1

..,
Climbing Out of the Gap • 13
ClillJbing brainpower (Means & Knapp, 1991; Ritchhart, 2002). As a result, a dis-
proportionate number of culturally and linguistically diverse students are
dependent learners.
Out of the Gap Here is the problem. On his own, a dependent learner is not able to do
complex, school-oriented learning tasks such as synthesizing and analyz-
ing informational text without continuous support. Let's not misunder-
stand the point-dependent doesn't mean deficit. As children enter
school. we expect that they are dependent learners. One of our key jobs in
SUpporting Dependent Learners to the early school years is to help students become independent learners.
Become Independent Thinkers We expect students to be well on their way to becoming independent
learners by third grade, but we still find a good number of students who
struggle with rigorous content well into high school, mostly students of
color.
The closest we usually come to talking about this situation is the popu-
lar "Read by Third Grade" campaigns. We say children are learning to read
up until third grade then shift to reading to learn. The same is true with
cognition. In the early grades, we teach children habits of mind and help
Education either functions as an Instrument which is us,d them build cognitive processes and structures so that as they move through
facilitate integration of the Younger generatJon Into the logic of tJ,, school they are able to do complex thinking and independent learning.
Present system and bring about conformity or it becomes the proc- For culturally and linguistically diverse students, their opportunities to
tice offreedom, the means by Which men and women den/ criticallg develop habits of mind and cognitive capacities are limited or non-existent
and creatively With reality and discover how to participate in tJ,, because of educational inequity. The result is their cognitive growth is
transformation of their world,
stunted, leaving them dependent learners, unable to work to their full
potential. In the New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblind-
ness, Michelle Alexander (2012) suggests that this dependency is the first
-Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed
0
T he chronic achievement gap ;,, most American schools has created

