Facilitator’s Guide
Common Belief Tool
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What is the Common Beliefs Tool?
Sources and character of the selected beliefs
Step 1: Complete the Common Belief Survey
Pick and choose items to address
Track the common beliefs experience
Reflect on survey responses
Step 2: Taking a closer look at each belief
Common Belief 1
Common Belief 2
Common Belief 3
Common Belief 4
Common Belief 5
Common Belief 6
Common Belief 7
Common Belief 8
Common Belief 9
Common Belief 10
Common Belief 11
Common Belief 12
Common Belief 13
What is the Common Beliefs Tool?
The Common Beliefs Tool surveys beliefs about instruction commonly held by many
educators that, while sensible and understandable in part, may have unintended
negative consequences for students of diverse races and ethnicities. It can be used to
motivate further learning by interrupting participants’ assumptions about what they
believe and, as the basis for exploring the related issues in classes or online.
The Common Beliefs Tool has two parts.
k Part I is the survey. It identifies several beliefs about teaching diverse students that
are often expressed by teachers. Participants are asked to express their relative
agreement or disagreement with each belief.
k Part II contains brief explanations of each survey item — why particular beliefs
may undermine effective teaching of diverse students. Participants read the
explanation, which is followed by an invitation to reflect on the discussion and
to make comments. These comments, if they are to be written, are to be entered
in the Participant Guide or in another mode that you suggest. The discussion of
each of the beliefs is followed by several learning resources — which we also call
assets — upon which further understanding can be developed. The assets/learning
resources may include video of expert commentary, text of examples of effective
practice, written articles or summaries of articles, further learning exercises, or
Web-based information. Each resource is introduced by a very short annotation.
Discussion questions are provided to scaffold the participants’ thinking about the
assets and the beliefs.
Sources and character of the selected beliefs
The beliefs listed in the survey were selected after interviews with teachers, discussions
with our advisers, and reading the relevant research on the convictions and
understandings that influence the behavior of many teachers and school administrators.
Some of the beliefs represent dilemmas about which teachers must make a judgment.
For example, many teachers think they should be color blind, by which they mean,
presumably, that they treat all students the same regardless of their race. But when
students bring to school unique personal experiences and have expertise that
is associated with their race or ethnic heritages, teachers will want to use these
experiences and expertise to enrich the learning opportunities of all students.
Moreover, the failure to recognize a student’s race or ethnicity may be seen by the
student as disrespectful of their identity, while other students of the same race or
ethnicity will not want such recognition. As a profession, we are better at telling
teachers about challenges they confront than we are at giving them guidance to
address those challenges.
Facilitator’s Guide • Common Belief Tool 1
However, knowing that commonly held beliefs are problematic is an essential first
step toward designing responsive teaching practices for racially and ethnically
diverse students.
Some of the beliefs are based on misinformation or misunderstanding. All have some
basis in common experience or in widely held ideas about the influences on learning
but can, and often do, lead educators to adopt practices that are ineffective for many
students. For example, one often hears talk among educators and, indeed, among noneducators, about the importance of students’ learning styles. But, as the discussion
of this belief in Part II of the survey points out, the evidence about the usefulness of
the learning styles belief is slim, and the application of the ideas involved may actually
disadvantage racially and ethnically diverse students.
Step 1: Complete the Common Belief Survey
There are at two ways that you could use the Common Beliefs Survey Tool in your
TDSi course or workshop:
k By completing the entire survey and then addressing each item.
k By completing the survey and then picking and choosing which items you want
students to address
Note: Whatever approach is used, the survey is not a quiz. It is not meant to be scored for
purposes of evaluation. Its primary value is to generate reflection and discussion and to develop
a greater understanding of complex issues involved in the effective teaching of racially and
ethnically diverse students.
Pick and choose items to address
After you have inspected your students’ survey data, you might select a limited
number of items for in-depth study. This approach integrates steps 1 and 2. For
example, the first six items in the survey represent, in the judgment of the TDSi
development team, somewhat broader issues than the remaining items. You may
find it productive to have your students:
k Focus on specific beliefs from the survey
k Read the commentary and examine the resources related to those beliefs
k Discuss each topic (in class or online)
Track the common beliefs experience
Demonstrate to your participants how you want them to track your thinking while
Facilitator’s Guide • Common Belief Tool 2
completing the survey and while they navigate the learning assets in Step 2 of the
Common Teacher Beliefs Tool.
It is best to show them several ways to do this and to leave the choice to them.
Your options include:
k Using a journal, where they either open a document file on their computer or
use a notebook to record key ideas, revelations, questions and reactions.
k Creating a multi-column chart to track their responses and explanations to
the survey.
k Creating a multi-column chart to track the gist or key point of a learning asset
(e.g., a video clip), what is new to them in that asset, and why it might be significant.
Reflect on survey responses
Engage participants in a discussion of their responses prior to reading the explanations
provided in Step 2. This can be done in small group, whole class or electronic settings.
Note: Some agreement with each of the survey items is reasonable—the beliefs identified in the
survey are, literally, common. Obviously, the message TDSi seeks to get across is that these beliefs are
problematic and often lead to either (a) ineffective, if not counterproductive, teaching behaviors or (b)
behavior that impedes understanding of dysfunctional learning conditions.
Experience with the survey suggests that participants will challenge the explanations
raised by the TDSi and the resources provided, especially if they feel that others share
their views. The goal here is to have participants seriously examine their beliefs. Even
if they disagree with the survey items, they are likely to encounter these beliefs among
others in the schools in which they will be teaching. Open discussion of the bases
for the survey items and the implications of the beliefs for teaching can contribute to
shaping a readiness to learn more about how best to meet the needs of racially and
ethnically diverse students.
