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The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated feelings of isolation, stress, loss, and more among young people, adults, families, and communities. Social and emotional learning (SEL) offers a powerful means to support one another during these challenging times as our communities work to address the impact of the pandemic on students' learning and development.

Now, more than ever, we understand how important it is to demonstrate empathy and resilience, build relationships across distance, and call upon our collective resolve to strengthen our schools and our communities.

So, how can SEL support you and your work during this time? Find resources and guidance in Reunite, Renew, Thrive: SEL Roadmap for Reopening School (July 2020).

Our recommendations follow the four core focus areas for schoolwide SEL and districtwide SEL:

First, create a foundation for SEL.

Work with students, families, and communities to envision how education can more holistically support all learners.

Prioritize strong, two-way communication between families and schools.

Second, attend to well-being and mutual support among adults.

Pay close attention to our own social-emotional needs in order to be the community of adults who best serve our young people.

Foster supportive adult relationships to process emotions, share challenges, and offer support to one another.

Third, promote SEL for young people.

Provide consistency in daily routines to foster a sense of safety and predictability.

Listen to young people and support them in building or maintaining a sense of community and connection.

Incorporate social and emotional skill-building into learning (such as CASEL's SEL 3 Signature Practices).

Fourth, reflect on how things are going and adjust as you learn.

Listen to students, families, and your wider community of stakeholders as valuable sources of information about what is or isn't working.

Analyze results with a lens of equity to meet needs using our SEL Data Reflection Protocol

How is CASEL advancing this work?
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Guidance on School Transitions and Reopening

To aid in this time of continued transitions, CASEL collaborated with more than 40 partners to illuminate a way forward through Reunite, Renew, Thrive: SEL Roadmap for Reopening School (July 2020), centered on relationships and built on the existing strengths of a school community. As we prepared for Spring 2021, we offered three strategies adapted from the SEL Roadmap to re-examine efforts for a successful second semester: Refocus on the SEL Roadmap: Actions for a Successful Second Semester (January 2021).

CASEL CARES Webinar Series

In response to the pandemic, CASEL mobilized to provide social and emotional support to our communities and share best practices through an initiative called CASEL CARES. We offered weekly practical guidance and information on topics that were sourced from the field and relevant to the needs of today. Our CASEL CARES Webinars covered a wide range of SEL topics and attracted more than 100,000 people. View the on-demand series

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The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated feelings of isolation, stress, loss, and more among young people, adults, families, and communities. Social and

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In February of 2020, we launched Greater Good in Education (GGIE), a free online resource that distills strategies and practices for the social, emotional, and ethical development of students and the adults who work with them, synthesizing the top insights and best practices from science, programs, and practitioners.

GGIE currently features more than 200 practices that can be incorporated into all aspects of a school community, from academic instruction to staff meetings to engagement with parents. It was produced with generous support from the Einhorn Family Charitable Trust and the John Templeton Foundation.

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Greater Good in Education Online Resource

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In February of 2020, we launched Greater Good in Education (GGIE), a free online resource that distills strategies and practices for the social, emotional, and ethical development of students and the adults who work with them, synthesizing the top insights and best practices from science, programs, and practitioners.

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Dr. Ibram X Kendi

Dr. Robin DiAngelo

Ta-Nehisi Coates

Jerry Tello

Dr. Anne Gregory

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California Department of Education
News Release

California Department of Education
News Release

SACRAMENTO-The California State Board of Education today approved guidance to assist local high schools in developing ethnic studies courses, classes that researchers say can improve graduation and college-going rates among all students-and especially teens of color. The vote makes California the first state in the nation to offer a statewide ethnic studies model for educators.

"California's students have been telling us for years that they need to see themselves and their stories represented in the classroom. Today's historic action gives schools the opportunity to uplift the histories and voices of marginalized communities in ways that help our state and nation achieve racial justice and create lasting change," said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond. "By fostering our understanding of the struggles and achievements of people of color, ethnic studies benefit students of all backgrounds-and that is why today's work is so important."

The Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum is aimed at empowering students by illuminating the often-untold struggles and contributions of Native Americans, African Americans, Latino/a/x Americans, and Asian Americans in California. The document includes University of California and California State University a-g-approved ethnic studies course outlines and lessons that expand beyond the four traditional disciplines of ethnic studies to help local districts tailor a course to meet local student needs.

While its use is not mandated, the curriculum is intended to supply local school districts with the background, ideas, and examples to begin local discussions on expanding ethnic studies offerings.

