Transcript Diversity-Responsive Teaching: Exemplars from Today’s

National Center for Culturally
Responsive Educational Systems
Creating Opportunities to Learn—
A Forum for Addressing
Disproportionality
February 15-17, 2006
Denver, Colorado
Donna Sobel, Ph.D.
Sherry Taylor, Ph.D.
University of Colorado at Denver &
Health Sciences Center
Are the culturally responsive
instructional practices that I
value realized inside my
classroom?
Part I: Creating Classroom Contexts
February 16th, 2006
3:00 – 4:15
Session Objectives
• Examine how exemplars of responsiveness support
national, state and local teaching standards.
• Articulate how investigations into exemplars of
responsive instruction and practice align with our
research agenda.
• Engage in a critical examination to explore and
identify classroom contextual exemplars that
demonstrate responsive teaching practices.
Rationale for responsive teaching:
Students & Programs
Sound programs need teachers who:
• understand, value, and know
how to address learners’
experiences based on language,
ethnic-culture, race, ability, socio-economic
background, gender, religion, and regionalculture; and
• meet required teaching standards regarding
diversity.
Rationale for responsive teaching:
Professional Standards
• “Demonstrate knowledge of language development and reading
acquisition and the variations related to cultural and linguistic
diversity; including using assessment information to plan, evaluate, &
revise effective instruction as well as using a wide range of curriculum
materials in effective reading instruction for learners at different
stages of reading & writing development and from different cultural
and linguistic backgrounds.” (IRA: 1.3, 2.3, 3.3)
• “Candidates know, understand, & use major concepts, principles,
theories, & research related to the nature & role of culture & cultural
groups to construct learning environments that support ESOL
students’ cultural identities, language & literacy development, &
content area achievement.” (TESOL: Domain #2)
• “Demonstrate differing ways of learning of individuals with
exceptional learning needs including those from culturally diverse
backgrounds and strategies for addressing these differences.” (CEC:
CC3K5)
Rationale for responsive teaching:
State Teaching Standards
• “The teacher is responsive to the needs and experiences children
bring to the classroom, including those based on culture,
community, ethnicity, economics, linguistics, and innate
learning abilities.” (COLORADO: Standard #6 )
• “Understands cultural and community diversity through a well
grounded framework and understands how to learn about and
incorporate students’ experiences, cultures, and community
resources into instruction.” (ILLINOIS: Standard 3E)
• “Teachers are successful in teaching a diverse population.
Teachers know and respect the influence of race, ethnicity,
gender, religion and other aspects of culture on a child's
development and personality.” (NORTH CAROLINA:
Standard 3)
Rationale for responsive teaching:
District-level Teaching Standards
• “Jefferson County School is committed to promoting and
valuing diversity. The school district insures quality
education for all students with equal access to all programs
and activities; equal opportunity for academic
achievement; fair treatment policy and practice; equitable
rewards and outcomes; and respect for others.”
(JEFFERSON COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT)
• “The teacher shall demonstrate competency in valuing and
promoting understanding of diversity.” (BOULDER
VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT)
• “Teachers will educate students to meet the challenges of
the 21st century wit the knowledge, skills, and experiences
necessary to succeed in an ethnically diverse, global
environment.” (DURANGO SCHOOL DISTRICT)
Activity: Pair-Share
• Share your response to the anticipatory set
prompt:
Identify actions you have taken that realize
the values you
hold regarding
culturally responsive
instruction and
practices.
RESEARCH
AGENDA
Our aim is to contribute to an
enhanced understanding of &
ability to demonstrate
responsive teaching.
Responsive teaching practices encompass all aspects of
classroom life including the classroom environment and
instruction designed and implemented by the teacher. But
what do such classrooms look like? While teachers may be
cognizant of the need to address a wide range of learner
experiences and needs and even committed to that effort, they
may not know how to begin.
Our seven year longitudinal investigation
has been a journey to examine
teachers’ beliefs and instructional
practices regarding learners who are
academically, linguistically, and culturally
diverse.
OUR LINE OF INQUIRY…………
• Survey data that reported on teachers’ perceived
competence and attitudes regarding diversity issues in the
classroom.
• Creation, validation and reliability investigations into a
“Diversity-Observation Tool”, a standards-based guide
developed to assess and mentor teachers’ performance to
meaningfully address the needs of learners with diverse
backgrounds and abilities in multilingual, multicultural,
and inclusive classrooms.
• Examinations into teachers’ competencies to recognize and
implement exemplars of responsive teaching.
Identifying exemplars of responsive teaching using
classroom-based investigations
Data Set
Data Format
1. Survey and
Demographic
profiles
Name, grade level, years teaching, licensures, age, religion, ethnicity,
gender, native language, background profile, AYP focus.
2. Classroom
profiles
Grade level, # of students, age-ranges, gender distribution, # w/ identified
special needs, # w/ literacy plans, # of reduced lunch, CSAP ranking, # w/
limited English proficiency needs, and # whose first language is not
English.
3. Prompts
Prompts were electronically sent to teachers monthly.
4.Competencies
Level of perceived competence in each of the DRT components.
5. Work sample
Student work samples reflective of the skill identified as “at risk for
making AYP”.
6. Video-tapes
Whole-class teaching episode, w/ a narrative tour by the teacher.
7. Audio-tapes
Each student responded to an eleven item questionnaire.
8. Digital
photos
Samples of environmental print represented throughout the building.
Components of Responsive Teaching
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
Environmental Print
Grouping Strategies
Instructional Materials
Lesson Adaptations
Distribution of Attention
Evidence of Student Understandings
Positive Standards for Classroom Behavior
Personal Growth towards Principles of Equity
and Diversity
9) Parent and Community Involvement
(See handout #1.1: Components of Responsive Teaching)
Pre-assessment
• What am I currently doing with
respect to responsive teaching?
• Complete the middle column of
handout #1.2
Listen, reflect, & record exemplars of
responsive teaching
• Using the Classroom Tour note-catcher
(handout #1.3), identify exemplars of
responsiveness that illustrate
environmental print, grouping
arrangements, instructional materials, and
positive standards for classroom
behavior.
Background Information & School
Demographics
School snapshot:
• Gardenside Elementary mirrors the
realities present in many of today’s urban
schools: 40% of the 538 students are from
minority backgrounds; 80 students (15%)
are identified with special education needs;
74 students qualify for English Language
Learner (ELL) services; the school has a
29% student mobility rate; and has a 91%
attendance rate falling below the state goal
(95%).
Classroom Demographics
Number of 3rd graders
Gender distribution
24
Males = 13
Females = 11
Students with an individualized literacy plan
11
Students with an identified second language
need
8
Students with an identified special education
need (1 speech language; 2 perceptual
communicative disorder; 1 emotional/behavioral
disorder)
4
Range of reading abilities
1-6 grades
Classroom Context
• Approaching & Touring the Classroom
Activity: Carousel Brainstorming
1) Move about the room, stopping at each
posting. Identify the exemplar and analyze
how it supports responsive instruction
and practice.
2) Report out. Return to one poster to review
and discuss generated comments. Select 2
or 3 representative exemplars to share
with the entire group.
Reflection on Next Steps
• Revisit Handout #1.2 (Pre-Assessing
Responsive Teaching)
• What more could you be doing to support
responsive instruction and practice?
In closing
YOUR QUESTIONS
&
COMMENTS