After participants discuss their responses to the survey as a group, they can be asked
to read the explanations in Step 2 and react to them. Underneath each explanation,
we ask, “Your thoughts?” as an invitation for participants to share their thoughts.
Following a discussion, you can then access learning resources, which include video,
links to Web sites, and PDF files, and which offer further insight about and elaboration
of the explanation. For some items, the learning resources are extensive. Therefore,
for each item, we have selected a few learning resources that we believe should be
prioritized and explored first. Those resources appear in a shaded box under each
explanation, with the heading, “Explore these resources first.” You then may want
to take the level of effort students will be expending into account either by selecting
a limited number of additional resources for further study and/or prioritizing the
remaining learning resources for your students. You may, of course, create your own
priorities for engaging the learning resources.
Facilitator’s Guide • Common Belief Tool 3
We have found that most of the items generate considerable classroom discussion
so long as there is a trusting climate and that you legitimize challenges to the
explanations and learning resources. As noted, there are reasonable — or at least
reasoned — justifications for the statements.
Step 2: Taking a closer look at each belief
In the sections that follow, you will find background information pertaining to each
common belief. Note that this information is available on the TDSi site and in the
Common Teacher Beliefs Participant Guide.
Each belief has a collection of synthesis questions. These questions are presented
after the background information and are designed to cut across the assets presented
for each belief. These questions are particularly good for group discussions, online
discussions and writing prompts.
Each belief also has “focus” questions to scaffold participants’ understanding of the assets.
All of these instructional elements are presented below and are reprinted in the
Common Teacher Beliefs Participant Guide.
Facilitator’s Guide • Common Belief Tool 4
common belief 1
I don’t think of my students in terms of their
race or ethnicity; I am colorblind when it comes
to my teaching
background
When teachers say they are color blind, they are usually saying that they do not
discriminate and that they treat all their students equally. Of course, being fair and
treating each student with respect are essential to effective teaching. However, race
and ethnicity often play important roles on children’s identities, and contribute to
their culture, their behavior, and their beliefs. When race and ethnicity are ignored,
teachers miss opportunities to help students connect with what is being taught.
Recognizing that a student’s race and ethnicity influences their learning allows
teachers to be responsive to individual differences. In some cases, ignoring a student’s
race and ethnicity may undermine a teacher’s ability to understand student behavior
and student confidence in doing well in a school culture where expectations and
communication are unfamiliar. An individual’s race and ethnicity are central to her
or his sense of self but they are not the whole of personal identity. Moreover, how
important an individual’s race and ethnicity is to their identity will vary and teachers
need to take that into account as they seek to learn more about their students.
synthesis questions
k What are some ways for educators to acknowledge students’ ethnic, cultural, racial,
and linguistic identities?
k Why is it important to incorporate students’ identities into the curriculum?
k What happens when teachers don’t validate their students’ racial and
ethnic identities?
focus questions
First glance assets
Linda Darling-Hammond explains the importance of discussing race and recognizing
its centrality in the identities of students and teachers. (video)
• What role do assumptions about students play when race is ignored as part of the
school context? How can those assumptions be reshaped?
• What are some examples of “context signals” identified by Darling-Hammond?
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Joyce King explains how White educators can work to dismantle racism in the context
of American schools. (Web site)
• How might textbooks perpetuate racism?
• What is the first step white teachers can take to dismantle educational racism?
Racial identity, teaching and learning
Dorothy Strickland emphasizes the importance of recognizing the individual
characteristics of each child, rather than only thinking of them according to their
racial or cultural identities. (video)
• Which group aspects of a child’s identity should a teacher explore?
• Give some examples of individual aspects of a student’s identity that should take
precedence over her/his group identity.
Dorinda Carter discusses the dilemmas teachers confront in both ignoring and
publicly “spotlighting” students’ racial identity. (PDF)
• What does Carter mean by “race wrestling?”
• Explain the dilemma facing teachers, when they either “racialize” (racially
spotlighting) or “not racialize” (racially ignoring) their black students.
• What is a “native informant” and what danger does the concept involve?
Coming to know students as individuals
Christine Sleeter explains how multiculturalism supports the struggle against racism.
(Web site)
• In what ways is multicultural education sometimes a struggle against racism rather
than an appreciation for diversity?
• What are some examples that illustrate the persistence of racism in the US?
• How do individual and institutional racism differ?
Lisa Delpit encourages teachers to discover who their students are outside the
classroom. (Web site)
• According to Delpit, what do some teachers mean by “basic skills” and how might
this affect their students’ learning?
• How can “standard English” and “Ebonics” be used simultaneously in classrooms?
Should teachers do this?
Asian American students describe the challenges of living in two cultures. (Web site)
• See processing and wrap-up questions on the Web site.
Carrie Kilman describes how teachers on a Lakota Reservation in South Dakota build
on the cultural knowledge that their students bring to school. (Web site)
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• How does a culturally relevant curriculum validate the cultural identity of
Lakota students? Do the strategies discussed apply to students of other races
and ethnicities?
• What is the connection between students’ cultural identities and knowledge of
their history?