"Today we made an important step toward confronting and ultimately transforming racism in our society and in our state," said State Board President Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond. "This day has been a long time in coming, and we are reminded daily that the racial injustice it reveals is not only a legacy of the past but a clear and present danger.

"Seventy years ago, in the height of the McCarthy era, W.E.B. DuBois wrote: 'Of all the civil rights for which the world has struggled and fought for 5,000 years, the right to learn is undoubtedly the most fundamental,'" Dr. Darling-Hammond continued. "'The freedom to learn...has been bought by bitter sacrifice. And whatever we may think of the curtailment of other civil rights, we should fight to the last ditch to keep open the right to learn.' That is what this conversation is about: How we ensure the right to learn for all of our children."

The vote today concludes four years of work to develop an ethnic studies guidance document aligned with California's history/social science standards and curriculum frameworks, State Board guidelines, and state law . The model curriculum approved is the fourth draft and reflects revisions responsive to thousands of public comments.

Presenters who spoke in support of the draft today included civil rights activist Dolores Huerta; Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber; Karen Korematsu, daughter of civil rights activist Fred Korematsu and founder of the Fred T. Korematsu Institute; Temple University African American Studies Professor Dr. Molefi Asante; and Stanford University Chicano Studies Professor Albert Camarillo, among others.

"Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said racism is a sickness, and we have to become the healers," Ms. Huerta said in urging the Board to adopt the curriculum, ending her comments with a spirited "Si se puede!"

Dr. Weber, who voted in favor of the model curriculum in November as a member of the Board's curriculum advisory group, the Instructional Quality Commission, said: "A well-taught ethnic studies curriculum is beneficial to all students regardless of race. It transforms their lives."

Dr. Weber is a San Diego State University Africana Studies professor emeritus who helped establish the discipline at the college in 1972. "My former students are different professionals because they have a different level of respect for others. These benefits are overwhelming for our students."

Monterey County Supervisor Luis Alejo, who wrote the 2016 legislation directing development of the model when he was in the California Assembly, noted that he first introduced an ethnic studies K-12 bill 19 years ago. "Finally, there is movement across our nation. Our students need and deserve an education that more truthfully reflects the contributions of people of color," he told the Board. "Our students must see themselves in what they learn."

Because there are a growing number of schools offering ethnic studies-some of California's largest school districts require it for graduation-$5 million is included in the January budget proposal specifically for high-quality ethnic studies professional development.

"The ethnic studies model curriculum is a starting point," Ms. Korematsu said. "It's not an endpoint. This is a pivotal moment in California's educational history. The fight for justice and human rights begins with education, and begins now."

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Tony Thurmond - State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5602, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100

Last Reviewed: Tuesday, May 30, 2023

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SBE Approves Historic Ethnic Studies Guidance - Year 2021 (CA Dept of Education)

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State Board of Education Approves Historic Ethnic Studies Guidance for High Schools

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Mindfulness in the 21st Century Classroom

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Mindfulness in the 21st Century Classroom

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What We Do

We work in partnership with schools, organizations and communities to design and deliver anti-bias education, both online and in person. When we learn, as individuals, how to challenge bias, discrimination and hate - together, we have the capacity to foster equity and inclusion.

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We provide anti-bias education through professional learning, educational programs, resources and strategies to build and sustain equitable and inclusive environments.

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KQED: How to Develop Culturally Responsive Teaching for Distance Learning

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KQED: How to Develop Culturally Responsive Teaching for Distance Learning

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Hammond distinguishes the differences between culturally responsive education, multicultural education and social justice education. Each is important, but without a focus on building students' brain power, they will experience learning loss.

When it comes to distance learning, applying culturally responsive teaching requires "remixing" education by borrowing from the best practices in how kids learn (Montessori, project-based learning, etc.) in a way that repositions the student as the leader of his own learning. By giving students more agency, the idea is to disrupt old routines around teaching and learning that make the student dependent on the teacher for receiving knowledge.

"It's going to stretch us a little out of our own comfort zones, but it's worth it in the long run if we can get students to continue to do that thinking," said Hammond.

She advises three strategies to help students gain that independence:

1. Deepen background knowledge

Many educators are understandably wondering whether they should teach new content or review familiar material. Hammond encourages educators to do the latter because cognitively dependent learners often have gaps in their background knowledge . "A lot of our students are compliant learners," she said. "They're having a hard time shifting right now [because] they're used to the worksheet, but that doesn't mean they're always processing information."

