Running Head: MULTICULTURAL PROGRAM EVALUTION

Multicultural Program Evaluation Anissa Bigler Kansas State University

MULTICULTURAL PROGRAM EVALUTION Multicultural Program Evaluation

To teach at a school that stresses the process of self-identification as an essential aspect of the understanding that underlies commitment to the dignity of human kind throughout the world community (Banks, 2006, p. 315) would be the ultimate job. To enter everyday into a building that is a safe environment where all students are equally educated and equipped to enter a global world with a healthy self-identity would be professionally satisfying. So is it possible for a school to reach this goal for every student regardless of ethnicity, race, religion, gender, etc.? I certainly hope so. Working through the Multicultural Education Program Evaluation Checklist has caused me to takes a birds eye view of the high school where I teach. It is not surprising to find that while Central High School (CHS) has many strengths, it also has its share of weaknesses. Guidelines 1.0-1.5 CHS rates strong in on this guideline. We have a solid library with a wide variety of books, magazines, and newspapers offered to all of our students. The school purchases memberships to databases and other online resources which can be accessed by all students 24/7. The district web site, hallway posters, etc. reflect the diversity of our district and show varying ethnicities interacting in positive ways. All extracurricular activities are open to any student who wants to participate. Though not all extracurricular activities reflect the diversity of our school, more do than not. Football, basketball, cheerleading, and the dance squad are all very reflective of the diversity in our school. Forensics, tennis, and the drama department are still predominately White students. One concern I have about many of the extracurricular activities is the outside cost involved. Take the dance squad for examples; students must purchase their own uniforms and all accessories needed throughout the year. This can become quite expensive; my

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fear is this cost might hinder students whose families struggle financially. This is an area that needs to be looked into further. It is important that both resources and activities be accessible to all students regardless of their familys ability to pay. According to James Banks (2006) such opportunities are invaluable for the development of self-esteemand for students from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds to learn to work and play together (p. 317). I cannot speak to the instructional materials in all of the departments, but the resources (textbooks and supplemental materials available in the English department, reflect authors from many different cultures and ethnicities. An obvious attempt has been made by the publisher to include a mix of gender, races, religions, etc. as the textbook was being composed. However, just because the textbook contains it does not mean that teachers are incorporating it in their lesson plans. An open dialogue with the department would be interesting to see how much the multicultural literature is being utilized. Guidelines 2.0-2.5 I honestly believe that the policies and practices of CHS are equitable to all of the students who attend there. I would not want to teach in a school which did not respect the dignity and worth of students as individuals (Banks, 2006, p. 340), but I am not sure about the school environment validating students as members of racial, ethnic, and cultural groups. We would probably best fit under the colorblind description given by Derald W. Sue, et al. (2007). Most would say that our school tries to treat everyone the same, but very little is specifically being done to change the stage of cultural identity for students as a whole. Equal educational opportunities certainly exist. All advanced classes and resources are available to any student who wants the challenge without prerequisites or grade point requirements for enrollment. This

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allows any student who wants the opportunity of taking an advanced class to have the chance to do so. Guidelines 3.0-3.1 My school does not score very high in this category. The instructors, counselors, and support staff could not really be called multiethnic or multiracial. We have two Latino teachers (both male), and sadly, the rest who enter my mind are White (probably close to equal mix of male and female). We have just hired a female principal, so I think that she is a positive role model for our female students, and a good model for all of our students to see a female in a position of authority. We have two assistant principals. One is a Latino male and the other position is currently open. Since we will be hiring a new assistant principal, I found guideline 3.1 interesting. I honestly do not know what the established policies are for recruiting and hiring, but we do not seem to be doing a very good job of recruiting individuals from various racial and ethnic groups. Guidelines 4.0-4.6 Banks states that since a teacher plays a key role in the students formal learning environmentattention should be devoted to the training and retraining of teachers and other members of the professional and support staff to create the kind of multicultural school environment recommended (p. 318). I could not agree more, but our school is sorely lacking in this area. Teachers dont teach what they dont feel comfortable with, and our school does very little training in the area of multicultural education, hence these concepts are not consistently taught school-wide because teachers do not know how. The one in-service we did was the study of Ruby Paynes book A Framework for Understanding Poverty. It was amazing how teachers begin to discuss the hidden rules in our school and the differences between the social

