Culturally Relevant Curriculum and Culturally Responsive Schools Toolkit

In October of 2017, during the Dignity in Schools Campaign national week of action, the West Dayton Youth Task Force (WDYTF), Racial Justice NOW! (RJN!) and the Dignity in Schools Campaign (DSC) released the beginning of an ongoing project- the Culturally Relevant Curriculum and Culturally Responsive Schools Toolkit. This toolkit is a compilation of information from a variety of sources. This information is shared online for free and trainers can be brought in to your respective locale for additional and specified training. Download the full toolkit preview HERE. You can also view our past culturally relevant webinars HERE. Please continue to visit this page for updates.

1. An introduction with the mission and vision of WDYTF, RJN! and DSC, which explains how culturally relevant curriculum fights the school-to-prison pipeline.
2. Definitions of key terms like pedagogy, culture, curriculum, Rites of Passage and more!
3. Research and scholarly articles on the positive impacts of culturally relevant curriculum from Dr. Molefi Asante, Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings and Dr. Cheryl Grills.
4. The “Centric Idea,” which was the greatest takeaway from year one of WDYTF and RJN!’s campaign. “Through observations, inquiry, and discussion, I’ve found that children who are centered in their own cultural information are better students, more disciplined, and have greater motivation for school work.” – Dr. Molefi Asante, Article: Afro-centric Curriculum, Educational Leadership, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
5. A Guide for Advocates, including how to add books to your school’s course of study, how to approach your school board and superintendent, how to change curriculum, and how to measure how culturally responsive your school is. For example:
6. School Cultural Assessment Matrix (SCAM) Guide–TM Victor Gibson

Watch an interview with Victor Gibson on the School Cultural Assessment Matrix (SCAM)

7. The Portland Baseline Essays – The concept of the Baseline Essays was introduced by Dr. Asa G. Hilliard III, consultant to the Portland School District’s desegregation plan, in 1982. The term when used by Portland Public Schools means a series of essays that gives information about the history, culture and contributions of a specific geo-cultural group in the areas of art, language arts, mathematics, science, social science and music. The purpose of the essays is to provide the reader with a holistic and thematic history of the culture and contributions of a specific geo-cultural group from ancient times to the present.

8. A Sample 12-Point Plan to Push School Districts Forward that can be adopted by groups looking to implement culturally relevant curriculum in their local schools.

9. A Book List featuring examples for different subjects in school like novels, poetry, fiction and non-fiction, including titles such as The Mis-Education of the Negro and Up From Slavery and more!

10. Rites of Passage programs –

Resources for Toolkit on Culturally Relevant Curriculum and Culturally Responsive Schools

Preview of Culturally Relevant Curriculum Toolkit
Sample 12-Point Plan to Push School Districts Forward
School Cultural Assessment Matrix (SCAM) – TM Victor Gibson
Definitions of Key Terms from CRC Toolkit
CRC Advocates Guide
AYA Institute Family Lore Project
Black Boy Poems- Tyson Amir

Videos for Toolkit on Culturally Relevant Curriculum and Culturally Responsive Schools

West Dayton Youth Task Force staff are available to do:

Professional development for administrators, teachers, schools, school districts, teacher unions, community organizations, and others.

1. Presentations- Staff will use a power point presentation along with the online toolkit to thoroughly explain the who, when, why, what, and where of each section. Staff will host question and answer time and engage in scenario situations to increase understanding.

2. Workshops- Staff will use a power point presentation along with the the online toolkit to thoroughly explain the who, when, why, what, and where of each section. Staff will host question and answer time and engage in scenario situations to increase understanding. Following the presentation staff will teach attendees interactive classroom activities and techniques, utilize “circle time” to show by example how to build community, and

3. Gallery walk- In addition to a presentation and/or workshop, attendees are partnered together and given a series of 7questions to discuss together while walking around a series of 7 – 12 visuals that are displayed throughout a room. Partner groups walk around visuals discussing the questions and at completion come back to a “community circle”. Attendees then dialogue about what they saw and their answers to questions. Visuals are based on themes, which are chosen at the time of booking. Some themes include: American education system history, Black education history pre-America, and contributions of African Americans to society (based on Portland Baseline Essays).