She advises teachers to help students connect new things they're learning to their brain's existing schema - also known as background knowledge - that comes from home, their community, their interests. Teachers can then give them authentic tasks that help them make meaning and connections. This helps turn new inert information into usable knowledge. "You cannot give another person background knowledge," she explained. "They have to acquire it, but as teachers we can help guide the process." This can be done by building upon student interest.

"Survey your students if you don't know what they like," said Hammond. Ask them what books they enjoy reading or what topics get them super excited. She said It doesn't matter if their interests are broad or narrow; it's important to learn what interests them so that you can use that information to:

Assign non-fiction books that build on student interests.

Create a "Netflix" playlist of documentaries, nature shows, historical events, etc.

Encourage kids and parents to do a walk-about, if that's possible in their community, following social distancing guidelines. Encourage parents and students to seek out community curiosities (landmarks or interesting sights) relevant to students' interest.

With each of these activities, it's important to give the students direction so they know what to look out for. "You have to tell the brain what to pay attention to," Hammond explains. She suggested questions like, "What was your biggest surprise from this book/show?" or thinking routine sentences like "I Used to Think ___. But, now I think ____."

She said to always make sure that students do something with the knowledge as well. She suggested having them share interesting facts they learned either during video conferences or via an audio/video clip. For those students with limited internet access, encourage them to share what they learned with their parents.

2. Cultivate cognitive routines

Growing students' brain power during distance learning starts with building cognitive routines. These routines are essential to processing and hardwiring information in the brain.

"Be the personal trainer of their cognitive development," Hammond said. To do this, she suggested having a routine set of prompts in each packet that become a regular part of the way students think. That way, students begin to think that way even when you're not in the classroom to reinforce that way of thinking.

One example is to ask students to connect the "unknown to the known" or across concepts by asking questions like, " What's the relationship or connection between these things?" or "How does this part fit into the whole? What are the parts of this whole?" These may seem simple, but these questions are critical when it comes to processing information so that students internalize these prompts until they become almost instinctual.

She said students should also be encouraged to sketchnote or doodle to actively process what they're learning as an alternative to note-taking. Sketchnoting can encourage people to make deeper connections to what they're hearing.

3. Build word wealth

Building a student's vocabulary is a key tool in equity strategies for schools. "Kids have different interests in words so find out where their energy is. You can have a differentiated assignment around word collecting, but the idea is to get them actively involved in word consciousness," said Hammond. She said there are many small but high-leverage ways to do this, such as introducing robust word study. A teacher can help students engage in wordplay, word consciousness and word knowledge. This should not happen through a worksheet assignment, but rather begin with building word consciousness of words in their community, home and home language.

Word games like Scrabble, Heads Up, Taboo or even word searches are small familiar but high-leverage activities because they're fun but also require a high cognitive load. You can create your own versions of these games and have students do this in any language. Students can also do word collecting activities like scavenger hunts, or make poetry using magnetic poetry. Students can also do a contrastive analysis, by comparing words they might find in Urban Dictionary to those they might find in a standard dictionary.

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How to Develop Culturally Responsive Teaching for Distance Learning | KQED

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Culturally responsive teaching is a powerful way to help students become independent learners, and it can be especially valuable during distance learning.

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Edutopia: The Value of Culturally Responsive Teaching

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Edutopia: The Value of Culturally Responsive Teaching

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4 Core Priorities for Trauma Informed Distance Learning

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4 Core Priorities for Trauma Informed Distance Learning

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When possible, teachers can ask parents for insights into what their children need right now. For some kids, school work gives them a healthy focus. For others, self-care may be the priority. Venet shared an adage for staying flexible: "there are different paths up the mountain."
Connection
Relationships are key to resilience, "so anything that teachers can do to help foster relationships should be a priority right now," said Venet. She's heard from parents that some teachers are sending impersonal emails checking on whether students have logged into online learning. Such emails can have unintended consequences because people affected by trauma sometimes interpret neutral signals as negative. "I invite (educators) to be crystal, crystal clear with students that you miss them and you care about them," Venet said. And because the coronavirus pandemic has disrupted many types of relationships, she recommended that teachers also consider how to help students connect with each other, with family and with their community .
Empowerment
Empowerment applies to assignments, as well. "Now more than ever, kids don't need to be doing fake work. They don't need to be doing worksheets," said Venet. "Give them problems to solve. Ask what they're interested in. There's so much data coming out right now for them to be working with. There's so many stories coming out ... Give them tools to think about 'How am I affecting the world around me?'"

More advice for understanding trauma

In addition to the four priorities, Venet shared some reminders and cautions for teachers getting started with trauma-informed teaching .