Facilitator’s Guide • Common Belief Tool 7
common belief 2
The gap in the achievement among students
of different races is about poverty, not race
background
Studies of the influences on student achievement invariably show that students’ family
income is a significant correlate of low achievement. However, even when students’
socioeconomic status is taken into account, race often accounts for variance in student
performance. The reasons for this are complex and experts disagree about why this is
so. Most experts dismiss explanations having to do with race-related “culture” (i.e., the
“culture of poverty theory”) or genetic differences among races. Some experts believe
that the racial influence on achievement lies in the experiences students of color may
have in school — such as low expectations, teaching that is insufficiently responsive
to differences in student interests and needs, or differential access to learning
opportunities. There is considerable agreement among researchers that “stereotype
threat” — students’ belief that societal stereotypes about the limits of the academic
abilities of African American, Latino and Native American students have merit--can
discourage such students from seeking to achieve at high levels.
synthesis questions
k How does “stereotype threat” bring race to the surface in (1) understanding student
achievement and (2) fostering productive student-teacher relationships?
k How do school-based policies and practices reflect institutional racism?
k What can be done to dismantle racial bias and misconceptions in the American
education system?
focus questions
First glance assets
Claude Steele defines stereotype threat and discusses its negative effects. (PDF)
• What is the relationship between identity and “psychological functioning”?
• How does a person’s belief in his/her “group based” limitation impact that
person’s achievement?
• What are “safety cues” and what role so they play?
James Scheurich provides examples of institutional racism, including the
overrepresentation of students of color in special education. (video)
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• What are some examples of institutional racism seen on a national level?
• How does the tracking system represent a form of institutional racism?
Christine Sleeter identifies low expectations, tracking, and the disproportionate
number of White students in gifted and talented programs as examples of how race is
related to opportunities to learn that affect the breadth of the achievement gap. (video)
• How can teachers’ expectations reflect racist practices?
• How does tracking students into special education classes, on the one hand, and
gifted classes on the other, represent institutional racism?
Stereotypes and stereotype threat
Jennifer Holladay describes how stereotypes undermine test scores. (Web site)
• What are some examples of stereotype threat?
• What messages can teachers give to students of color to offset the impact of
stereotype threat during tests?
• How can teachers offset the influence of stereotype threat throughout the school year?
Mica Pollock describes how teachers’ negative stereotypes of Black students
predispose them to believing that those students cannot achieve at high academic
levels. (video)
• According to the construct of “stereotype threat,” what are some potential academic
implications for Black students? Is stereotype threat experienced by students of
other races and ethnicities?
• What can teachers do to counteract stereotype threat?
The relationship between students’ race and ethnicity and access to quality
opportunities to learn
Denver students confront racial tracking at their high school. (Web site)
• What is a common definition of “tracking?”
• What is a school-based conduit for tracking that avoids the controversial term?
What is the “gatekeeper” for this practice?
• What is the relationship between academic elitism and social separation?
Robert Slavin encourages teachers to examine their reactions to their students,
cautioning them to identify biases that may impact their assumptions about those
children. (video)
• Provide one or more examples of how teacher expectations or attitudes can lead to
biased reactions toward students?
Jeannie Oakes explains that the false notion of resource scarcity contributes to
students of color being denied an excellent education. (video)
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• How do the false concepts of scarcity and meritocracy (success based on merit) lead
to institutional racism in schools?
Are there negative effects of culture on academic achievement?
Ruby Payne is a popular advocate of the idea that social class is a major explanation
for students’ academic achievement.
• Read about her framework for understanding poverty (Web site)
• Payne clusters together behaviors to create what she defines as a culture of
“generational poverty.” How might Payne’s definition of culture negatively influence
teaching and learning?
• What does Payne believe is missing from the minds of poor children that renders
them unable to learn?
• “Cognitive mediation” is a strategy for facilitating learning based on research on
brain-damaged children. How does cognitive mediation support learning and what
occurs when mediation skills are absent? Is cognitive mediation effective with
students who do not have learning disabilities?
• What are some of the “hidden rules” of the white, middle class that Payne says lead
to academic success and that she believes need to be taught to children living in
poverty if they are to be successful in school?
Anita Bohn argues that Ruby Payne presents a negative and misleading picture of
children and families living in poverty by suggesting that there is a culture of poverty
perpetuated from generation to generation. (Web site)
• On what data are Payne’s proposals based?
• According to Bohn, what is the “culture of denial” that is perpetuating racism
and poverty?
• What are examples of effective school practices that lead to everyday successes with
children who live in poverty?
Paul Gorski describes Ruby Payne’s damaging theories about poverty. (Web site)
• Gorski argues that Ruby Payne confuses the cause and the impact of poverty. Do
you agree?
• How are race and class related?
• According to Gorski, what are the topics that should be addressed in an authentic
conversation about poverty?
Ruby Payne’s response to her critics. (PDF)
• How does RubyPayne defend her focus on the beliefs and behaviors of people living
in poverty as the causes of low student achievement?
• How does Payne minimize the societal causes to poverty?
Facilitator’s Guide • Common Belief Tool 10
common belief 3
Teachers should adapt their instructional practice
to the distinctive cultures of African American,
Latino, Asian and Native American students
background
Teachers who are responsive to their students’ values, beliefs and experiences will be
more effective than those who are not. Some generalizations that can be made about
the cultures of different racial and ethnic groups that can help teachers to begin to
understand their students. However, these generalizations also can lead to stereotypes
and a failure to recognize that within broad racial and ethnic groupings (e.g., Latino
and Asian) there are very big average differences related to subgroups (e.g., Chinese
Americans and Cambodian Americans) and social class differences within groups.
Moreover, even within subgroups and students of similar socioeconomic status, there
are often significant differences in the factors that influence student learning. There is
no substitute for getting to know each student well and adapting instruction, as best
one can, to these realities.
synthesis questions
k What are some ways in which teachers can view the cultures of their students
without stereotyping them?
k How might teachers learn about the cultural perspectives and practices of
their students?
k What is culturally relevant pedagogy?
focus questions
First glance assets
Geneva Gay argues that cultural generalizations are useful as a baseline frame of
reference but that they should not obscure variations within group cultures. (video)
• If each student is unique, why can culture never be individualized? Why is it always
a group phenomenon?