leg of the "school-to-prison pipeline" for many students of color. According

to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the school-to-prison pipeline is a set of
seemingly unconnected school policies and teacher instructional decisions
an ep;den,ic of dependent learners unprepared to do the h;gbe, that over time result in students of color not receiving adequate literacy
nler thinI<Jng, creative Prob Jen, solv;,,g, and analYfica) readfog and wnt- and content instruction while being disproportionately disciplined for non-
lng called for ;n the new Co-on Core State Standards. One of the goal, specific, subjective offenses such as "defiance." Students of color, especially
of education ;snot sh,,p/y to mi students w;th facts and hifonnation but to African American and Latino boys, end up spending valuable instructional
he/p then, /ea,n how to learn. Classroom stud;es dacument the fact that time in the office rather than in the classroom. Consequently, they fall fur-
Underserved Eng/;,,h /earner,, Poor students, and students of color rou- ther and further behind in reading achievement just as reading is becom-
tinely rece;ve less lnstructJon ;n higher order skills development than
ing the primary tool they will need for taking in new content. Student
other students (AU;ngtun & McGl//.&.,nzen, 1989, Dar//ng.Ifanm,ond,
2001, 0"""8, 2005). The;,- cur,icu/um Is less cha//englng and more frustration and shame at being labeled "a slow reader" and having low
repetitive. The;,- Instruction;, more focused on skms low on Bloon,•, tax- comprehension lead to more off-task behavior, which the teacher responds
onomy. This type of lnstruct;on denies stndents the oppo,tuu;ty to engage to by sending the student out of the classroom. Over time, many students
In What neumsc;entlsts ca// Productive struggle that actually grows our of color are pushed out of school because they cannot keep up academi-
12
cally because of poor reading skills and a lack of social-emotional support
to deal with their increasing frustration.
1111111
 14 • BUlldJ.uu-.._ and 1<....,..,..
Climbing Out of the Gap • 15
'PO Latino and White students grows because we don't teach them how to be
independent learners. Based on these labels, we usually do the following
the, _ •• ., 1:juron,,,~., -·· ~- ..... ., ·oro1.vt1-. ~on quent1Y, th,
11
88 (Means & Knapp, 1991):
----..amer • Underestimate what disadvantaged students are intellectually
Is deoendent on lhe leacheno • Re/Jes on,he lea""8, lo,.,,, capable of doing
• As a result, we postpone more challenging and interesting work
cany most of the COgnitive load of some of "'8 eog,,,,;., load
a task always temporarily until we believe they have mastered "the basics" .
Is unsu,e of how lo - . , a • Utlllzes ,,,.legie, a"",-.., • By focusing only on low-level basics, we deprive students of a
meaningful or motivating context for learning and practicing
new task
Cannot complele a lesk Without • Regularly •ltemp• ,,.. _
to, laci<llng a now tas;
higher order thinking processes
scaffolds without scaffolds
Will stt passlVely and Wait If Sluck • Hes -/live stra1eg;e, ro, Just increasing standards and instructional rigor won't reverse this epi-
until teacher intervenes getting unstuck
demic. Dependent learners cannot become independent learners by sheer
Doesn't retain information well or • Has learned how to retrieve willpower. It is not just a matter of grit or mindset. Grit and mindset are
"doesn't get ir information from long-term necessary but not sufficient by themselves. We have to help dependent stu-
memory dents develop new cognitive skills and habits of mind that will actually
increase their brainpower. Students with increased brainpower can acceler-
ate their own learning, meaning they know how to learn new content and
In recent Years, there's been a lot of talk about the reasons behind the low improve their weak skills on their own.
performance of many students of color, English learners, and poor students. While the achievement gap has created the epidemic of dependent
Rather than examme school policies and teacher practices, some attribute it learners, culturally responsive teaching (CRT) is one of our most pow-
to a "culture of poverty" or different commuruty values toward education. erful tools for helping students find their way out of the gap. A systematic
The reality is that they struggle not because of their race, language, or pov- approach to culturally responsive teaching is the perfect catalyst to stimu-
erty. They struggle because we don't offer them sufficient opportunities in the late the brain's neuroplasticity so that it grows new brain cells that help
classroom to develop the C<>gn.itive skills and habits of mind that would pre- students think in more sophisticated ways.
pare them to take on more advanced academic tasks (Boykin & Noguera, I defme culturally responsive teaching simply as ...
20II; Jackson, 20II). That's the achievement gap in action. The reasons
they are not offered more opportunities for rigor are rooted in the education An educator's ability to recognize students' cultural displays of
system's legacy of "separate and unequal" (Kozol, 2006; Oakes, 2005). learning and meaning making and respond positively and con-
