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In the current era of education culture wars
But balancing these approaches is more important than ever as our schools continue to rebound from pandemic-related learning loss coupled with the ongoing social-emotional needs of students. We should not have to prioritize one approach over the other: academic rigor, or supporting students’ social-emotional needs through culturally relevant teaching and experiences. Individually, each approach falls short in providing all students with the support they require for a successful future. By reframing them as mutually reinforcing rather than mutually exclusive, we have the potential to significantly transform education for every child.
Culturally relevant teaching is the conduit to academic success, and rigorous instruction is effective when grounded in culturally relevant teaching. To support our students, we must equip them with the tools for empowerment while also working to create inclusive educational environments that foster support.
In practice, this means everything from ensuring our teachers and staff reflect the demographic makeup of our students, to examining the resources and professional development we bring into our schools to make sure all our students’ needs are met. It means having data-driven conversations, grounded in equity, about how we are serving our most marginalized students.
As a school leader at Aspire Public Schools in Los Angeles, we knew some of our most vulnerable students were those who were chronically absent. Diving into the data, we discovered that many of our students missed school around three-day weekends and holidays. As a part of the implementation of our positive behavioral and intervention support (PBIS) framework, we focused on timing school celebrations and family engagement activities before and after three-day weekends and holidays so that students wouldn’t want to miss out on the fun. Additionally, teachers reach out to families of absent students to provide a more personal touch and communicate the positive impact their child has in their classroom community when they are at school. The early results of implementing this PBIS approach are showing promise in reducing absenteeism, with a year-over-year decrease in chronic absenteeism rates across our 11 Los Angeles schools.
A data-driven approach grounded in equity can also help serve special education students. For example, at one of our schools, students in special education demonstrated notable progress in math, surpassing the growth rates in math seen among their peers in general education, both in LAUSD and statewide. The schools took a different approach to intervention than they had in the past. Previously, students with individual education plans (IEPs), which are required for all students in special education, were not included in math interventions — an additional 20-minute small-group math instruction during the school day. Last year, students with IEPs participated in these math interventions along with general education students. This additional intervention, combined with regular “teach back” sessions during which teachers practice delivering content to their peers, gathering feedback and strengthening their practice, yielded positive results among our special education learners.
Developing partnerships to incorporate Afrocentric and LGBTQ+ curriculum and resources can also make an impact. This has included everything from the establishment of several Black student union chapters to a Black families advisory council, where families meet quarterly to discuss Black educational content and curricula. I can say firsthand that we’re seeing these partnerships show promising results: Participants in Black student union programs experienced an average reduction of eight days in absenteeism compared to the previous year. Plans are also underway to pilot an LGBTQ+ course that aligns with state A-G standards (courses required for admission in California public universities). Lastly, dedicating resources to cultivate a pipeline of Black educators is critical to establishing a more diverse teaching staff.
To deliver on the promise of excellent education for every child, it is time to chart a path that is both rigorous and culturally relevant. This is how we deliver on the promise of an education model that serves all students.
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Chris Carr is the executive director for the Los Angeles region of Aspire Public Schools, a nonprofit charter management organization.
The opinions expressed in this commentary represent those of the author. EdSource welcomes commentaries representing diverse points of view. If you would like to submit a commentary, please review our guidelines and contact us.
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Tiffany Craft 2 months ago2 months ago
Chris, thank you for your perspective. I'm sharing my comments as a concerned parent who has been following my local school district and board closely for the past 3 years. I have been involved on a District Council, School Site Council and on the PTA Board. I respectfully disagree with your assessment that "Culturally relevant teaching is the conduit to academic success, and rigorous instruction is effective when grounded in culturally relevant teaching." This is … Read More
Chris, thank you for your perspective. I’m sharing my comments as a concerned parent who has been following my local school district and board closely for the past 3 years. I have been involved on a District Council, School Site Council and on the PTA Board.
I respectfully disagree with your assessment that “Culturally relevant teaching is the conduit to academic success, and rigorous instruction is effective when grounded in culturally relevant teaching.” This is what Irvine Unified School District has been parroting for the past three years. I kindly ask you to take a look at what data shows at a microscopic level. This approach, which sounds very appealing the way it’s described and packaged, is failing and is failing our students most of all- particularly those who are “marginalized”.
The California CAASPP test scores and the LCAP data for Irvine Unified- a District highly revered for academic excellence are a microscopic example and are representative of what is happening in districts throughout California. Irvine Unified codified the very approach you describe in July of 2020 and has doubled down on it each July since. IUSD has gone as far as creating goals around it.
Since the investment was made in the method you describe, IUSD’s standardized test scores have not trended up. Please compare 2015-2022/2023 when analyzing.
Drill down into the math results further to zero in on Problem Solving, Communicating & Reasoning.
There have not been significant upward leaps in the number of students meeting or exceeding state standards as promised.
Drill Down into the literacy results further to zero in on student scores for listening, writing and research/inquiry.
The % of students below standard increases from middle school to high school.
The LCAP data from last spring for Irvine Unified which is not inclusive of 2023 CAASPP scores provides a microscopic view of how the results look for “marginalized” students. The results start on p. 22.
In reviewing this data along with hearing public sentiment from the local community, I draw the conclusion that the approach you are promoting is backfiring. Irvine Unified had a really good thing going before it doubled down on equity, inclusivity and culturally responsive teaching which you describe as the “conduit to academic success”. Parents are less engaged since the focus has shifted to this approach- possibly because a consequence of over emphasizing “marginalized” students is the alienation of the non marginalized students (reverse discrimination). Brenda Lebsack summed it up well in her comments by stating there are so many positive things to focus on in culture yet Irvine Unified and other Districts choose to instead focus on materials and substance that spew hate, are sexually explicit and propagate an oppressor/oppressed mentality all because they are deemed to be part of the “culturally relevant” pedagogy. Thank you for your consideration.
Brenda Lebsack - Teacher in Title 1 District 2 months ago2 months ago
Dear Chris, I teach in a Title 1 District in the high immigrant Hispanic city of Santa Ana. I think you need to give your readers specific examples of the type of materials coming in under "cultural relevance" in order to provide context of why there is so much controversy. In my district the book: The Hate U Give is under cultural relevance and the book Flamer is under LGBTQ and … Read More
Dear Chris, I teach in a Title 1 District in the high immigrant Hispanic city of Santa Ana. I think you need to give your readers specific examples of the type of materials coming in under “cultural relevance” in order to provide context of why there is so much controversy.
In my district the book: The Hate U Give is under cultural relevance and the book Flamer is under LGBTQ and anti-bullying. Here are excerpts from the books.
Why is the F and N word needed to teach “cultural relevance”? Why is explicit sexual content necessary and inflammatory slurs toward females? The book Flamer has mature content yet it’s written on a 3rd grade reading level, that is concerning.
Another book in my district is under “African American Studies”. This book contains graphic scenes of incest and sexual violence toward infants. This is very disturbing content under “cultural relevance”.
I am grateful I am teaching elementary PE and no longer teaching High School English, because I could not in good conscience subject my students to such vulgarity. There are so many positive things to focus on in culture, yet for whatever reason, many of the books are R and X rated.