• Where do cultural descriptors come from and how should they be used?
Jacqueline Jordan Irvine says that it is important to guard against over-generalizing
about cultural differences. Understandings about diverse cultures may be thought
of as frameworks within which to test hypotheses about student values and
experiences. (video)
Facilitator’s Guide • Common Belief Tool 11
• What is the danger involved when we make generalizations about cultures other
than own?
• Are there ways that cultural generalizations can be helpful?
Sonia Nieto observes that in order to know their students well, teachers need to be
aware of their own dispositions about race, culture and class. (video)
• Why would examining their own beliefs about race, culture and class help teachers
to teach more effectively?
Educator Check-in on Culture is a check list teachers can use to assess their own
cultural responsiveness, developed by the National Education Associations C.A.R.E.
initiative. (PDF)
• Participants identify three areas of their practice that they would like to explore
and improve.
Balancing cultural awareness and understanding individual differences
Geneva Gay describes a continuum along which members of any culture express their
cultural identities in individual ways. (video)
• What are some characteristics of culture that reflect variability among and
within cultures?
• What does Gay mean by the “continuum of African American culture?”
Carrie Kilman discusses how educators can work to understand the cultures of their
students. (Web site)
• What are some negative consequences of minimizing multiculturalism?
• What are some examples of students having a “dual identity?”
• What is an “affective filter” and how does it influence learning?
Culturally responsive pedagogy
Jacqueline Jordan Irvine identifies the fundamental premises of culturally relevant/
responsive pedagogy. (video)
• What aspects of a person’s life are determined by culture?
• What are some cultural experiences students might bring to school that might
influence their learning and behavior?
• What does Jordan-Irvine mean by “cultural translators” and “bridge builders?”
Kris Gutierrez describes the importance of thinking of culture in dynamic terms, as
the practices and behaviors of each individuals in their daily lives. (video)
• What are some of the consequences of viewing culture as a static set of traits?
• What does Gutierrez mean by a “dynamic” notion of culture?
Facilitator’s Guide • Common Belief Tool 12
How can teachers get to know the beliefs, values and experiences that influence
their students’ learning?
Luis Moll describes how teachers can learn about their students by visiting them in
their homes and communities. (video)
• What is Moll’s central thesis in this commentary?
Victoria Purcell-Gates describes the assignments she gives her pre-service teachers,
requiring them to spend time in the communities in which they teach. (video)
• How do Purcell-Gates’ students gather information about literacy practices in
school communities?
• Why might meeting with families in their homes be more productive than meeting
with them at the school?
Lisa Delpit encourages teachers to discover who their students are outside the
classroom. (Web site)
• According to Delpit, what do some teachers mean by “basic skills”? What might the
negative consequences of this perspective be?
• How can “standard English” and “Ebonics” be used simultaneously in classrooms?
Facilitator’s Guide • Common Belief Tool 13
common belief 4
In some cultures, students are embarrassed
to speak in front of others so I take this into
account and don’t call on these students in class
background
Some students learn lessons in their homes and communities about appropriate
behavior that discourage them from participating actively in class discussions. Others
prefer to work in small groups or on their own but not to speak out in class. For
example, such dispositions are common among some Native American students and
some students of Asian descent. Clearly teachers need to be sensitive to such concerns
among their students. On the other hand, when students do not learn to express
themselves in public settings and to feel confident about their verbal abilities, this
undermines the development of verbal skills, and literacy more generally. This, in turn,
limits their willingness and capacity to take on certain potentially rewarding roles and
responsibilities. Of course, the reluctance of some students to engage in class may not
be cultural at all. Thus, generalizations about cultural characteristics should be treated
as possible explanations rather than diagnoses.
synthesis questions
k How does a culturally relevant curriculum validate the cultural identity of students?
k What is the connection between students’ cultural identities and knowledge of
their history?
focus questions
First glance assets
Kris Gutierrez explains that there is more variation within groups than between
groups and that teachers need to rethink the ways that they categorize members of
cultural groups. (video)
• What does Gutierrez mean by “binocular vision?”
• Why might it be useful to think of culture as a verb?
• What is “hybridity” and what message should teachers take from the phenomenon?
Jacqueline Jordan Irvine explains how verbal and non-verbal communication styles
differ among cultures. (video)
Facilitator’s Guide • Common Belief Tool 14
• What are some behavior styles that Jordan-Irvine identifies as relatively common
among African American children?
• How can these common behaviors affect student-teacher relationships?
Other assets
Carrie Kilman describes how teachers on a Lakota reservation in South Dakota build
on the cultural knowledge that their students bring to school. (Web site)
• How does a culturally relevant curriculum validate the cultural identity of
Lakota students?
• What is the connection between students’ cultural identities and knowledge of
their history?
