student Assets (4 .1)

MODULE FOR INDICATOR 4 .3

A L A B A M A D E PA R T M E N T O F E D U C A T I O NR E S O U R C E S F O R M E N T O R T E A C H E R S

Cultural, Ethnic, and Social Diversity (Indicators 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, AQTS)

Understanding this Resource

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Alabama Quality Teaching Standard 4: Diversity

Cultural, Ethnic, and Social Diversity

4.1 Develops culturally responsive curriculum and instruction in response to differences in individual experiences; cultural, ethnic, gender, and linguistic diversity; and socioeconomic status

4.3 Demonstrates and applies to own practice an understanding of how personal and cultural biases can affect teaching and learning

Spheres of Activity

Personal

Classroom

School

Questions to Explore

Regarding Indicator 4.3--Demonstrates and applies to own practice an understanding of how personal and cultural biases can affect teaching and learning

What are my own assumptions and attitudes toward learners from cultures different than my own?

What is a “deficit” model of thinking about differences? What are the advantages of adopting an “asset” model?

How can I become more aware of my own personal and cultural biases?

How do my biases affect teaching and learning? How can we more openly explore this sensitive topic

with colleagues?

Awareness of how Personal and Cultural Biases Affect Teaching and

Learning

Read through the five levels on the AQTS Continuum for Indicator 4.3.

Where do you rate yourself on the continuum?

What is the evidence for your self-assessment?

Where do you want to be on the continuum?

Self-Assessment of Personal Beliefs

Print off the “Self-assessment of Personal Beliefs” handout. Complete the entire assessment before you continue. For each item, decide if you

strongly agree (5), agree somewhat (4) neither agree or disagree (3)disagree somewhat (2) strongly disagree (1)

After you have completed all of the items, continue to the next slide.

Assessment of Awareness and Personal Beliefs

1. Teacher beliefs about student abilities influence achievement.

5---------4---------3---------2---------1

Teacher Expectations

“Many [of the future teachers we interviewed] were less than convinced that all students can learn; they voiced the view that they should be kind and considerate to all, but they accepted as fact the theory that some simply cannot learn.”

--Goodlad reported in Williams, p. 100.

Teacher Expectations

Teacher education students view diversity as a problem, not a resource

Low expectations for performance

Watered down curriculum for students of color

Low academic performance

Self-fulfilling

prophecy


2. Students who can work independently and quietly are the best learners in my classroom.

5---------4---------3---------2---------1


3. When people ask about the racial achievement gap, I usually maintain that, “I don’t see color; I see students. I treat all my students alike.”

5---------4---------3---------2---------1

“Color-Blindness” Does Not Improve Teaching

“Given the significance of race and color in American society, it is impossible to believe that a classroom teacher does not notice the race and ethnicity of the children she is teaching. Further, by claiming not to notice, the teacher is saying that she is dismissing one of the most salient features of the child’s identify and that she does not account for it in her curricular planning and instruction….If teachers pretend not to see students’ racial and ethnic differences, they really do not see the students at all and are limited in their ability to meet their educational needs.” --Gloria Ladson-Billings, p. 33

Diversity Adds Interest

If we have difficulty “seeing color” among our colleagues, friends, and students, we may want to form a study group; read a book; talk with others. Think about the following questions:

Do I “avoid” seeing all races--or just those that are different from mine?

Can I see a child of color as having value by virtue of her culture and race—rather than ignoring it?

How might my “seeing” (or not seeing) race affect my teaching?


4. Which of the following belief statements best matches your personal and professional beliefs about student learning?

A. All students can learn if they attend school regularly and put forth effort.

B. All students can learn if they receive support from their parents or guardians.

C. All students can learn, and it’s my job to see that they do.

D. Some students cannot learn.

Educational Attainment for Every 100 Kindergartners

Graduate HS Graduate Coll0

102030405060708090

100

BlacksAsiansLatinosWhites

Cited in Williams, B. (Ed) Closing the Achievement Gap: A Vision for Changing Beliefs and Practices, 2nd Edition, p. 13.

Source: U. S. Bureau of the Census (2000)

18

By Family Income NAEP 8th Grade Math 2003 (Nation)

Poor Not Poor0%

10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

53

22

36

41

11

37

Prof/AdvBasicBelow Basic

Source: USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)

The Achievement GapCited in Williams, B. (Ed) Closing the Achievement Gap: A Vision for Changing Beliefs and Practices, 2nd Edition, page 28.

70 percent of white high school students can compute with fractions compared to 3 percent of black students.

On average, black and Latino high school graduates read at the same level as white 8th graders.

Different Backgrounds; Different Perceptions

0%20%40%60%80%

White teachersBlack teachers

Teacher beliefs are different, based on cultural backgrounds.

National poll reported by Turnbull, E. and Pacheo, M. The Teacher’s Guide to Diversity: Building a Knowledge Base. The Education Alliance at Brown University, p. 115.

Ladder of Inferences

Observa

ble

data

Select

data on

which to

focu

sAdd m

eaning

Make

assumptio

ns

Draw

conclusio

ns

Adopt

beliefs

Take

Actions

From work by Chris Argyris, cited in Senge et. al., 1994


Observa

ble

data

Select

data on

which to

focu

sAdd m

eaning

Make

assumptio

ns

Draw

conclusio

ns

Adopt

beliefs

Take

Actions

We move up the ladder in seconds— usually without self-awareness.



