NWREL NEWS

Developing Culturally Responsive, Standards-Based Teaching

Research indicates a strong correlation between low school performance and a lack of congruence between students’ cultures and school norms. Multiple studies also suggest a compelling relationship between family involvement and benefits for students, including improved academic achievement, attendance, and behavior at home and school, as well as higher scores on standardized tests. According to a new publication by Steffen Saifer and researchers in NWREL’s Center for School, Family, and Community, “drawing on the knowledge, skills, and experiences of students enriches the curriculum and builds family and community support, broadening learning experiences for all students.”

Classroom to Community and Back: Using Standards-Based Teaching To Strengthen Family and Community Partnerships and Increase Student Achievement seeks to unite two traditionally disparate but equally important pedagogies—culturally responsive teaching and standards-based teaching. The book and an accompanying workshop provide foundational research, tools, and examples to actively engage all students by incorporating their cultural knowledge and frames of reference into a standards-based curriculum. Woven throughout the guide are “snapshots” of real-life classrooms using culturally responsive, standards-based (CRSB) teaching.

First-graders in one ESL classroom bring their parents in to share stories from their home countries. They read from a book that the parent and child have made together. The parent speaks in her native tongue and the student interprets in English, emphasizing that speaking more than one language is an asset, not a deficiency. This project at Whitman Elementary School in Portland has proven to be very successful: During one school year, all students in the class made adequate progress and three of 12 who started the year below grade level finished nearly two years above grade level.

Other examples in the book include publishing a best-selling book on the community’s traditional Thanksgiving Day high school football competition, creating family maps that trace immigration experiences, and making heritage dolls. The projects provide a peek into successful kindergarten through high school classrooms.

CRSB Teaching workshops

NWREL offers professional development workshops on culturally responsive, standards-based teaching in half-day and all-day formats with a two-day session recommended for trainers. The training can be customized to meet the needs of K–12 teachers, staff development specialists, and administrators. In a survey of educators who participated in the training, 100 percent said it provided a good process for closing the achievement gap, and more than 92 percent said that they were able to make stronger connections with their students’ families. To find out more about available workshops and how to bring one to your site, contact Steffen Saifer at 800-547-6339, ext. 150; saifers@nwrel.org.

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