Use trauma as "a lens, not a label" to understand students.

Trauma is a response, not an event. Do not assume that any particular child definitely did or did not experience something as trauma.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic is creating widespread anxiety, not all kids are experiencing it as stressful. Resources and relationships play a role.

For some students, school closures may be an escape from the stress or trauma caused by , bullying, not seeing themselves in the curriculum , test anxiety and other issues.

Social and emotional learning can help students, but the systemic issues that create stress and trauma also need to be addressed .

Trauma is not destiny. Healing is possible.

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Four Core Priorities for Trauma-Informed Distance Learning | KQED

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Not being able to see students face-to-face can create a huge challenge to educators who are teaching with a trauma informed lens. However, some of those in-person best practices can help inform what teachers do while distance learning.

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CASEL: Strengthening Adult SEL & Cultural Competency

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CASEL: Strengthening Adult SEL & Cultural Competency

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Why is it important to strengthen adult social, emotional, and cultural competence?

Implementing SEL districtwide requires adults throughout central office, schools, partner organizations, communities, and homes to work collaboratively and effectively to infuse SEL into students' educational experiences. Through the Collaborating Districts Initiative (CDI), CASEL has learned that districts are more effective at this when they also cultivate SEL and cultural competencies in adults.

Studies have found that adults who can recognize, understand, label, express, and regulate their own emotions:

Are less likely to report burnout (Brackett et al., 2010) and have higher levels of relational trust with their peers at work (Bryk & Schneider, 2002), which lays a foundation for productive collaboration.

Demonstrate higher levels patience and empathy, encourage healthy communication, and create safe learning environments (Brackett et al., 2008).

More effectively teach and model social-emotional competence for their students (Brackett et al., 2008).

Build and maintain stronger relationships with their students (Jennings & Greenberg, 2009), which leads to improved classroom management (Durlak et al., 2011) and fewer discipline problems (Marzano & Marzano, 2003).

Positively contribute to the school's overall climate (DiPaola & Tschannen-Moran, 2001).

Cultural competence is critical to creating supportive learning environments that promote all students' social and emotional learning. When adults engage effectively in culturally competent practices, it helps students feel respected, valued, and part of the school community. Culturally competent staff practices also help provide an educational experience that students see as relevant to their lives and promote academic motivation ( Bui & Fagan, 2013), increased interest in the content they're learning ( Martell, 2013), and increased confidence in classroom discussions and test-taking ( Hubert, 2014)

Additionally, systemic SEL implementation relies on partnerships between districts, schools, families, and communities. Cultural competence helps adults forge meaningful partnerships when they understand and appreciate diverse cultures, lived experiences, and values.

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Strengthen Adult Social, Emotional and Cultural Competence - CASEL District Resource Guide

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Implementing SEL districtwide requires adults throughout central office, schools, partner organizations, communities, and homes to work collaboratively and effectively to infuse SEL into students' educational experiences. Through the Collaborating Districts Initiative (CDI), CASEL has learned that districts are more effective at this when they also cultivate SEL and cultural competencies in adults.

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National Board for Professional Teaching Standards: Cultural Proficiency

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National Board for Professional Teaching Standards: Cultural Proficiency

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NBPTS | Shaping the profession that shapes America's future.

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The landscape in the United States is heavy with turmoil and change. We live in a national education climate that has changed, whether it is acknowledged or not because COVID-19 is changing the way students learn.

Adding to the complexity is the Black Lives Matter Movement, which has opened a discussion about how Black people, my people, are treated. The initial protests ignited as a reaction to police brutality, generated a sense of urgency to address inequity and racism. Many fellow educators announced their unmasked feelings using social media. People are waiting for educational leaders to address equity issues that plague schools in our nation in the wake of the reaction to the death of George Floyd. As a Black woman, I searched to see if my profession understood the needs of students of color. As the mother of a Black male, I longed for leaders in my profession to understand the experiences and social-emotional needs of Black children. I saw no pointed public response until The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards shared a post on Twitter.

"The National Board is an anti-racist and inclusive organization. We believe educators must help students consider their role in a diverse world, value individual differences, and- especially in times such as these - we believe in the power of the teaching profession to defend what is good and right for all people."

I felt empowered and acknowledged when I read the words from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. The National Board's and Five Core Propositions are embedded with anti-racist language to inspire educators and have an impact on students. Core Proposition 1 guides teachers to reflect on the personal bias that may impair professional judgment. The correct application of the National Board Core Proposition 1 compels teachers to confront bias that can impair their ability to deliver quality instruction to all students.

