At What Cost? Researching Representation in the Core Knowledge Language Arts Curriculum to Repair Curricular Harm

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 8:00 am Four Seasons Ballroom 2-3
  In Roundtable Session: Literacy and Culturally Responsive Schooling (Table 6)

Abstract

The Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) curriculum is used with millions of students across the U.S. and world despite having been critiqued for its Eurocentric cultural bias and privileging the perspectives, experiences, and contributions of white men. Therefore, the purpose of this critical content analysis is to examine the representation of race, ethnicity, gender, and dis/ability among the characters in and authors of texts identified in the CKLA English language arts curriculum overview. Results demonstrate that the critiques hold true (e.g. overwhelmingly white characters and authors, predominantly male authors, etc.). This study is a first step in substantiating critiques of CKLA and calls on curriculum developers, researchers, and teachers to consider how to collaboratively move forward.

Authors

• Courtney Hattan, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

• Alexandra Shelton, Johns Hopkins University

• Sara Ann Jones, Illinois State University

• Andrea Jamison, Illinois State University