Teaching Reading from a Culturally Responsive Perspective HPS Summer Conference Ann Stalnaker

Culturally Responsive Instruction: What is it? Instruction that bridges the gap between the school and the world of the student Instruction that bridges the gap between the school and the world of the student Instruction that is consistent with (or supportive of) the values of the students’ own culture aimed at assuring academic learning Instruction that is consistent with (or supportive of) the values of the students’ own culture aimed at assuring academic learning Instruction adapted to meet the learning needs of all students Instruction adapted to meet the learning needs of all students

Culturally Responsive Instruction: Why Should We? Pedro Noguera Speech: Pedro Noguera Speech: 00NVM&feature=related 00NVM&feature=related 00NVM&feature=related 00NVM&feature=related

Culturally Responsive Instruction: Why Should We? Because of Demographics Because of Demographics Student population is growing more culturally diverse. Student population is growing more culturally diverse. Teaching population remains largely white, middle class Teaching population remains largely white, middle class Cultural mismatch Cultural mismatch Students need to connections to teachers that provide positive models of an educated citzenry Students need to connections to teachers that provide positive models of an educated citzenry

Culturally Responsive Instruction: Why Should We? Because our Data indicates Disparate Outcomes for Minority Students Because our Data indicates Disparate Outcomes for Minority Students Achievement Gap on EOG/ EOCs Achievement Gap on EOG/ EOCs Disproportionality in Special Education Disproportionality in Special Education Drop Out Rates Drop Out Rates

Culturally Responsive Instruction: Why Should We? We have a moral imperative as public school educators to reach all the children we can. We have a moral imperative as public school educators to reach all the children we can. Democracy Democracy Teaching Codes of Power Teaching Codes of Power Social Justice- education as practice of freedom Social Justice- education as practice of freedom

Culturally Responsive Instruction: Why Should We? New North Carolina Teacher Evaluation addresses cultural responsiveness New North Carolina Teacher Evaluation addresses cultural responsiveness Standard II: Teachers establish a respectful environment for a diverse population of students. Standard II: Teachers establish a respectful environment for a diverse population of students.

NC Teacher Evaluation Instrument Elements of Standard II A. Teachers provide an environment in which each child has a positive, nurturing relationship with caring adults Encourage an environment that is inviting, respectful, supportive, inclusive, and flexible Encourage an environment that is inviting, respectful, supportive, inclusive, and flexible

NC Teacher Evaluation Instrument Elements of Standard II B. Teachers embrace diversity in the school community and in the world: Demonstrate knowledge of diverse cultures Demonstrate knowledge of diverse cultures Select materials and develop lessons that counteract stereotypes and incorporate contributions Select materials and develop lessons that counteract stereotypes and incorporate contributions Recognize the influences on a child’s development, personality, and performance Recognize the influences on a child’s development, personality, and performance Consider and incorporate different points of view Consider and incorporate different points of view

NC Teacher Evaluation Instrument Elements of Standard II C. Teachers treat students as individuals Maintain high expectations for all students Maintain high expectations for all students Appreciate differences and value contributions by building positive, appropriate relationships Appreciate differences and value contributions by building positive, appropriate relationships D. Teachers adapt their teaching for the benefit of students with special needs: Collaborate with specialists Collaborate with specialists Engage students and ensure they meet the needs of their students through inclusion and other models of effective practice Engage students and ensure they meet the needs of their students through inclusion and other models of effective practice

NC Teacher Evaluation Instrument Elements of Standard II E. Teachers work collaboratively with the families and significant adults in the lives of their students: Improve communication and collaboration between the school and the home and community Improve communication and collaboration between the school and the home and community Promote trust and understanding and build partnerships with school community Promote trust and understanding and build partnerships with school community Seek solutions to overcome obstacles that prevent family and community involvement Seek solutions to overcome obstacles that prevent family and community involvement

Culturally Responsive Instruction: What does it look like? Consider the You Tube Clip Consider the You Tube Clip California charter school: okg California charter school: okg okg okg Think Pair Share: Think Pair Share: Is this a culturally responsive school? Is this a culturally responsive school? What are the elements of the instructional program that make it culturally responsive? What are the elements of the instructional program that make it culturally responsive?

Culturally Responsive Instruction: What does it look like? High Expectations for all students High Expectations for all students Positive Relationships with family and community-demonstrating connections with curriculum content and relationships Positive Relationships with family and community-demonstrating connections with curriculum content and relationships Culturally sensitive/reshaped curriculum that is mediated to connect to students background Culturally sensitive/reshaped curriculum that is mediated to connect to students background

Framework of Research Based Instruction for Diverse Learners: The Five Standards 1. Teacher and Students Producing Together 2. Developing Language and Literacy 3. Connecting Learning to Students Lives 4. Teaching Complex Thinking 5. Teaching Through Conversation

Why in Reading? 85% of delinquent children and 75% of adult prison inmates are illiterate. 85% of delinquent children and 75% of adult prison inmates are illiterate. 90 million adults in the U.S. are at best functionally illiterate. 90 million adults in the U.S. are at best functionally illiterate. The cost to taxpayers of adult literacy is $224 billion a year (welfare, crime, job incompetence, lost taxes) The cost to taxpayers of adult literacy is $224 billion a year (welfare, crime, job incompetence, lost taxes)