During my journey to achieve National Board certification, I had to examine biases that I held that inhibited instruction. When I saw students that looked like me, I assumed they were Black Americans. I learned that accomplished teachers assess student needs by leveraging parental conversations, student surveys, and conferencing to uncover the hidden cultures. I had students interview their families about their culture for project-based learning activities. During the learning process, students shared that they found out information about their background that they did not know before the interview process.

Parents were encouraged to send photographs and artifacts. A student discussed his ancestry as a member of the Zulu tribe. Another student reported on how her family celebrated Ramadhan. I found out that I had Haitian, Jamaican, and Nigerian students in my class. Parents were willing to come to school and teach the entire class about their culture and traditions. I found history, literature, and influences from each culture to infuse in my lessons and classroom environment. Rubrics allowed me to collect data from project-based student work instead of relying on tests and quizzes as forms of assessment.

As an accomplished teacher, I shared lessons learned from the cultural assessments with my professional learning community. Eventually, other teachers embraced cultural infusion in my school. We administered cultural proficiency self-assessments in our professional learning community meetings. We decided to have an annual international day to celebrate culture in the community. We dubbed our school a cultural center of learning.

Many teachers of color speak of fearing reprimand for teaching about student cultures. The National Board Standards are the hallmark of instructional practice and call for instruction that is inclusive. Teachers should meet the needs of the students facing them. IIn my case, there was no need to hide what I was doing because I was still teaching state standards at a developmentally appropriate level of rigor. I infused Black American history in all content areas, but through my cultural blindness, I did not address all of my student needs.

Accomplished teachers recognize students' differences and capitalize on diversity to improve the classroom environment. I made the change, and my class performed well on state assessments. Teachers should not fear reprimanded when their instructional practices lead to better student outcomes. Cultural infusion improves student outcomes. I encourage teachers to unabashedly infuse culture in the curriculum and use their professional judgment. I implore teachers to keep on pushing the invisible boundaries that suppress cultural competence.

Additionally, all students should learn about the contributions of diverse cultures to increase understanding between different communities. The contributions of white Americans dominate the curriculum. For cultural understanding to improve, education must illuminate the societal contributions of all races and ethnicities. The dominance of European culture in the curriculum and revisionist history exacerbates the issue. It is our duty as educators to level inequity for the students in our care.

As I pursued National Board certification, I learned about cultural proficiency which is a framework to reflect on individual behaviors that enhance the ability to engage with people who are different. As a teacher leader, I used Cultural Proficiency to provide structure for conversations about student achievement data. When I became a Data Coach, I saw some educators blame students' cultural backgrounds for their achievement in professional learning community meetings. Cultural Proficiency pushes educators to focus data inquiry away from bias toward pedagogy and social-emotional support.

The Cultural Proficiency framework was introduced 15 years ago. It is my sincere hope that more educators will apply the National Board Core Propositions and Cultural Proficiency to enhance the student experience. I know that educator practice will not change all of the issues with educational policy, but the guiding principles shine a ray of light in the darkness.

Lindsey, Robins, & Terrell (2009). Cultural proficiency: A manual for school leaders. Corwin Press.

National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (2002). What teachers should know and be able to do. NBPTS

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Building Cultural Proficiency Into My Classroom and Yours - NBPTS | Shaping the profession that shapes America's future.

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The landscape in the United States is heavy with turmoil and change. We live in a national education climate that has changed, whether it is acknowledged or not because COVID-19 is changing the way students learn. Adding to the complexity is the Black Lives Matter Movement, which has opened a discussion about how Black people, [...]

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1619 Project (NYT Magazine)

RaceForward

Intersectionality Matters! (Kimberlé Crenshaw)

Pod For The Cause (The Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights)

Codeswitch (NPR)

Show About Race

13th - Netflix

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NEA Racial Justice in Education

Dismantling White Supremacy in Our Classrooms

The Intersection of White Supremacy and the Education System

Dr. Kendi - An Anti-Racist Reading List for Americans

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The Difference Between Being Not Racist and AntiRacist - Dr. Kendi's TED Talk

Deconstructing White Privilege - Dr. Robyn DiAngelo

The Urgency of Intersectionality - Dr. Kimberle' Crenshaw

Let's Get to Root of Racial Injustice -  Megan MingFrancis

The Danger of a Single Story - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

How Studying Privilege Can Strengthen Compassion - Peggy McIntosh

How to Overcome Our Biases - Walk Boldly Towards Them - Verna Myers

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How To Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander

Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankin

Unequal Childhoods by Annette Laureau

They Can't Kill Us All by Wesley Lowery

White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo

Raising Race Questions: Whiteness and Inquiry in Education by Ali Michael

Scarcity: The New Science of Having Less and How It Defines Our Lives by Sendhil Mullainathan

Dream Makers, Dream Breakers: The World of Justice Thurgood Marshall by Carl T. Rowan

What's Race Got to Do with It? How Current School Reform Policy Maintains Racial and Economic Inequity edited by Edwin Mayorga and Bree Picower

Reading for Their Life: (Re)Building the Textual Lineages of African American Adolescent Males by Alfred W. Tatum

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria: And Other Conversations About Race by Beverly Daniel Tatum

Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad

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Virtual Adaptation: Community Building Circle

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Edutopia: Circling Up for Community Building

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Edutopia: Circling Up for Community Building

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Restorative practices are used as an alternative to punishment, but these group circles also work to foster a sense of community.

©Shutterstock.com/Africa Studio

So you've seen the term restorative practices and may even have overheard administrators talking about them. Perhaps your school has proclaimed that it would start to use restorative practices this year. What exactly are restorative practices?

In simple terms, they're an alternative to the punitive justice that has been used in schools for misbehavior-schools are rapidly adopting restorative practices to replace disciplinary removal. But they can also be used to build a sense of community, because at heart they involve creating a safe space for group discussion.

Regardless of whole school initiatives, teachers can implement their own restorative practices at any time. Simply gather your students in a circle and give them a topic to discuss. The goal is to get students to open up and recognize that they have experiences in common with their classmates. These conversations should be undertaken in small chunks, in specific time set aside to build the classroom community.

Two key components of any restorative practice are that the teacher sets the tone and purpose of the discussion and that the only person who can speak is the one holding a token or talking piece. The talking piece ensures that the other students listen, which helps them learn patience. If someone routinely talks out of turn, they may have to move further back in the queue waiting for a chance to speak. This becomes a social skill lesson in itself, as children can be serial interrupters.

Generally, the teacher starts out with the talking piece in order to set the purpose for the gathering. Then the piece is passed in either direction, and students can speak or not according to their inclination.

Community Circles

Tell about a time your feelings were hurt.

What has made you disappointed in the past?

What does a perfect afternoon look like for you?

Describe a family member or pet with whom you are very close.

The elementary classroom is a perfect setting to practice the skills necessary for a successful restorative practices program. The first step for this undertaking is to establish an environment where students feel comfortable expressing their feelings, and community circles have long been used in lower grade levels to start the day. Kindergarten teachers seem to have a natural proclivity for fostering this type of classroom family. In this situation, the entire class gathers in a rough circle and a topic is presented by the teacher. Community building doesn't have to wait until a problem arises-it can be a time of offering positive encouragement as well or at the beginning of the year to help build bonds of commonality within the classroom.

This can be done by giving students the chance to express thoughts and feelings in a nonjudgmental way. Begin with questions that any student can answer but that reveal the individual to be a thinking and feeling member of the classroom community. Use prompts like:

Family Meetings

Proactive teachers use a technique called family meetings to address the myriad issues that arise in a classroom. In these meetings, a particular issue is broached and openly discussed by the entire group. These meetings can take place on a carpeted area or at a group of tables, but maintaining equality among all participants is paramount.

A good teacher already knows where the conversation will go and guides students to arrive at the correct endpoint through the use of guiding questions, just like in a well-prepared lesson. A carefully cultivated classroom environment can even empower students to ask the teacher for a family meeting when they notice undesirable trends occurring.

Restorative Circles

When misbehavior occurs that affects members of the class, a restorative circle is the perfect place to address the concern. This is definitely not a public hearing where the offender is vilified; instead, it's a forum for students to talk about how the action makes them feel.

For example, let's say a few students are talking too much and disrupting the class, so the teacher calls a restorative meeting. After the teacher lays out the issue, the entire class is provided opportunity to discuss how the behavior affects their education. Or if a situation occurs where students are picking on one another, the teacher can guide a small-group discussion with the students involved about a time someone has been made to feel worse about themselves due to being ostracized or ridiculed.

At the end of the restorative circle comes the most important piece: Changes are put in place and everyone understands the expectations moving forward. Simply talking about a problem without arriving at a solution is not representative of the restorative process. Changes should be explicit and clearly discussed to avoid any ambiguity; in this way, every student in the circle is aware of what needs to happen in the future.