Observa

ble

data

Select

data on

which to

focu

sAdd m

eaning

Make

assumptio

ns

Draw

conclusio

ns

Adopt

beliefs

Take

Actions

The only things “visible” are the top and bottom rungs. The loop is invisible to others—and even to ourselves. Rarely do we test our assumptions—or even know where they come from!



When we make assumptions about student potential, based on cultural, ethnic, and social differences, we allow personal and cultural biases to affect our teaching, and more importantly, student learning.

Indicator 4.3 is about increasing our awareness of the power of our beliefs related to cultural diversity.

Problems with the “Deficit” Model

Subscribing to a deficit model of cultural, parental, and community resources and values [is limiting] ….If, on the other hand, educators began with a belief in the transformative role of education, the value of accessing diversity, a faith in the potential success of every student, a commitment to collaborative and political linkages with parents and communities, then mustering the inventiveness to create new ways of organizing on behalf of children would be the logical, moral, and just thing to do.Citation in Williams of Astuto, T., Clark, D. L., Read, A., McGree, K., & Fernandez, L. P. (1993) Challenges to dominant assumptions controlling education reform. Andover, MA: Regional Lab of the Northeast and Islands, page 41

Current View A New Vision

DeprivedFailing/low achievingUnmotivatedAt-risk

Culturally differentUnrecognized

abilities/underdeveloped potential

Engaged/self-motivated /effortful

Resilient

New Vision of Low-Performing LearnersWilliams, Closing the Achievement Gap, page 19

Pre-Service and Beginning Emerging

Is aware of the need to consider own assumptions, attitudes, and expectations about learners

Begins to reflect on possible personal biases and their impact on learning

Acknowledges potential personal biases based on an understanding of the differences between own background and that of learners

Reflects on personal and cultural biases and identifies areas of strength and growth

What Would It Take to Help a Beginning Teacher Move from Beginning to Emerging

in 4.3?

Types of Data for Formative Assessment

Perceptions and attitudes

Classroom Observations

Samples of student work

Test results and other data

Related research and literature

Ways to Gather Evidence Related to 4.3

Engage in discussions about the teacher’s own cultural awareness. Pose questions that will help you better understand his or her background as well as attitudes and expectations. Tell me about your own school experiences. To what do you attribute your success in school? How much was your family involved in your being

successful? How do you think that compares to the students in your

class? Who might have had very different experiences? How might that effect their learning in school?

How might you learn more about each of your students? In what ways might it help you as a teacher to learn more about each of them?


Interview students in the classroom—or suggest that the beginning teacher interview a sample of students. What are you studying now? What will you have learned when you finish this

lesson? Why is it important to learn this? How does this content relate to your life? To the lives

of your family members?


Interview students in the classroom—or suggest that the beginning teacher interview a sample of students. What grade do you expect to earn in this class? On what do you base your estimate? What grade would you like to earn in this class? What would be necessary for you to do in order to

earn a higher grade?

Types of Data for Formative Assessment

Samples of student work

Test results and other data, e.g. absenteeism

Helping a Teacher Move in 4.3

Identify a teacher in your school or school system who has a high degree of insight into diversity and learning: someone who can talk with integrity and authenticity about the effects of poverty, ethnicity, culture, or gender.


Organize a study group or a book study with other teachers to look into the relationship between diversity and achievement; teacher expectations and achievement. Encourage the group to use language which is oriented to diversity “assets” rather than “deficits.”


Invite a group of students to participate in a focus group, in which the beginning teacher and other adults listen to the discussion.

Encourage the students to talk about the following kinds of things: What helps you learn? What do teachers do to support

your learning? What do teachers do that might discourage your learning? What do you like best about school? Least? Explain why. Do certain kids always do well—and others always do

badly? If so, can you predict which ones? On what do you base your predictions?


Share resources from the web, from colleagues in your school, from the library. Search the web for the following: The National Institute for Urban School Improvement The Equity Alliance at Arizona State University The Education Alliance at Brown University The National Center for Culturally Responsive

Educational Systems (NCCRESt)


Changing practice often precedes a change in attitude or beliefs.

Check out the module related to 4.1 (culturally-responsive instruction and curriculum) for ideas about how to improve practice, which in turn may likely affect attitudes and beliefs.

Reference

Ladson-Billings, Gloria. The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, Inc. 1994.

Senge, P. M., Roberts, C., Ross, R. B., Smith, B. J., Kleiner, A. The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook: Strategies and Tools for Building a Learning Organization. New York: Doubleday. 1994.

Singleton, G. E., & Linton, C. Courageous Conversations About Race: A Field Guide for Achieving Equity in Schools. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. 2006.

Skrla, L., McKenzie, K.B., Scheurich, J. J. Using Equity Audits to Create Equitable and Excellent Schools. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin. 2009.

Turnbull, E. and Pacheo, M. The Teacher’s Guide to Diversity: Building a Knowledge Base. The Education Alliance at Brown University. Available on line at http://www.alliance.brown.edu/pubs/teach_guide_diversity

Williams, Belinda (Ed.) Closing the Achievement Gap: A Vision for Changing Beliefs and Practices, 2nd edition. Alexandria, VA: ASCD. 2003.

http://www.alliance.brown.edu/pubs/teach_guide_diversity

cultural, ethnic, and social diversity (indicators 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, aqts)

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