Facilitator’s Guide • Common Belief Tool 15
common belief 5
When students come from homes where
educational achievement is not a high priority,
they often don’t do their homework and their
parents don’t come to school events. This lack of
parental support undermines my efforts to teach
these students
background
When families (not all students live with or are primarily cared for by one or more
parents) do not get engaged in supporting their children’s learning, the job of the
teacher is more difficult. The reasons why families don’t get involved are many. They
may lack interest, but more often parents cannot get to the school, feel that that they
lack the knowledge of resources to help, or feel that they do not know what their role
should be. This is especially true, of course, for families from some cultures, or for
those who do not feel comfortable with English and for single parents who may work
more than one job and have responsibilities for caring for other children. Schools
that support teachers in reaching out to families in several ways, and that see family
engagement as a school-wide responsibility, can significantly increase the extent to
which families help their children do well in school.
synthesis questions
k What are some explanations for why families do not come to their children’s
school?
k How can educators invite and encourage the involvement of families in their
children’s education?
focus questions
First glance assets
Jeannie Oakes argues that teachers need to develop the capabilities to engage in
cross-race interactions with families, some of whom may feel uneasy about their
relations with schools. (video)
• Why are many low-income families of color seemingly reluctant to become involved
in their children’s education?
• What are some barriers to open parent-teacher communication?
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• How can teachers use the concept of “collective responsibility” to involve parents?
Jacqueline Jordan Irvine describes how teachers need to enlist parents’ involvement,
rather than assuming that they don’t care. (video)
• What is a common misperception that teachers have about some parents?
• What is the advantage of teachers going into the communities in which they teach?
Luis Moll describes how teachers can learn about their students by visiting them in
their homes and communities. (video)
• What are some examples of “funds of knowledge” that children bring to school?
• Why does Moll use the term “funds”? Why is this an important way to think about
knowledge from a cultural perspective?
• Describe how reciprocal relationships are formed between teachers and parents.
Check out Assessing Partnerships, a checklist for assessing the comprehensiveness
of family partnerships, developed by the National Education Association’s C.A.R.E.
division. (PDF)
• This form can be used in a school to assess the climate that exists for family and
community partnerships. Teachers also can use this evaluation form to assess their
own classrooms and the climate that they have created for partnerships.
Teacher dispositions about the role of families in student learning
Nel Noddings discusses the importance of finding ways to include all parents in the
school community, rather than judging parents who stay away from the school. (video)
• What are some reasons that families of racially and ethnically diverse students stay
away from schools?
• How can educators encourage family involvement?
Victoria Purcell-Gates explains the ways in which teachers need to go into
communities, visit families and respectfully learn the literacy practices of their
students and their families. (video)
• When teachers approach families, what message should they convey about
their children?
Engaging families in the education of their children
Joyce Epstein points out that teachers need to think of family involvement as a part
of their work and that unless principals are advocates of programs to engage all
parents in the education of their children, teachers will not take family involvement
seriously. (video)
• How should teachers view the involvement of their students’ families?
• What are some examples of initiatives schools can take to engage families?
Facilitator’s Guide • Common Belief Tool 17
Jacob Wheeler describes a program that builds partnerships with parents in a migrant
farming community in Texas. (Web site)
• What seems to be the key to improving the learning opportunities of
migrant children?
• What are some strategies and activities used in the “Opening Doors” program to
involve families from migrant communities?
• How can school officials help migrant children transition from one school system
to another?
Facilitator’s Guide • Common Belief Tool 18
common belief 6
It is not fair to ask students who are struggling
with English to take on challenging academic
assignments
background
It is certainly true that students who are struggling with English may, and probably
will have, more trouble with tasks that require reading than students whose native
language is English. However, when English Language Learners (students who are
learning English as a second language) are asked to do less challenging work that other
students, they can fall behind and, perhaps, stay behind. In some cases, difficulty with
English is erroneously seen as limited academic ability. Teachers need to guard against
“dumbing down” the curriculum or having low expectations for English language
learners. The challenge is to engage all students in learning content at relatively
high levels. This means that teachers need to seek or provide extra help for students
whose English is limited to ensure that they have the same learning opportunities
as their English-speaking peers. Easier said than done, of course. But it is important
to recognize that English language learners often need years to master academic
language, which is more complex than the social language they acquire more quickly.
Therefore, English language learners need to begin to learn academic language
immediately, to prevent them from falling behind.
synthesis questions
k How can teachers both view and utilize students’ home language in a
positive manner?
k How can teachers facilitate the development of academic English for English
Language Learners?
focus questions
First glance assets
Kris Gutierrez explains that learning involves multiple forms of expression, and that
teachers should accept all forms of language to ensure that students are learning. (video)
• What is the risk of using language as the only avenue for learning?
• What are “hybrid language practices?” What is the goal of such practices? Name
some examples.
Facilitator’s Guide • Common Belief Tool 19
Georgia Garcia emphasizes that teachers need to assess ELL students in both English
and their home language to determine their understanding of material. (video)
• What are the limitations of assessing ELLs only in English?
Alfredo Artiles explains that teachers need to assess ELL students over time, in both
their languages, and in a variety of performance assessments. (video)
• Why is language a “cultural tool” and how should it impact our teaching strategies?
• Name some ways to assess students other than evaluating linguistic expression.
Jim Cummins outlines the development of academic language proficiency in English
Language Learners. (Web site)
• What is the distinction between “BICS” and “CALP” and how many years does each
one require for development?
• What are some examples of “CALP”?
• What is the difference between “context-imbedded” and “context-reduced” and why
is this distinction useful?
The difference between difficulty with language and a student’s readiness to deal
with the content of the lesson
Sonia Nieto points out that the home language of English language learners is a
resource that teachers can use to enhance student learning. (video)
• What does Nieto mean when she refers to teachers having an additive attitude
toward English Language Learners?
• What message should teachers give families regarding language use at home?
Joe Parsons describes the complexities of determining special education needs among
ELL students. (Web site)
• Why do some school districts fail to correctly identify English Language Learners
who need special education services?
• What are some of the factors that lead to immigrant children needing special
education services?
• What fears might parents have when their children are diagnosed with a
learning disability?