Everyone has been the victim at one time, and relating the present back to an experience in a student's past can get them to change their thinking. Likewise, everyone has made another person have negative thoughts about themselves. Restorative practices can help everyone be more mindful in our daily interactions and develop empathy for those occupying our spaces.

Don't be afraid of using restorative practices in your classroom-just start small, develop a conversation, and let the group share experiences. This is the heart of restorative practices: changing mindsets to be more empathetic and open.

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Restorative practices are used as an alternative to punishment, but these group circles also work to foster a sense of community. ©Shutterstock.com/Africa Studio So you've seen the term restorative practices and may even have overheard administrators talking about them. Perhaps your school has proclaimed that it would start to use restorative practices this year.

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The following guidelines are based on requirements in the authorizing statute (Assembly Bill 2016, Chapter 327 of the Statutes of 2016), feedback collected from the public at the Webinar held on January 9, 2018, and other public comment.

These guidelines, approved by the State Board of Education (SBE) at its meeting on July 11-12, 2018, will direct the work of the contracted primary writer(s) and the Model Curriculum Advisory Committee when it convenes in February-April 2019 to create a first draft of the curriculum. The model curriculum will undergo a public review and editing by the Instructional Quality Commission prior to being recommended to the SBE.

1. Statutory Requirements

The Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum must reflect the requirements in the authorizing statute as well as other legal requirements for curriculum in California. These include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following topics:

The model curriculum shall be written as a guide to allow school districts to adapt their courses to reflect the pupil demographics in their communities.

The model curriculum shall include examples of courses offered by local educational agencies that have been approved as meeting the A-G admissions requirements of the University of California and the California State University, including, to the extent possible, course outlines for those courses.

The model curriculum must meet federal accessibility requirements pursuant to Section 508 of the United States Workforce Rehabilitation Act. Content that cannot be made accessible may not be included in the document.

2. General principles. The Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum shall:

Include accurate information based on current and confirmed research;

When appropriate, be consistent with the content and instructional shifts in the 2016 History-Social Science Framework, in particular the emphasis upon student-based inquiry in instruction;

Promote the values of civic engagement and civic responsibility;

Align to the Literacy Standards for History-Social Studies within the California Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History-Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects, as appropriate;

Promote self and collective empowerment;

Be written in language that is inclusive and supportive of multiple users, including teachers (single and multiple-subject), support staff, administrators, and the community;

Encourage cultural understanding of how different groups have struggled and worked together, highlighting core ethnic studies concepts such as equality, justice, race, ethnicity, indigeneity, etc.;

Include information on the ethnic studies movement, specifically the Third World Liberation Front (TWLF), and its significance in the establishment of ethnic studies as a discipline and work in promoting diversity and inclusion within higher education;

Promote critical thinking and rigorous analysis of history, systems of oppression, and the status quo in an effort to generate discussions on futurity, and imagine new possibilities.

3. Course Outlines. The Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum shall:

Include course outlines that offer a thematic approach to ethnic studies with concepts that provide space for educators to build in examples and case studies from diverse backgrounds;

Include course outlines that allow for ethnic studies to be taught as a stand-alone elective or integrated into an existing course (e.g., sociology, English language arts, and history);

Include course outlines that allow for local, state-specific, national, and global inquiry into ethnic studies;

Have the capability to engage multiple languages and genealogies;

Engage a range of disciplines beyond traditional history and social sciences, including but not limited to: visual and performing arts, English language arts, economics, biology, gender & sexuality studies, etc.

4. Audience. The Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum shall:

Be sensitive to the needs of all grade levels and incorporated disciplines, providing balance and guidance to the field;

Engage pedagogies that allow for student and community responsiveness, validate students' lived experience, and address socioemotional development;

Be inclusive, creating space for all students regardless of race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, or citizenship, to learn different perspectives.

5. Administrative and Teacher Support. The Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum shall:

Be easy to use both for teachers with educational backgrounds in ethnic studies, and those without such experience;

Provide resources on professional development opportunities;

Provide information for district and school administrators to support the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum and instruction;

Provide examples of different methods of instruction and pedagogical approaches;

Provide support for a collaborative teaching model that encourages teachers to work with colleagues across disciplines, further highlighting the interdisciplinarity of ethnic studies;

Provide support for the use of technology and multimedia resources during instruction;

Include access to resources for instruction (e.g., lesson plans, curricula, primary source documents, and other resources) that are currently being used by districts.

Questions: Curriculum Frameworks and Instructional Resources Division | CFIRD@cde.ca.gov | 916-319-0881

Last Reviewed: Thursday, November 03, 2022

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Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum Guidelines

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Guidelines for the 2020 Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum.

