January 2000 - Status Report to the Board: Infusion of Multicultural Resources

INTRODUCTION/GOALS AND OBJECTIVES The 1990 Census indicated that one of every four Americans is a person of color. In 1988, the Commission on Minority Participation in Education and American Life, predicted that by the turn of the century, one of every three persons will be of color. FWISD social studies educators understand the importance of curriculum which includes multiple voices, perspectives, experiences, histories, struggles and victories. The following goals for the inclusion of multicultural resources stem from that understanding: develop curriculum resources which equitably reflect multiple perspectives (e.g., ethnic, cultural, national, global, religious); review, purchase and distribute commercially developed resources to schools; and provide continuing professional growth opportunities which prepare teachers to successfully infuse multicultural resources in classrooms. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION AND IMPLEMENTATION One way to promote understanding, appreciation, and respect for diversity is by making cultural inclusion an integral part of classroom instruction. Culture is a major strand of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Social Studies (TEKS). This strand is included to ensure multicultural infusion throughout the social studies curriculum. The district offers two elective courses which focus on multiculturalism. Cultural Studies, the middle school course, examines the meaning of culture and the various ways in which variables such as race, class, and gender influence a society's beliefs, attitudes, and ways of life. At the high school level, Special Topics in Social Studies: American Culture Studies provides an in-depth examination of various cultural or ethnic groups in the United States. The course is designed to develop appreciation and respect for cultural diversity and the contributions made by various groups to the American landscape. Instructional resources for these classes are purchased from the social studies budget. Schools throughout the district use various methods to promote cultural awareness, respect and appreciation, including special observances, visual displays, celebrations, guest speakers, performances, and public address announcements. RESULTS TO DATE Social studies textbooks adopted during the last two cycles contain a wealth of multicultural materials, are consistent with the TEKS, and serve as a basis for multicultural instruction on a daily basis. To move aggressively in the direction of providing additional multicultural resources, a request for teachers to participate in writing multicultural units was issued in December 1999. Orientation meetings, to detail the specifications for writing these activities, are scheduled for January 26 and 27, 2000. FUTURE PLANS Teacher-developed units will be one of many components in a multicultural resource bank. In the short term, grade-level and content- specific activities will be disseminated as appropriate to campuses district-wide. The complete bank of activities will be reproduced as a supplementary section in Pathways to Excellence (curriculum project currently in progress). We will continue to provide a variety of supplementary multicultural resources, including reference materials (standard and electronic), biographies, audio-visuals, classroom posters, field-based experiences, speakers, etc. Plans are in progress to revise The Fort Worth Story. Dr. Nancy Timmons and Joyce Johnson will collaborate in that process to ensure the story equitably represents the multicultural history, influence, and contributions inherent in the Fort Worth experience. When completed, The Fort Worth Story will be an additional resource for use in schools. We will pursue the possibility of convening a symposium to focus on multicultural education. This symposium will include keynote speakers, break-out sessions and exhibits. If approved, the symposium will be held during the summer of 2001.

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