Background on the Program
The program began with a three-day workshop in the summer of 2019 where participating educators were introduced to culturally responsive teaching with a specific focus on Zaretta Hammond’s Ready for Rigor framework. At the workshop educators also learned about school-based action research methods and planned an initial research project focused on culturally responsive teaching. Following the workshop, the educators conducted four cycles of action research in their classrooms and schools that involved (1) planning and implementing a culturally responsive teaching practice, (2) collecting and reflecting on data related to student outcomes, and (3) planning for a new cycle. Each cycle lasted six to eight weeks. The school teams met after each research cycle (four times through the 19-20 school year) to present and reflect upon their work and the work of their colleagues.
In their second year in the program, participants attended another summer workshop to further explore culturally responsive teaching and action research. They then engaged in four more cycles of action research similar to the first year. Each year culminated in a showcase event in which teachers presented their findings and discussed key insights that emerged from their work.
In addition to work with educators, students were also invited to include their perspectives on the extent to which their school experiences reflected culturally responsive educators and practices. During the educator summer workshop in 2019, students were led in facilitated activities by the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities which culminated in a video of students reflecting on what they wanted their teachers to know about students’ cultural needs in the classroom. Students also attended a panel of their school district leaders and educators to ask questions about their schools’ approach to culture in education.
In the second year of the program, students from each of the four participating schools were invited to apply to participate in student voice groups on culturally responsive education, in which they participated in four virtual sessions facilitated by the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities and undergraduate students from VCU. During the student voice sessions, students defined culturally relevant teaching as a construct, shared stories about their interactions with teachers and classroom experiences that were most impactful, and discussed how they would like to see their teachers incorporate their identities and experiences into the curriculum and how to respond to negative incidents regarding culture in the classroom.
The research reported here was supported by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, through Grant R305H190053 to Virginia Commonwealth University. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent views of the Institute or the U.S. Department of Education.