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AB2016:v94#DOCUMENT

An act to add Section 51226.7 to the Education Code, relating to pupil instruction.

[ Approved by Governor September 13, 2016. Filed with Secretary of State September 13, 2016. ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 2016, Alejo. Pupil instruction: ethnic studies.

Existing law requires the adopted course of study for grades 7 to 12, inclusive, to include, among other subjects, the social sciences. Existing law requires the State Board of Education, with the assistance of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, to establish a list of textbooks and other instructional materials that highlight the contributions of minorities in the development of California and the United States. Existing law establishes the Instructional Quality Commission and requires the commission to, among other things, recommend curriculum frameworks to the state board.

This bill would require the Instructional Quality Commission to develop, and the state board to adopt, modify, or revise, a model curriculum in ethnic studies, and would encourage each school district and charter school that maintains any of grades 9 to 12, inclusive, that does not otherwise offer a standards-based ethnic studies curriculum to offer a course of study in ethnic studies based on the model curriculum.

SECTION 1.

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) The State of California is committed to providing excellent educational opportunities to all of its pupils.

(b) There are 92 languages other than English spoken throughout the state, with the primary languages being Arabic, Armenian, Cantonese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.

(c) There is a growing body of academic research that shows the importance of culturally meaningful and relevant curriculum.

(d) Based on the National Education Association (NEA) publication, The Academic and Social Value of Ethnic Studies, the inclusion of ethnic studies in a curriculum has a positive impact on pupils of color.

(e) Ethnic studies benefit pupils in observable ways, such as pupils becoming more academically engaged, increasing their performance on academic tests, improving their graduation rates, and developing a sense of self-efficacy and personal empowerment.

(f) The state's educational standards should be guided by core values of equity, inclusiveness, and universally high expectations.

(g) The state is committed to its efforts to provide all pupils with excellent educational opportunities, without regard to race, gender, ethnicity, nationality, income, sexual orientation, or disability.

(h) The state is committed to its obligation to ensure its youth are college prepared and career ready, while graduating 100 percent of its pupils.

(i) The implementation of various ethnic studies courses within California's curriculum that are A-G approved, with the objective of preparing pupils to be global citizens with an appreciation for the contributions of multiple cultures, will close the achievement gap, reduce pupil truancy, increase pupil enrollment, reduce dropout rates, and increase graduation rates.

(j) The state encourages the participation of pupils and members of the community in the development of an ethnic studies model curriculum.

SEC. 2.

Section 51226.7 is added to the Education Code, to read:

51226.7.

(a) The Instructional Quality Commission shall develop, and the state board shall adopt, modify, or revise, a model curriculum in ethnic studies to ensure quality courses of study in ethnic studies. The model curriculum shall be developed with participation from faculty of ethnic studies programs at universities and colleges with ethnic studies programs and a group of representatives of local educational agencies, a majority of whom are kindergarten to grade 12, inclusive, teachers who have relevant experience or education background in the study and teaching of ethnic studies.

(b) The model curriculum shall be written as a guide to allow school districts to adapt their courses to reflect the pupil demographics in their communities. The model curriculum shall include examples of courses offered by local educational agencies that have been approved as meeting the A-G admissions requirements of the University of California and the California State University, including, to the extent possible, course outlines for those courses.

(c) On or before December 31, 2019, the Instructional Quality Commission shall submit the model curriculum to the state board for adoption, and the state board shall adopt the model curriculum on or before March 31, 2020.

(d) The Instructional Quality Commission shall provide a minimum of 45 days for public comment before submitting the model curriculum to the state board.

(e) Beginning in the school year following the adoption of the model curriculum pursuant to subdivision (a), each school district or charter school maintaining any of grades 9 to 12, inclusive, that does not otherwise offer a standards-based ethnic studies curriculum is encouraged to offer to all otherwise qualified pupils a course of study in ethnic studies based on the model curriculum. A school district or charter school that elects to offer a course of study in ethnic studies pursuant to this subdivision shall offer the course as an elective in the social sciences or English language arts and shall make the course available in at least one year during a pupil's enrollment in grades 9 to 12, inclusive.

(f) It is the intent of the Legislature that local educational agencies submit course outlines for ethnic studies for approval as A-G courses.

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AB2016:v94#DOCUMENT An act to add Section 51226.7 to the Education Code, relating to pupil instruction. [ Approved by Governor September 13, 2016. Filed with Secretary of State September 13, 2016. ] LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2016, Alejo. Pupil instruction: ethnic studies.