School practices that emphasize lecture and rote memorization are structively with teaching moves that use cultural knowledge as a
part of what Martin Haberman (19 91) calls a "pedagogy of poverty" that scaffold to connect what the student knows to new concepts and
sets students up to leave high school With outdated skills and shallow content in order to promote effective information processing. All
knowledge. They are able to regurgitate facts and concepts but have diffl- the while, the educator understands the importance of being in a
culty applying this knowledge in new and practical ways. To be able to relationship and having a social-emotional connection to the stu-
direct their own lives and define success for themselves, they must be able
to think critically and creatively. dent in order to create a safe space for learning.
As educators, we have to recognize that we help maintain the achieve-
ment gap when we don't teach advanced cognitive skills to students we Numerous studies have demonstrated that culturally responsive educa-
label as "disadvantaged" because of their language, gender, race, or socio- tion can strengthen student connectedness with school and enhance
economic status. Many children start school with small learning gaps, but learning (Kalyanpur & Harry, 2012; Tatum, 2009).
as they progress through school, the gap between African American and There has been a lot written about cultural responsiveness as part
of the current reform agenda. As a teacher educator, I see teacher
 -<. Q • 8U11.1,
...Ilg t\"7.,,.
-.relless ii d
education Prograu,, lJ . lc110\vledge
their list of co~ Pushing to ih l
••iPetenc · " ••c llde
teachers to h Ies ior beginh· cultural t
ave •ou,e t
d "'""'••ch
eveloplllent (CLJ!.DJ ce~:~ of %••-cultural,,:'•·
""PPort new teacher, .
hi,,,,,.:~,.,\
,.,.,,
•c•hon. Teacher i ngu,g,_ .,d '1,;, Climbing Out of the Gap • l 7
the topic in their begin~• their first Year, in th!d~ct;,, ,.,,,,.:;:,.,,
1
districts onJy offer tea h Ing teacher lllentoring Pc assroolll try to Iha, .e ady for Rigor Framework
.
•ng, " With little or no continu
c ets one/ h ot Profession,,rog,,.,, ., ,.,
de,,, '· •o,,~
••ve_ teaching is Prou,oted •• e su PPort. Too often, c,1~,""" •,,,.
lllotivate students Wb1·1 d
.
Port rigorous ,
cognitive de»
a Way to reduce behavio ally resPon.
e ownplayi0
1 g or .
ignoring its , P'<>bJ, Ills or
abu·t
-'cf
AWARENESS
t,
LEARNING PARTNERSHIPS
ve oplllent. Y to sup.
TlJE AfAR¾GE 1 • Understand the three levels of
culture
• Reimagine the student and teacher
relationship as a partnership
ANn CVtrv¾top NEv.aopLA.sr1c1ry • Recognize cultural archetypes of
individualism and collectivism
• Take responsibility to reduce
students' social-emotional stress
Y -REsPozvs,vE l'E:A.ca,NG • Understand how the brain learns
• Acknowledge the socio-political
from stereotype threat and
I can ,t tell You tbe nurnber of Urnes so context around race and language
microaggressions
• Balance giving students both care
ally l"espon,;ve "cheat •heet" for w,,,x."'eo~e has ~•ired"''
fo, ""<>/t,,.
• Know and own your cultural lens
• Recognize your brain's triggers
and push
• Help students cultivate a positive
or even Middle £aster •ng w,u, African Arue,ican, Lao,, around race and culture mindset and sense of self-efficacy
asked n students. A good nuo,&e,- of leach.,., who b.,. • Broaden your interpretation of • Support each student to take greater
p0 fr rne •bout Cultural responsiveness think of it as a "bag of "1d, • culturally and linguistically
diverse students' learning
ownership tor his learning
"'. on, being a bag of tricks, culturally responsive "aching is a Pol~ behaviors
• Give students language to talk
& IDcal approach fu-n,Jy rooted in learning theory and cognitive sdenc, about their learning moves
IIJ,s,t
When8 used e1Tect1ve1y, culturally responsive P<dagogy bas th, abilicy ro
help tudents build intellect;,. capac;fy, also called fluid lnt,lliu,,,o """t
-
Ready for Rigor 'i!:.
(Ritchhart, 2002) and intellecu.,, competence (Go,don, 2001 ; National and lndependen ~ b1 :,
Study Group for tbe Affu-ruat1,. Development of Acad=ic Ability, 2004).
Intellective capacity;, the increased vow,,, the b1a1n crea.,, to'""'" sf
complex information more elTecuve/y. Neu,o,cience tells us that co/tore 7 JIL
Play, a C<iticaj <ole in this P<oces,. That's why It is so 1mpo,tantfoccuJtu,- INFORMATION PROCESSING COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS
ally <esponsi"' teache,s to be Well-versed ln b1ain science and coltu,aJ
understanding. AND LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
• Provide appropriate challenge in • Create an environment that is
Beyond know;ng the b<ain ,cience, the bJggest challenge I sec order to stimulate brain growth to intellectually and socially sale
teache,s struggling With is bow to operationalize culturally re.sponsJ,c increase intellective capacity tor learning
• Help students process new content
pedagogical pr;nciples into cultu,a/jy <esponsive teaching P<acticcs. It using methods from oral traditions
• Make space tor student voice and
agency
mean, understanding the basic concept, of cultu,a/jy <espons/ve veda- • Connect new content to culturally • Build classroom culture and
gogy (Hernandez-Sheets, 2009, Nieto, 2009; Villega, & Lucas, 2002) relevant examples and metaphors learning around communal