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classes when it comes to norms and values. These dialogues would have never have taken before the training. This leads me to believe that the faculty at CHS would be open to multicultural staff development which could really change how they teach. My school does do a good job including the support staff, librarians, and counselors in our staff training. Every adult in the building is seen as a valuable part of the school and hopefully they realize they play a role in the education of the students in the building. Guidelines 5.0-5.2 Educators should not ignore racial and ethnic differences when planning instruction (Banks, 2006, p. 320), and while I am not sure teachers in my building go so far as to consider the different cultures represented in their classrooms, I do know that most of them are trying hard to incorporate a variety of teach strategies. More than one cognitive style is addressed, and I know that some teachers take the multiple intelligences seriously and give students a choice of being assessed over a unit based on their academic strengths. Guidelines 6.0-6.4 While I think there are specific teachers, counselors, and administrators who are very good at helping the students develop a strong sense of self and a healthy identity, I am not sure that our curriculum contributes to this strong self-concept. The Language Arts curriculum often lends itself to discussion of believing in yourself, understanding what you value, etc., but I am not sure this guideline would be on the radar in a math or science class. Again, there are teachers in these departments that contribute to students self-understanding just by the atmosphere they create in their classrooms, but curriculum and teacher in-services need to prepare teachers to address this guideline in their daily lesson plans. Guidelines 7.0-7.7

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The key phrase in this guideline is wholeness of the experience of the ethnic and cultural groups. I think that our language arts, social studies, and foreign language classes attempt to address many ethnic and cultural issues. For example, my sophomores read A Raisin in the Sun, Of Mice and Men, and Night. These three novels alone can help my class discuss racism, prejudice, discrimination, and exploitation. As I thought about the curriculum in both my sophomore and senior class, only one novel (out of all of them we read) is written by a female. This is definitely something I need to look into. The curriculum is gender biased, and I had never even thought about it. The novels we read are also slow to present people of coloras active participant(s) in society, but instead focus more on people of color as subjects of oppression and exploitation (p. 341). While there is value in addressing the oppression and exploitation of different races, religions, social status, students in our classrooms need to also examine cultural and ethnic groups that are dynamic and continuously changing (Banks, 2006, p. 341) for students to get a clear picture of the wholeness of a cultural group. Guidelines 8.0-8.2 This guideline is certainly an area of growth for my school. While I cannot speak for the history teachers in the buildings, I can honestly say I have never heard this issue being addressed by our faculty. Much of that ties back into Guideline 4.0. Teachers have not been educated and made aware that many of our textbooks and lessons plans originate from unquestioned dominate White norms which are used to guide the premise. Classes like this one and in-service opportunities would give well-meaning teachers the tools they need to get to the heart of the conflict between ideals and realities in our society. Guidelines 9.0-9.2

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Few would disagree that the teacher sets the climate of his/her classroom, and I think that many teachers in my building work hard to create a classroom atmosphere that reflects acceptance and respect for ethnic and cultural differences (Banks, 2006, p. 324). Though not true for all teachers, most want a classroom that reflects warmth and acceptance to all of their students regardless of cultural and ethnic diversity. I think the degree to which realistic consideration of alternatives and options for members of ethnic and cultural groups does not rank as high. Again, many teachers do not know what this looks like in regards to education. Teacher education needs to take place before educators feel comfortable teaching and discussing topics like how different cultures and ethnicities are perceived and identified by the larger society (p. 324) and how it impacts each student . Guidelines 10.0-10.4 Attitudes and behaviors that reflect democratic ideals and values need to be taught as the basic foundation for all students. Once a strong foundation of core valueshuman dignityjustice, equality, freedom, and due process of law (Banks, 2006, p. 326) is firmly in place then different cultures and ethnicities can be examined through that lens. So how well does our school foster attitudes supportive of cultural democracy and other unifying democratic ideals and values (p. 342)? I am not sure. I would like to say we are strong; that we try to help each student understand they are an important individual, but I cannot speak for what happens in individual classrooms. It would be a good dialogue for teachers to have during an in-service. Eyes would be open just through the discussion. Guidelines 11.0-11.8 Some of the points for this guideline are strong at CHS and some are areas for growth. Distinguishing between fact and opinion, being an indicated state standard, is certainly taught.

