New America has analyzed professional teaching standards in all 50 states to better understand whether states’ expectations for teachers incorporate culturally responsive teaching.
To support this analysis, researchers identified eight competencies that clarify what teachers should know and be able to do in light of research on culturally responsive teaching. The study finds that while all states already incorporate some aspects of culturally responsive teaching within their professional teaching standards, the majority of states do not yet provide a description of culturally responsive teaching that is clear or comprehensive enough to support teachers in developing and strengthening their CRT practice throughout their careers.
The report cites a 2018 survey of New York City teachers conducted by the Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools that found fewer than one in three teachers received ongoing training on how to address issues of race and ethnicity in the classroom.
New America’s report, and its call for more robust standards, aligns with work by the Council of Chief State School Officers and other organizations to diversify the nation’s teaching corps. The organizations argue that developing a diverse pool of educators trained to demonstrate culturally responsive teaching is crucial. Federal data indicate that 51 percent of public K-12 students in the United States are nonwhite, but only 20 percent of teachers are.
The report includes excerpts from state standards in which CRT is already well articulated, as well as a data visualization that describes the prevalence of CRT competencies in teaching standards across states.
To view the report, visit https://www.newamerica.org/education-policy/reports/culturally-responsive-teaching/