and then iea,ning the lnst,uctlonal moves associated Wlth them. Tb, from students' community and (sociocultural) talk and task
everyday lives
Ready Io, Rlgo, framewo,k ;s designed to help teache,s do Just that With structures
• Provide students authentic
the aid of neu<oscience to deepen you, unde<standing (FJgu,e 1.2). This opportunities to process content
• Use classroom rituals and routines
to support a culture ol learning
stmple framewo,k o,gan/zes key acea, of teacher capacity building that • Teach students cognitive routines • Use principles ol restorative
setself-directed,
to helping students
the stage forindependent move from being dependent learners
learners. using the brain's natural learning justice to manage conflicts and
systems
redirect negative behavior
• Use formative assessments and
feedback to increase intellective
capacity
j
 18 • Bb1Jd1.. A...,..0 ..,•od K• I
••0"1 edge
TlfE l!OUI! PI!Acrrcl! Alll!11s Op
C!JI.TUJtu.r,y l!l!spoNsrvl! Tl!11c¾G
1Learning to put cuJturaJJy responsive t h· Climbing Out of the Gap , 19
. to rub Your head and Pat Y eac llJg •nto operati
earning practice Area 11: Learning Partn ers h'1ps
1
t
This !Dove feels a bit a"kward at firstour
be stoinach at the salllon Is/· . The second practice area focuses on b 'Id'
across differences so that the teacher is abl e uito create
mg truS
. a with
• 1 students
hands to perform two different movemen1s .
. cause .
You h ave to get. ·
e tiilie partnership for deeper learning· Cultural!Y responsivesocia t -emotional
get each movement going independently then 1 h. Th trick1 % ~ advantage of the fact that our brains are w·Ired ,,or connectieachers A take
n Unison 1 move through the work in this area ' teachers bUI'Id capacity . toon. s they
. one rhythmic
mto . moaon.
. The Practices are only sync
effi t·ron12ing the//J8
together. In unison they create a synergetic effect r•1. R one u en t atbmlds t I
• Establish an authentic connection with st d ts h ,
ec Il/e 1Vbe11 d
. framework lays out four separate Pracnce area, that
Rigor • oeare -.!y
. Ir trust and respect
. r dbthektrust
· bond
mu ua
, to help students rise to h.igher expectations
• Leverage .
pendent. When the tools and strategies of each an,a a,e b/""4 • 1ve ,ee ac in emotwnally intelligent ways so stud ts
Illterde.
together. they create the social. emononal. and cognlti,e ""~"' G Jtlo a,d act oo it
take '" '" """ to
that allow
their students
learning process.to more actively engage and take ownenb1p• • Hold students to high standards while offering them new intellectual
The framework is divided into four core areas. The
componenls are connected through the principle, of braio-b,,,J
learning:
In~..,, challenges
practice Area III: Information Processing
The third practice area focuses on knowing how to strengthen and
expand students' intellective capacity so that they can engage in deeper,
more complex learning, The culturally responsive teacher is the conduit
Practice Area I: Awareness that helps students process what they are learning. They mediate student
learning based on what they know about how the brain learns and stu-
Successfully teaching students from culturally and linguistically dents' cultural models. This practice area outlines the process, strategies,
diverse backgrounds-especially students from historically marginal- tactics, and tools for engaging students in high-leverage social and
ized groups-involves more than just applying specialized teaching instructional activities that over time build higher order thinking skills.
techniques. It means placing instruction within the larger sociopolitical Moving through this area, teachers learn how to
context. In this first practice area, we explore the development of ~ur • Understand how culture impacts the brain's information
sociopolitical lens. Every culturally responsive teacher develops a socw-
1
po 1·t·1cal conscwusness,
· an understanding th at we 1·1ve m · a racialized processing learning so it builds student's brain power in culturally
• Orchestrate
society that gives unearned privilege to some while others experience
unearned disadvantage because of race, gender, class, or language. • congruent ways information processing strategies common to oral
Use brain-based
They arc awa,, of the ml, that schook play ;n both pcrpcrua mg .
. and
challenging those inequities. They are also aware of the impact tof eir cultures
own cultural lens on interpreting and evaluating students' individual
th
or collective behavior that might lead to low expectations or undervalu- Practice Area JV: Community Building
lo the loorth prncticc ,,... we lo'"' oo creatiog '" co,1room<0t th•!
the knowledge
ing area
tice and skills they bring to school. Mastering this prac-
helps teachers
f°"' socially ,od lo tc11ectu~1Y safo fa, dcpCOd,o! I""""' !<> st<clch
th"""1"" and talre ,;,lo. !bO often, we think of th• physical ~!UP of mrr
• Locate and acknowledge their own sociopolitical position cla=om a, hang cuJtueailY "oeutrol• wh<O lo reality It Is oi\CO "
.
• Sharpen and tune their cultural lens e,rension of the re,chce's wodMlcW o, th• domJoaot '"11w,,. Th• '"''"''
• diversity
Learn to manage their own social-emotional response to student ally re,ponslre re,chce tries to ere• re ,o '"""°"
men t that com moo Jcal~
...._
 20 • BuJldlng Awareness and Knowledge