Good Reading Instruction Research Based Principles Purposeful and Explicit Teaching-provide scaffolded instruction Purposeful and Explicit Teaching-provide scaffolded instruction Explicit explanation and modeling of a strategy, discussion of why and when it is useful, coaching students to apply the strategy Explicit explanation and modeling of a strategy, discussion of why and when it is useful, coaching students to apply the strategy In reading comprehension: predicting, thinking aloud, attending to text structure, constructing visual representations, generating questions, summarizing In reading comprehension: predicting, thinking aloud, attending to text structure, constructing visual representations, generating questions, summarizing

Good Reading Instruction Research Based Principles Supporting the understanding of specific texts Supporting the understanding of specific texts Discussion Discussion Balance of lower and higher-level questions Balance of lower and higher-level questions Writing in response to reading Writing in response to reading Multiple encounters with complex text Multiple encounters with complex text

Good Reading Instruction Research Based Principles Demonstrate the skills of expert readers Demonstrate the skills of expert readers Model using text AND own knowledge to build a model of meaning, revising model as new information comes. Model using text AND own knowledge to build a model of meaning, revising model as new information comes. Consider author’s intention and style and vary reading strategy to match it Consider author’s intention and style and vary reading strategy to match it Ensure that all students are exposed to high level text and interactions Ensure that all students are exposed to high level text and interactions

Good Reading Instruction Research Based Principles Provide a wide variety of genres (narrative, informational, procedural, biographical, persuasive, poetic) to match course content Provide a wide variety of genres (narrative, informational, procedural, biographical, persuasive, poetic) to match course content Teach about words, including the morphology of words (more than just giving a vocabulary list to match the story or chapter) Teach about words, including the morphology of words (more than just giving a vocabulary list to match the story or chapter)

More on Five Standards

Joint Productive Activity Facilitate learning through joint productive activity among teacher and student. Facilitate learning through joint productive activity among teacher and student. Designs instruction that requires student collaboration to accomplish a joint project Designs instruction that requires student collaboration to accomplish a joint project Provides time Provides time Arranges seating to accomplish, manages materials and technology to support Arranges seating to accomplish, manages materials and technology to support Organizes a variety of groupings (friendship, mixed ability level, interests) Organizes a variety of groupings (friendship, mixed ability level, interests) Explicitly teaches students how to work in grous Explicitly teaches students how to work in grous

Developing Language and Literacy Across the Curriculum Develop competence in the language and literacy of instruction across the curriculum. Develop competence in the language and literacy of instruction across the curriculum. Listens to students talk about familiar topics Listens to students talk about familiar topics Responds to students’ talk, making instructional changes that relate to comments Responds to students’ talk, making instructional changes that relate to comments Assists language development through modeling, eliciting, probing, restating, clarifying, questioning, praising Assists language development through modeling, eliciting, probing, restating, clarifying, questioning, praising

Developing Language and Literacy Across the Curriculum Interacts with students in ways that respect their preferences for speaking Interacts with students in ways that respect their preferences for speaking Connects language and literacy with content through speaking, listening, reading and writing activities Connects language and literacy with content through speaking, listening, reading and writing activities Encourages student to use content vocabulary Encourages student to use content vocabulary Provides frequent opportunities for students to interact with each other and the teacher during instruction Provides frequent opportunities for students to interact with each other and the teacher during instruction Encourages use of first and second languages in instructional activities Encourages use of first and second languages in instructional activities

Making Meaning: Connecting School to Students’ Lives Connect teaching and curriculum with experiences and skills of students’ home and community. Connect teaching and curriculum with experiences and skills of students’ home and community. Begin with what students know from home, community and school Begin with what students know from home, community and school Learn about local norms and knowledge by talking to students, parents and community members Learn about local norms and knowledge by talking to students, parents and community members Design instructional activities that are meaningful to students (incorporation of local norms, knowledge) Design instructional activities that are meaningful to students (incorporation of local norms, knowledge)

Teaching Complex Thinking Challenge students toward cognitive complexity. Challenge students toward cognitive complexity. For each instructional topic, assures that students see whole picture as basis for understanding the parts For each instructional topic, assures that students see whole picture as basis for understanding the parts Designs tasks that challenge student understanding, advancing to more complex levels Designs tasks that challenge student understanding, advancing to more complex levels Assists students in accomplishing complex understanding by relating to real life experiences Assists students in accomplishing complex understanding by relating to real life experiences Provides clear, direct feedback on how student performance compares with challenging standards Provides clear, direct feedback on how student performance compares with challenging standards

Teaching Through Conversation Engage students through dialogue, especially the instructional conversation. Engage students through dialogue, especially the instructional conversation. Has clear academic goal guiding the conversation Has clear academic goal guiding the conversation Ensures student talk occurs at higher rates than teacher talk Ensures student talk occurs at higher rates than teacher talk Guides conversation to include students’ views and rationales, using text evidence and other support Guides conversation to include students’ views and rationales, using text evidence and other support Listens carefully and assesses understanding Listens carefully and assesses understanding