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

1. Cultural, Ethnic, and Social Diversity (Indicators 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, AQTS) Helping Beginning Teachers Recognize, Understand, and Value Diversity (4.3) and Differentiate Instruction to Build on Student Assets (4.1) Module for Indicator 4.3 Alabama Department of Education Resources for Mentor Teachers

2. Understanding this Resource Conversation Starter icon Reflectionicon Decision Point icon

3. 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

4. Spheres of Activity Classroom School Personal

5. 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?

6. 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?

7. 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.

8. Assessment of Awareness and Personal Beliefs Teacher beliefs about student abilities influence achievement. 5---------4---------3---------2---------1

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. Teacher Expectations Teacher education students view diversity as a problem, not a resource Low expectations for performance Self-fulfilling prophecy Watered down curriculum for students of color Low academic performance

12. Assessment of Awareness and Personal Beliefs Students who can work independently and quietly are the best learners in my classroom. 5---------4---------3---------2---------1

13. Assessment of Awareness and Personal Beliefs 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

14. “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

15. 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?

16. Assessment of Awareness and Personal Beliefs • Which of the following belief statements best matches your personal and professional beliefs about student learning? • All students can learn if they attend school regularly and put forth effort. • All students can learn if they receive support from their parents or guardians. • All students can learn, and it’s my job to see that they do. • Some students cannot learn.

17. 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) Educational Attainment for Every 100 Kindergartners

18. By Family Income NAEP 8th Grade Math 2003 (Nation) Source: USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)

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

20. 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. Different Backgrounds; Different Perceptions

21. Take Actions Ladder of Inferences Adopt beliefs Draw conclusions Make assumptions Add meaning Select data on which to focus Observable data From work by Chris Argyris, cited in Senge et. al., 1994

22. Take Actions Ladder of Inferences Adopt beliefs We move up the ladder in seconds— usually without self-awareness. Draw conclusions Make assumptions Add meaning Select data on which to focus Observable data From work by Chris Argyris, cited in Senge et. al., 1994

23. Take Actions Ladder of Inferences Adopt beliefs 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! Draw conclusions Make assumptions Add meaning Select data on which to focus Observable data From work by Chris Argyris, cited in Senge et. al., 1994

24. Assessment of Awareness and Personal Beliefs 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.

25. 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

26. New Vision of Low-Performing LearnersWilliams, Closing the Achievement Gap, page 19 Current View A New Vision Deprived Failing/low achieving Unmotivated At-risk Culturally different Unrecognized abilities/underdeveloped potential Engaged/self-motivated /effortful Resilient

27. What Would It Take to Help a Beginning Teacher Move from Beginning to Emerging in 4.3? 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

28. Types of Data for Formative Assessment Perceptions and attitudes Samples of student work Classroom Observations Test results and other data Related research and literature

29. 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?

30. Ways to Gather Evidence Related to 4.3 • 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?

31. Ways to Gather Evidence Related to 4.3 • 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?

32. Types of Data for Formative Assessment Test results and other data, e.g. absenteeism Samples of student work

33. 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.

34. Helping a Teacher Move in 4.3 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.”

35. Helping a Teacher Move in 4.3 • 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?

36. Helping a Teacher Move in 4.3 • 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)

37. Helping a Teacher Move in 4.3 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.

38. 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.