MULTICULTURAL PROGRAM EVALUTION We also do a good job encouraging social participation and developing these skills in our

students. At least the opportunities exist. Students programs exist for students to tutor other students, to assist students in participating in the Big Brother/Big Sister program as Bigs, and announcements are made for volunteer opportunities on the all-school announcements. We do not, however, make participation mandatory for students in our school, and I am not sure that we should. However, we could do a better job in teaching students how they can be part of the the solution to social problems which face our society. More of a focus on social participation and teaching students to clarify and reconsider their values by better understanding ethnicity and cultural identity (both their own and others) will help students develop a sense of efficacy and know they can truly make an impact on the world they live in. Guidelines 12.0-12.2 My schools faculty has done a number of in-services on interpersonal skills and group work (Kagan, Literacy First, etc.). We have been given a toolbox of methods to get students to effectively interact within a small group setting. Most teachers also do a good job of teaching students to communicate well. In my classroom, we practice how to properly listen, respond and interact with others before we begin working together. It is also important to review these skills briefly throughout the year to get them cemented in place. I do not, however, think that any of the training my fellow educators and I have gone through in my building discussed specifically teaching students to participate in cross-ethnic and cross-cultural situations. This falls back on the colorblind premise Sue (2007) shares. My school has thought all kids just need to be taught the same communication skillsbackground, ethnicity, religion, and cultural norms have never been taken in account. Guidelines 13.0-13.7

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Banks stresses that for a district to be truly efficient at multicultural education the study of ethnic and cultural content needed to be consistently taught from K-12. One key way for this to take place might be by purchasing a textbook series which teaches a variety of cultural perspectives that is used in elementary, middle, and high schools. This would take some of the guesswork off of administrators plates if they did not have to worry about the diversity of the content/curriculum being used in the classrooms. It would also help the schools keep costs down because supplemental materials to add diversity in content would not have to be purchased. As of right now our district does not have a comprehensive series implemented from K-12. My school does a fair job, however, of bringing in community members to introduce students to citizens with varying cultural and ethnic backgrounds. We have had guest speakers come in to talk about his/her experience with the Holocaust, racism, being raised poverty (and getting a college education), etc. Some of these are done as all school assemblies and others are teacher driven. Either way our students get to experience first-hand accounts of someone who has been there, done that. Not only do these community members have a story to tell, they also serve as positive role models for our students. Guidelines 14.0-14.3 My son attends CHS and has taken both AP World History and AP American History, so I thought of him when I read this guideline. I asked him if he was taught historical experiences from different perspectives. He told me that his teacher did a really good job of showing history from many points of view. He went on to add that it was really interesting went we went over the positive and the negative impact of each event. Wow, his teacher got it. She is a great representation of what we are looking for in an effective multicultural education. Her goal was the sensitive and continuous development of [history]to help students develop and

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understanding of racial factors in the past and present (Banks, 2006, p. 330). I do not know what goes on in every history classroom in my building, but I hope that Trents teacher represent a typical teacher in our building. Guidelines 15.0-15.2 But presenting different perspectives in history class is not going to be enough. The study of ethnic and cultural issues needs to cross over disciplinary lines. I do not think my school rates very high on this guideline. For interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches to take place there would need to be dialogue and education for the teachers so they would know how to implement it. This is not to say that teachers from different disciplines arent teaching through authentic and comprehensive examples (p. 344), but I dont think it is being done as a cohesive, on-purpose, planned out multidisciplinary unit. Guidelines 16.0-16.2, Guidelines 17.0-17.3, and Guidelines 18.0-18.2 The answer to these three is very similar to the answer on guideline 14.0. Comparative approaches in the study of racial, ethnic and cultural groups are being taught in at least some of the classes. I would not say it is a strength of the school as a whole in regards to curriculum taught, but it would be fair to say that most teachers, counselors, administration, and staff in our building believes that each individual and each ethnic group has worth and dignity (p. 331). Reinforcing this through the curriculum taught along with teaching students to view conflict and situations from different perspectives and points of view will give each student a well-rounded education. Guidelines 19.0-19.6 CHS rates fairly high on this guideline. My school does provide opportunities for students to participate in various ethnic and cultural groups. Two that come immediately to mind