are support, and belonging in ways that students

c , recogn·
move through this practice area, teachers understand how toIZe. t\s they

• Integrate universal cultural elements and themes into th

• Use cultural practices and orientations to create a e ~lassroOllJ.
intellectually safe space soc1au,,J and
• Set up rituals and routines that reinforce self-directed lea .
academic identity rning and

• The achievement gap has denied underserved students of color and

English learners opportunities to develop the cognitive skills and pro-
cesses that help them become independent learners.
• Culturally responsive teaching is a powerful tool to help dependent
learners develop the cognitive skills for higher order thinking.
• Culturally responsive teaching uses the brain principles from neurosci-
ence to mediate learning effectively.
• The Ready for Rigor framework helps us operationalize culturally
responsive teaching.

INVITATION TO INQUIRY

• color?
How is Your school addressing the needs of low-performing students of
• How do you suppo t tr ,,.J;_ .
1
• How h ave You andryour
s ug5U1
11 g students to.become independent learners?
turaUYresponsive co eagues operationalized the principles of cul-
. teaching?

GOING DEEPER
To deepen Your knowled e
Would reconunend: g ' here are some books, reports, and articles I
• A.II Stude t
A. . n s Reaching th ,,,
chievement
D J Gaps bY th e Ne t·.1.op: Strategies for Closing Academic
0
• Theve Pnient of A.cad . a ional study Group for the Affrrmative
e Flat World enuc Ability.
Wm D . and Education · R . ,
etermine Our Future b · . ow America s Commitment to Equity
Y Linda Darling-Hammond.
p

What's Culture 2
Got to Do with It?
Understanding the
Deep Roots of Culture

Preservation of one's own culture does not require contempt or dis-

respect for other cultures.
-Cesar Chavez, Mexican American Activist

e often talk about the problem of the achievement gap in terms

W of race-racial relations, issues of oppression and equity-while
ironically the solutions for closing students' learning gaps in the class-
room lie in tapping into their culture. But just why and how we use cul-
ture to close learning gaps remains vague for many teachers and seems
counterintuitive for others who may have been taught not to focus on
differences and, instead, be "color-blind." The question-what's culture
got to do with it?-is an important one culturally responsive teachers
need to be able to answer. In this chapter, we highlight the first practice
area of the Ready for Rigor framework: Awareness. Just as students need to
have rich background for comprehension and problem solving, teachers
need adequate background knowledge and usable information in order to
know how to apply culturally responsive tools and strategies. Building
background knowledge begins with becoming knowledgeable about the
dimensions of culture as well as knowledgeable about the larger social,
political, and economic conditions that create inequitable education out-
comes. In addition to awareness of how culture is constructed or the