Learning academic language
Georgia Garcia explains the difference between English language learners learning
social and academic English. (video)
• How many years are required for students to develop oral language?
• Why is academic language the more difficult form of language?
I Teach, I Learn Web site is a useful source of information pertaining to English
Language Learners. (Web site)
Facilitator’s Guide • Common Belief Tool 20
common belief 7
I believe that I should reward students who try
hard, even if they are not doing well in school
because building their self-esteem is important
background
It is certainly true that students who are confident in their ability to do well in school
achieve at higher levels than do students with the same ability who lack this sense of
efficacy. However, if students come to believe that they are achieving at high levels
when they are not, this can lead to a belief that they need not work harder. If they
recognize that other less-able students are receiving similar recognition, this may lead
them to believe that less is expected of them than their classmates. This, of course,
is the case — less is being expected and students can take this as evidence that they
do not have the ability to achieve at high levels. High self-esteem does not, in itself,
translate to high academic performance. But, when high self-esteem is derived from
solid performance in school, this contributes to student engagement and effort to
improve further.
synthesis question
k What do teachers need to keep in mind as they raise the learning expectations for
students who are not confident in their capabilities as learners?
focus questions
Sonia Nieto describes the importance of teachers to show caring for their students,
particularly by having high expectations for their learning. (video)
• What do many Latino children believe about their teachers? How can teachers
incorporate this belief into their teaching?
Robert Slavin observes that high expectations for student learning need to be
matched by high levels of support to achieve high goals. (video)
• What is a common way that some teachers react differently to White students than
to Black students who are having similar difficulty? What are some reasons for this?
• How do teachers’ expectations and beliefs affect special education assignments?
Jeff Sapp argues that Rigor + Support = Success is a formula for enhancing student
achievement. (Web site)
Facilitator’s Guide • Common Belief Tool 21
• What is the AVID program? What might explain its effectiveness?
• Describe the TAAS program.
• According to Sapp, what are the cornerstones for educators working with children
living in poverty?
Facilitator’s Guide • Common Belief Tool 22
common beliefs 8
I try to keep in mind the limits of my students’
ability and give them assignments that I know they
can do so that they do not become discouraged
background
Students do need to experience success in order to stay motivated. It makes sense,
therefore, to give students work that they can accomplish. The potential downside
here is that this will lead to lower expectations by both students and teachers. The
challenge for teachers, then, is to be clear about the ultimate academic goal and ensure
that students engage in increasingly demanding work in order to meet that goal. When
that work is accompanied by teacher support and the expectation of success, students
achieve at high levels.
synthesis question
k What are some ways that educators can have high expectations of their students,
while acknowledging their individual needs?
focus questions
First glance assets
Sonia Nieto points out that too often educators have a deficit view of the
experiences student bring with them to school. Instead, they need to build on
students strengths. (video)
• What is an example of a deficit view of students?
• What does Nieto encourage teachers to do regarding their students’ home languages?
Ronald Ferguson shows that setting high goals without providing adequate support
actually reduces student achievement, especially for students of color. (PDF)
• Which four categories in the Minority Student Achievement Network survey
showed differences across racial groups?
• How did students define “encouragement”? Did this vary by race of the student?
• What role did teacher encouragement seem to play for all non-white groups
compared to the impact of encouragement non-white students?
Facilitator’s Guide • Common Belief Tool 23
Pedro Noguera explains why some disciplinary practices are counterproductive and
how strategies for maintaining orderly learning environments can enhance student
learning. (PDF)
• Given the disproportionate number of low-income children of color being
disciplined in school, how might an administrator begin to alert teachers to this
racial imbalance?
• What are the two categories of punishments that teachers most frequently use?
• When young students receive frequent and harsh discipline, what patterns and
thought processes often develop as they get older?
• What are some approaches educators can use to break the negative cycle of
unacceptable behavior and discipline?
Facilitator’s Guide • Common Belief Tool 24
common belief 9
Students of different races and ethnicities
often have different learning styles and good
teachers will match their instruction to these
learning styles
background
Many teachers have learned that they should take into account the learning styles of
their students. But the concept of learning styles has different meanings and much
recent research on learning does not talk about learning styles. Among the reasons
why many cognitive psychologists discount the importance of learning styles is
that this intuitively sensible idea is easily abused. For example, we all prefer to learn
in some ways more than others. But this does not mean that our brains function
differently when we learn. And, if our preferences are reinforced, we may fail to learn
how to learn in other ways. Since we cannot control the demands on us to learn,
especially outside of school, being taught in terms of our preferred “learning style” can
limit our success in solving problems. Some ways of describing learning styles — such
as distinctions between “concrete operationalizing” and “abstract conceptualization”
(or “logical-mathematical” and “bodily-kinesthetic”) — implicitly represent a
hierarchy of academic learning capabilities. Thus, students not challenged to learn
to conceptualize complex phenomena will be disadvantaged in taking on many tasks
most highly valued by society and essential to complex problem solving.
synthesis questions
k Why is the learning styles theory so appealing to educators?
k Why is the theory that students have distinctive learning styles flawed and
potentially detrimental to students?
focus questions
First glance assets
Explore this Wikipedia entry on learning styles, including critiques of the various
learning style models and how educators apply these models in classrooms. (Web site)
• Name and explain the learning labels or qualities outlined by one model of
learning styles.
• Discuss the critiques of learning styles theories.
Facilitator’s Guide • Common Belief Tool 25
Dorothy Strickland warns against assigning learning styles to children. (video)
• What does Strickland encourage educators to do in place of using learning styles to
describe how students learn?