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are HALO (Hispanic and Latino Organization) and our Urban Step Dance group. Both are clubs which can be joined and membership is open to anyone in our school that has an interest. Both have organized and performed at school assemblies for the enjoyment of the entire student body. The English department does a fair job of letting students experience to a variety of multiethnic literature. This is definitely an area for growth, however. With the internet as a viable option, the world of literature is literally available to our students. We, as educators, need to take better advantage of what is out there and provide opportunities for our students to experience various cultures and ethnic groups, even if it is through technology. Guidelines 20.0-20.4 While we have a number of language opportunities at CHS, I am not sure even four years of language classes at CHS is going to develop full fluency. Most students are required to take two years of a foreign language. Our foreign language teachers do a good job of teaching the culture of the people who use the language along with the language itself. As far as those for whom English is a second language, I am not able to fully answer those questions. Some of the elementary schools in our district have ELL teachers. Students are given the opportunity to not only have someone who can read tests, etc. to them in their native language; they can also develop full literacy in their native language. CHS does not have an ELL teacher, but my understanding is that one has been hired for next year. This is going to drastically change the education for our ESL students. We do have a Spanish interpreter who can assist teachers, counselors, and administration during parent meetings and teacher conferences when language can be a communication barrier. Guidelines 21.0-21.3

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One of the strongest programs we have in my school is our Homework Helper Program. Our students have a built-in one hour study hall twice a week. We have community members who come in and work with students face to face to help with students with areas of academic weakness. The founders of this program have asked community members to volunteer their time to come in and help out our kids. The volunteer base is a great representation of our local ethnic and cultural community. Men, women, young, elderly, high-income, low-income, AfricanAmerican, White, Latino, etc. Our homework helpers look like our student body. It is an awesome experience, not only for our students, but also for the community volunteers. They get to see what great kids we have at CHS. One of the founders of the program is an AfricanAmerican who has made himself a very visible part of our school. Many mornings before school you can find Cornell at the front door of our school welcoming students. He personally comes into the study halls and challenges class to raise their GPAs. My students have benefitted from his generosity and sincere love for kids through pizza parties as well as cash prizes for hardwork, dedication and academic improvement. Students at our school are seeing community members put their money and time where their mouth is. Not only are they reaping the benefits from the generosity of these volunteers, they are seeing first-hand what it looks like to be a role model and make a difference in your society. Guidelines 22.0-22.2 Banks (2006) is clear that ethnic and cultural reflective assessment procedures will do little good for educators and students unless they (schools) also implement multicultural curricular and instructional practices (p. 336). Beefing up the multicultural education we currently implement, therefore, should probably be our first area of focus before vast assessment changes are made. As I mentioned earlier, many teachers in our building do try to assess student

MULTICULTURAL PROGRAM EVALUTION learning through projects which can be customized to match the multiple intelligences of

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students. While this is not exactly altering assessment procedures to reflect students ethnic and cultural diversity, it does at least allow for a variety of assessment vehicles to be used to prove mastery. It is a step in the right direction as our multicultural education curriculum grows. Guidelines 23.0-23.5 Currently I do not think my school has any form of evaluating the goals, methods, and instructional materials used in teaching about ethnicity and culture (Banks, 2006, p. 346). Perhaps there is some kind of evaluation method for selecting textbooks which reflect varying ethnicities and cultural perspectives that I am not aware of. Overall, CHS would rate low in this category. Conclusion If a final score was given for the Multicultural Education Program Evaluation Checklist, Central High School would fall somewhere in the middle. For all the areas that would be considered strengths and equal number of guidelines would be considered areas for growth. The place to start is with educationeducation for the educators. In-services and classes such as this one need to be offered so teachers can become aware of the need for multicultural education. Next, the stages of cultural identity need to be taught, and each teacher needs to assess what stage they are at personally and how their cultural attitudes and beliefs impact the atmosphere they create in the classroom. It is through this awareness that teachers will begin to see the need for changethen true change can take place.

MULTICULTURAL PROGRAM EVALUTION References

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Banks, J. A. (2006). Cultural diversity and education: Foundations, curriculum, and teaching (5th ed.). Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon. Sue, D. W., Capodilupo, C., Torino, G., Bucceri, J., Holder, A., Nadal, K., et al. (2007). Racial microaggressions in everyday life: Implications for clinical practice. American Psychologist, 62(4), 271-286.