21
 22 • 8Qildi.Q
g i\11ra.re11es8 <flld I(
l!oiv1ed e
illlpact of larger s0c;a1 "'1d l 8
to be aWare of their beliefs : itical force, on lea,,,.
grouud know/edge •nd awa- gllrd".'g "'1uity •na ~-
fj t . area of the Iran,
!l's Practice . .,_ eness
t'•
... k is one of the criNcaJ'llte·bB·llil¾~
. "'IIJ/.~
What's Culture Got to Do with IV • 23
e.vor . O ~ecu "II v eepJevel
culture
Th" c ,nade up of tacit knowledge and uneon,dous ""umpttons
lJIVDllRsr,wollVG CflLTlIRJi Ves~~ that•""''° ou< woddvfew.11 also eonlm"-' the eosm'.Jogy (,;.,w of good o,
bad) that guid" ,true,, spirituality, health. and thoon" of group hannony
. competition or cooperation). Deep culture also governs how we learn
TCulture, it !urns out; is the way that every brain ~,, neW
(1.e.. infonnatlon. ElemenW at tru' level have an intense emotional cl,ru"ge.
Mental models at this Jevei helP the b,aln ;nte,pret tJrreals o< rewanl.s in
ua t is. wby everyone, regardless of race or ethn1·'"<ll\es
'L 'ty, h sense of thewoili th< ,n,1"'nment Ch,llen8" to ,uJtu<al valuo; ,t this level produce cul·
of culture as software for the brain's hardWare c1T'he, br,,;h ·•
as aculture 'l'k, ture shock or trigger the brain's fight or flight response.
.
lllformation . to turn everyday happenings into meaning/u]
. - """"
,,.,, Olli,,
111111
At the d,ep ,ultu<al level. ou< b<ain Is eneodlng itself with the pa<·
want to help dependent learners do more higher order think;,, and,._ tleula< w,uJdvieW we will """' into ou< ro,mative ye,rrs. TWO people from
diffe,<nl ,u1tures ,an Jook at the ""'" event and have ve<Y dtffe<ent reac-
lem so/Ving, then We have to access their brain's COfinitive . , _6• 11,ns to II bee,use of the meaning they ,tta,h to the event based on thek
deliver CulturaJJy responsive instructton.
de<P culture- Po< ,xamplc In Eas""" eultu", the eoio< red means good
levelsSo,ofin this chapter, we start With building our awarene,, oft/re 1/,,
culture. Juck while in most weste<n ,u1tw<s red means dange<. While eve<Y pe~
son's mdividual ,ultu<e evolves"" we g«>W up and .,,pectenee the wodd.
u, '°"
mental model, staY with us. My •"'""'""th" had a s,ylng,
Levels of Culture •you ,an take the boy out of the eounl<Y but you can't take the eountrY
0
out of the boy." The point is that one's culture, especially one's deep cul·
tural roots, is part of how the brain makes sense of the world and helps
and Culture operates on a surface level, an interme
a deep level. 1 or shallow level,
us function in our environment. This worldview continues to guide our
d'ate behaviors even when we change our geography. We call these mental
Surface culture models schema.
Think of mental models as parts of an elaborate "tree of knowledge"
inside our brains. Schema represent the pieces of inert information we've
This level is made up of observable and concrete elements of culture taken in, interpreted, and categorized, based on our deep cultural norms,
such as food, dress, music, and holidays. This level of culture has a low beliefs, and ways of being. Schema help us create background knowledge
or what researcher Luis Moll and his colleagues (200 5) call funds of knowl-
emot10na
or group.
· 1 ch arge so that changes don't create great anx1e
•tY m
· aperson
edge, the "historically accumulated and culturally developed bodies of
knowledge and skills essential for household or individual functioning and
Shallow culture well-being" (p. 133). Another way of understanding schema is to think of
it as a set of conceptual scripts that guide our comprehension of the
This level is made up of the unspoken rules around everyday social world. For example, think about going to a restaurant. By just thinking
interactions and norms, such as courtesy, attitudes toward elders, nature about it, you activated your schema for restaurants. Images, smells, tastes,
of friendship, concepts of time, personal space between people, nonverbal experiences involving food, how to order. and how to behave in that envi-
communication, rules about eye contact, or appropriate touching. It's at ronment come immediately to mind without any effort. We make sense of
this level of culture that we put into action our deep cultural values. the world around us by creating these schema scripts based on our deep
Nonverbal communication that builds rapport and trust between people culture. They are the brain's software that directs its hardware.
comes out of shallow culture. This level has a strong emotional charge. At When talking about culture, people often represent the three levels of
the same time, at this level we interpret certain behaviors as disrespectful, an '" e<g. w,th su,faee culture as the hp of the ieebo-g, shal-
offensive, or hostile. Social violation of norms at this level can cause mis- culture as · b • .
trust, distress, or social friction . ow culture located just below the water line. and deep culture the largest
1
.