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Signature Assignment Introduction to the Problem

Annaliese M. Gilsinger

Arizona State University

SED 322

Professor Monica Eklund

3 October 2021
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Signature Assignment Introduction to the Problem

Today, our student population is more diverse than ever before. The National Center for

Education Statistics (2021) states:

Between fall 2009 and fall 2018, the percentage of public school students who were

Hispanic increased from 22 to 27 percent. The percentage of public school students who

were White decreased from 54 to 47 percent, and the percentage of students who were

Black decreased from 17 to 15 percent. (para. 1)

This indicates that our public school demographics are changing, and this trend is not new. Our

demographics have been closely monitored and recorded by the government for decades. In fact,

Schmeichel (2012) discusses a study which was conducted analyzing cultural and ethnic changes

in schools, teachers’ responses to those changes, and research dating back to 1967. This trend in

increased diversity is expected to continue, with an estimate of over 55% of public school

students in the United States by the year 2050 (Howard, 2003). These changing demographics

need to be responded to in our schools, not just recorded and ignored.

Currently in schools, English Language Arts teachers use many of the same texts that

have been used for decades. Students are reading Shakespeare, Chaucer, and Beowulf, just like

their parents and grandparents did. These classics are taught for a reason. However, they are also

written by majority White, male authors, which does not reflect the current population of our

schools. Students are disengaged and underrepresented. Howard (2003) explains that “teachers

must be able to construct pedagogical practices that have relevance and meaning to students'

social and cultural realities” (p. 195). In other words, teachers need to use curriculum that is

culturally relevant to the current school demographics.

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In a world of increased diversity, increased sharing of ideas, increased outcries for equity

and equality, why do we not reflect this change in the way we teach children? Why do we

continue to cram traditional concepts and traditional ideas into the minds of the next generation,

in a world where people are crying out for change? These are important questions that we should

be answering. Howard (2003) explains, “the most important goal of culturally relevant pedagogy

is to increase the academic achievement of culturally diverse students” (p. 196). In order to help

students in our classrooms who are diverse in race, background, socioeconomic status, and

ability, we have to start teaching curriculum that reaches those students. One way this is used in

classrooms is to utilize the strengths of students and teach through those strengths (Howard,

2003). The public school education system was created for a specific population and purpose; we

have outgrown that purpose and increased our population. Now, our students are working in new

ways, with different strengths, and prior knowledge. Our curriculum has to change to reflect that.

If this problem continues to be unresolved and pushed off, our students will continue to

suffer. This problem has been chosen because it is a hot topic, because it is a major issue, and

because it is not being addressed across all states, districts, or schools. It is being chosen because

there is more diversity now than ever before. Howard (2003) explains some of the challenges our

students are facing:

If students come from a home or social structure in which the cultural capital places a

high value on their non-English, native language, they may be at an extreme disadvantage

in many U.S. schools that frequently give considerable privilege to students whose

primary language is English. (p. 197).

He goes on to say that there are many other reasons students of different backgrounds are not

succeeding, such as an incongruence between the teachers’ and students’ backgrounds and
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understanding of the other’s culture, or a chasm between mainstream students’ knowledge and

the knowledge of minority students (Howard, 2003). These are all possible factors, and it is

likely that more than one factor is in play. No matter what the cause is, this problem has a

solution. We can make a change now by mandating culturally relevant curriculum in all public

schools across the United States.

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References

Howard, T. C. (2003). Culturally relevant pedagogy: Ingredients for critical teacher reflection.

Theory Into Practice, 42(3), 195–202. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1477420

The National Center for Education Statistics. (May 2021). Racial/ethnic enrollment in public

schools. Condition of Education. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cge

Schmeichel, M. (2012). Good teaching? An examination of culturally relevant pedagogy as an

equity practice, Journal of Curriculum Studies, 44:2, 211-231, DOI:

10.1080/00220272.2011.591434