Increasing Test Scores or Fighting Injustice: Understanding One District's Culturally Responsive Teaching Certification Program

• In Event: Culturally Responsive Education for Contested Times

Abstract

All students deserve an affirming, empowering education, but many Black and Latinx students in United States’ schools experience a deficit-focused education. In response, teacher educators have called for culturally responsive teaching (CRT), but we know little about how school districts take on CRT. In this case study, we used cultural-historical activity theory to unpack one district’s CRT certification program. We found that the district’s professional development (PD) mirrored many best practices in PD, but the district substantively modified CRT, focusing on test scores, not empowerment. We conclude with implications for educators and policy makers seeking to implement CRT.

Authors

• Casedy A. Thomas, University of Virginia
  Presenting Author

• Rose Sebastian, University of Virginia
  Presenting Author