Kris Gutierrez discusses how teachers use learning styles to categorize all members of
a cultural group, and explains why the practice is flawed. (video)
• What is the appeal of a learning styles approach to teaching? Why is this
practice flawed?
• What are “repertoires of practice”?
Facilitator’s Guide • Common Belief Tool 26
common belief 10
Grouping students of different levels of
achievement for instruction may benefit some
students but it can undermine the progress
that could otherwise be made by higher
achieving students
background
Research is clear that most students can benefit from participating in learning groups
comprised of students who have different levels of achievement and in which students
of different races and ethnicities participate. But to say that this can be the case is not
to say that it will. The success of heterogeneous groups depends a great deal on the
extent to which teachers carefully structure group work and proactively prepare all
students to participate, taking into account the needs and dispositions of each student.
There are times when students need instruction targeted on particular skills and
should be grouped with students who have similar needs.
synthesis questions
k How can a teacher use groups to effectively teach students with different levels of
prior achievement?
k How do cooperative learning groups enable a teacher to meet the needs of
all students?
k Can mixing students of different races and ethnicities in learning groups foster
intercultural proficiency and improve race relations? If so, what possible barriers
to achieving this outcome need to be addressed?
focus questions
First glance assets
Jeannie Oakes notes that there is little evidence to support the fundamental theories
underlying “ability” grouping that is not limited and tightly focused on specific
learning needs. (video)
• What is the first flawed premise underlying” ability” grouping identified by Oakes?
• According to Oakes, what occurs when we group students according to
one characteristic?
• What could take the place of dysfunctional, homogeneous “ability” grouping?
Facilitator’s Guide • Common Belief Tool 27
Willis Hawley reviews research on the effects of tracking and inflexible “ability”
grouping. (PDF)
• Do teachers need to decide to group students by prior achievement to ensure that
high achieving students prosper?
• What are the negative consequences of tracking for low-achieving students?
• What is the difference between ability grouping and tracking?
• What are the benefits of needs-based grouping?
John O’Flahavan urges the use of flexible grouping as a way to allow children to learn
from each other and to move among groups based on their learning needs. (video)
• What are the dangers of assigning students to permanent groups?
• What are the benefits of flexible grouping?
• Give an example of when a teacher might create a temporary skills-based group.
The consequences of tracking and inflexible ability grouping practices
Robert Slavin asserts that excessive grouping has persisted despite evidence that it
can be and often is counter-productive. (video)
• What are some reasons why ability grouping is often counter-productive?
Beth Rubin discusses how de-tracking must deal with what students learned about
themselves and others in tracked learning environments. (PDF)
• What are the challenges educators need to anticipate as they move from tracked to
de-tracked schools and classrooms?
Strategies for grouping students for instruction
Jeff Sapp explains how cooperative learning can increase student achievement and
help students work across racial barriers. (Web site)
• How does cooperative learning facilitate interaction among all children?
• How does cooperative learning address both group and individual performance?
Robert Slavin describes the characteristics of productive cooperative learning,
including the goal that every member of the group achieves success. (video)
• What are some reasons that teachers find ability grouping efficient and appealing?
Robert Slavin explains that cooperative learning enables teachers to effectively teach a
broad range of children. (video)
• How does cooperative learning help a teacher address the needs of diverse students
in a class?
Hear how cooperative learning can be implemented as a differentiated grouping
strategy. (video)
• What is the primary source of learning during a cooperative learning activity?
Facilitator’s Guide • Common Belief Tool 28
• Does cooperative learning require interdependence among members of the group? If
so, why? How can this be done when students have different levels of achievement?
• How does teaching to a high level benefit learners of all perceived abilities?
John O’Flahavan explains the importance of allowing students to participate in a
variety of groups, especially heterogeneous groups based on their interests. (video)
• What should teachers and students be aware of when groups are created?
• How can a teacher create a sense of continuity for learners?
• Why is the concept of homogenous-grouping usually artificial?
Facilitator’s Guide • Common Belief Tool 29
common belief 11
Before students are asked to engage in complex
learning tasks, they need to have a solid grasp of
basic skills
background
The “basic skills first” approach to learning is intuitively sensible and is reinforced by
some curricula. Of course, students must learn basic skills. However, when students
are not given challenging problem solving tasks at early stages of their cognitive
development, it is likely that they will not develop important skills and dispositions.
This is particularly problematic for students who do not experience opportunities for
problem solving (high cognitive demand) in their homes. So, when the curriculum
turns to lessons that demand the ability to make judgments and inferences, basic skills
first students will be disadvantaged. Moreover, when students are struggling with socalled basic skills but are not given more demanding work in school, these students
may not learn how interesting and useful learning can be. Additionally, when basic
skills are taught in isolation from authentic contexts — such as a worksheet rather
than a short story — students do not learn to apply what they have been taught or
recognize what they have learned in a variety of contexts. Teachers need to ensure
that struggling students do not become struggling thinkers.
focus questions
Kris Gutierrez says that rather than focus on traditional forms of remediation
to help struggling students, educators need to enrich their students learning
opportunities. (video)
• How does Gutierrez distinguish between remediation and re-mediation?
• What does Gutierrez mean by “tools” and “systems” and how do they
support students?
Facilitator’s Guide • Common Belief Tool 30
common belief 12
With all the pressures to raise student
achievement, finding and using examples for the
cultural, historic and everyday lived experiences
of my students takes valuable time away from
teaching and learning
background
In many schools throughout the country, high stakes accountability programs have
pressured teachers to narrow the curriculum and focus on the short-run task of
having students do well on the next standardized test. If this means that teachers do
not have time or motivation to try to understand how their students’ dispositions and
experiences related to race and ethnicity can influence their learning, the likely result
will be lower student achievement, especially for students who may be struggling the
most. Good teaching requires that teachers build on their students’ prior knowledge.
Moreover, students learn best when they feel recognized and acknowledged for the
aspects of their identity they deem important. When students feel that their identities
are ignored or not respected, they often disengage from learning and adopt a stance
of outsider among strangers. As most teachers recognize, standardized achievement
tests measure only part of what it is important for students to learn and “achievement”
is not the same as learning.
synthesis questions
k How can teachers prepare their students to do well on high-stakes, standardized
tests without forfeiting rich content and instruction?
focus questions
Linda Darling-Hammond explains that tests represent a sort of language that
children need to understand, while explaining that teachers need to teach in deep and
thoughtful ways rather than teaching “to the test.” (video)
• What is “code switching?” How does it apply to test preparation?
• What are the negative consequences of “teaching to the test?”
Kris Gutierrez argues that assessment for racially and ethnically diverse students
needs to involve multiple measures of robust forms of learning. (video)
• What questions should educators ask when we prepare tests?
• What are “ecologically valid tools?” How can we use them?
Facilitator’s Guide • Common Belief Tool 31
Teachers from around the country offer suggestions for balancing testing with
substantial teaching, and for addressing the needs of all children in Dealing with
Standardized Schooling: Lessons from Teaching Tolerance. (Web site)
• What are some potential problems associated with standardized tests and
“Test Prep?”
• How can test practice be incorporated into the curriculum without sacrificing
rich content ?
• How might the formation of professional communities enhance the prospects of
meeting the needs of racially and ethnically diverse students?
Facilitator’s Guide • Common Belief Tool 32
common belief 13
Talking about race with my colleagues could
open up a can of worms; little good is likely
to come from it
background
Talking about what appear to be racial issues with respect to student interactions,
student-teacher interactions or interactions among members of the school staff is
uncommon. Race is a “hot button” in our country (and most others) and it may feel
that discussing potential misunderstandings or conflicts will make things worse.
Moreover, many worry about being seen as insensitive or preoccupied with race.
No doubt some issues that could be race-related are not. But, this cannot be known
without bringing up the issue. While the country has made great progress in reducing
racial prejudice and discrimination, negative stereotypes, concerns about fairness, and
the absence of comfort in interracial relationships persist, especially when the stakes
of common action or the resolution of interpersonal conflict are high. In schools
where racial issues are openly dealt with, school leaders make clear that it is important
to be candid and to trust one another while ensuring that action is taken when
problems are surfaced.
synthesis questions
k Why is it important to openly discuss issues that are seen as having racial dimensions?
k What do educators need to do to foster productive examination of issues that
are seen by some — or all— as being influenced by race or ethnicity? What are
some examples of effective strategies for initiating and facilitating conversations
about race?
focus questions
First glance assets
Jacqueline Jordan Irvine discusses the importance of creating a trusting atmosphere
for discussing race and suggests that teachers go into their students’ communities to
learn about their cultures. (video)
• What are cultural immersion experiences? Give examples.
• What is the advantage of taking prospective teachers into racially and ethnically
diverse communities?
Facilitator’s Guide • Common Belief Tool 33
Mica Pollock points out that teachers can and should learn to talk about their own
feelings about race. (video)
• What have genetic studies proven about racial groups?
• What are the “lies” that Pollock identifies?
Glenn Singleton and Cyndie Hays identify strategies for beginning and sustaining
“courageous conversations” about race in schools. (PDF)
• What are “courageous conversations?”
• How should educators prepare for discussions about racial issues in their schools?
In Talking Across Boundaries, Camille Jackson shares the stories of student activists
who have formed dialogue groups on their campuses. (Web site)
• What challenges need to be addressed in order to increase the prospects of effective
discussion groups that are comprised of racially and ethnically diverse students?
Facilitating race-related discussions among faculty
Mica Pollock suggests that teachers and administrators be clear and explicit about the
need to discuss race. (video)
• What is a good way to start a conversation about race?
James Scheurich explains that effective discussions about race depend on honesty and
the will to engage in conversation. (video)
• Aside from specific techniques, what are the necessary ingredients for a successful
conversation about race?
Robert Slavin observes that talking openly and respectfully about racial issues in
schools is essential but not everything that seems related to race may be. (video)
• What, besides racism, may cause schisms within a school community that some may
se as race-related?
Teaching Tolerance asks educators about the social climate of their classrooms.
(Web site)
• According to this survey, which group had the highest rate of racial and
religious intolerance?
• What role can parents play in school-based, anti-bias interventions?
Learning how students feel about racial issues and facilitating intergroup discussion
Confronting the –isms, in which students learn to explore their private views about
people who they perceive as different from themselves. (Web site)
• Besides race, did students identify those they perceived as different from themselves?
• Why is it useful to note one’s patterns of reactions to those perceived as different?
Facilitator’s Guide • Common Belief Tool 34
Paul Fleming and Barry Gilmore describe the steps they follow as students learn to
dialogue at an institute on international tolerance. (PDF)
• What is the difference between stereotypes and generalizations?
• How are generalizations, stereotypes, and name-calling connected?
• What are the progressive steps that lead from name-calling to genocide?
The Power of Words is an on-line curriculum that addresses how to combat ethnic
slurs and how to help students make informed choices about the language they use.
(Web site)
• See 10 language arts and social studies lessons that explore the use of harmful words
about ethnic groups, women, and sexual minorities.
Facilitator’s Guide • Common Belief Tool 35