EDUCATIONAL THAT IS MULTICULTURAL COURSE GUIDELINES

In accordance with the above, the ETM Advisory Council, acting under the auspices of the Maryland State Department of Education, recommends that educational staff throughout the state receive appropriate training in Education That Is Multicultural. This training should focus on applying Education That Is Multicultural to academic achievement as well as social development. Such training should be preservice and inservice. The suggested training should consist of a minimum of three (3) semester hours of credit or an equivalent thereof from a local school system (LSS) through state approved workshops or from an accredited college or university. Since diversity is a pivotal factor that invariably influences society and schools, the ETM Advisory Council further recommends continued upgrading of skills in this area through staff development at both state and local levels.

Facilitators of the above training will have received mandatory training, such as training-of- trainers, that conforms to these guidelines and includes skills that assure effectiveness of training. When possible, facilitators should reflect diversity categories as cited in the Education That Is Multicultural Regulation.

The Maryland State Department of Education and the Education That Is Multicultural Advisory Council are responsible for the development and dissemination of course guideline criteria that meet the preceding goals. These guidelines will serve as a resource for staff developers and preservice educators in designing and implementing teacher training courses.

The Maryland State Department of Education and the Education That Is Multicultural Advisory Council, in cooperation with LSS, will review, evaluate, and, if appropriate, revise these guidelines at the end of three years from adoption.

Coursework should provide content according to the following curricular and instructional criteria that impact education of students:

• development and implementation of instructional strategies and materials that focus on students' understanding and appreciation of diverse cultural groups in a pluralistic society as well as on those that enable students to analyze, evaluate, and propose solutions to contemporary social problems

• correction of the omissions and misrepresentations of any cultural group according to diversity factors, including ethnicity, race, gender, region, religion, age, disability, and socioeconomic status

• preparation to address issues of racism, bias, and prejudice as these affect the experience of individuals and groups

• knowledge of historic events, situations, conflicts, and interpretations from diverse perspectives

• implementation of strategies that encourage students' valuing their own heritage; valuing richness of cultural diversity and commonality; respecting diverse cultural groups throughout the world; awareness and sensitivity to individual differences within cultural groups; eliminating stereotypes related to diversity factors

• implementation of instructional strategies that appropriately address students' cultural identities and learning styles while providing rigorous instruction for all students to increase academic achievement

• implementation of a variety of testing and other assessment strategies that appropriately address students' cultural identities and learning styles

• promotion of a climate that is amenable to the diversity of students, families, and the community and that supports academic achievement

• activities that involve professional and support staff in exploring attitudes and feelings about their own cultural identities

• activities to identify instructional strategies, techniques, and materials appropriate to Education That Is Multicultural as a means of attaining optimal academic achievement

• training in assessing the prior knowledge, attitudes, abilities, and learning styles of students from varied backgrounds in order to develop multicultural instructional programs

• training to recognize and correct stereotyping, discrimination, bias, and prejudice

• training that fosters intergroup understanding

• training that enables professional staff to recognize and correct the omission and misrepresentation of groups and individuals in curriculum and instruction

• training to recognize and correct inequitable participation in school activities by students and staff from diverse groups

• training to identify human resources for Education That Is Multicultural

• training to identify and use materials and references for Education That Is Multicultural

Education That Is Multicultural Course Topic Recommendations

The following topics address areas of the above designated criteria.

1. Cross cultural communication (verbal and non-verbal)

2. Curriculum applications of multicultural education (in conjunction with required lesson planning, implementation, and evaluation by the class participants)

3. Creating culturally supportive and inclusive learning environments (includes attention to physical, academic, social, and emotional environment)

4. Relationship between student achievement and Education That Is Multicultural, and how Education That Is Multicultural can enhance student achievement

5. Recognition of the teachers' and students' factors of diversity and their impact on teaching and learning

6. Definition of Education That Is Multicultural, including but not limited to a wide-range of issues related to diversity categories identified in the state Education That Is Multicultural Regulation

7. Resources for teachers to use to identify non-biased, gender-fair curriculum and instructional materials versus biased materials according to the diversity classifications

8. Specific strategies to address issues of prejudice reduction and to build tolerance and respect for diversity and commonality

9. Review of research on minority student achievement and promising practices to address disparities

10. Relating diversity and achievement to learning styles (cultural implications and individual uniqueness), multiple intelligences, cooperative learning (includes classbuilding, schoolbuilding, explicit collaborative skill development, structuring cooperative settings)

11. Curriculum Transformation: levels of content integration (such as James Banks' four (4) levels) and development of lesson plans that exhibit those levels

12. Connections to other educational initiatives: performance instruction; Dimensions of Learning; safety and discipline

This evaluation indicates whether a course meets the recommended standards in the attached Education That Is Multicultural Course Guidelines. It is recommended that all educational staff in Maryland receive comprehensive training in Education That Is Multicultural (ETM) or the appropriate equivalent thereof For certificated staff; at least three credit (3) hours or the equivalent is recommended. Although many courses may include topics related to multicultural education or diversity, these courses may not fulfill the standards included in these guidelines. The Education That Is Multicultural Course Guidelines refer only to course(s) that follow the state ETM Regulation. Only such comprehensive ETM courses will qualify for endorsement by the Maryland State Education That Is Multicultural Advisory Council.

This evaluation is designed to ascertain that a course intended as Education That Is Multicultural meets the training criteria specified in the guidelines and, thus, the intent of the Education That Is Multicultural Regulation. "YES" indicates that the course syllabus adequately demonstrates criteria. If the assessment is "NO," then syllabus should be reviewed and amended to sufficiently reflect criteria. There is also a section for reviewer's comments.

In order to receive endorsement for a course by the Advisory Council, this cover sheet and a copy of the course syllabus should be submitted to the Maryland State Department of Education Office of Equity Assurance and Compliance. MSDE representatives will review the syllabus and return the evaluation. If revisions are necessary, they should be made, and the syllabus be resubmitted to MSDE.

School District/Institution:

Course Title:

Credit Hours:

Preservice:

Inservice:

Submission:

Resubmission:

Date:

Signature of District/Institution Representative:

Title:

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Reviewed by: ________ (MSDE)

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	Training provides experiences that address the following:	YES	NO
1	Development and implementation of instructional strategies and materials that focus on students' understanding and appreciation of diverse cultural groups in a pluralistic society as well as on those that enable students to analyze, evaluate, and propose solutions to contemporary social problems
2	Correction of the omissions and misrepresentations of any cultural group according to diversity factors, including ethnicity, race, gender, region, religion, age, disability, and socio-economic status
3	Issues of racism, bias, and prejudice as these affect the experience of individuals and groups
4	Knowledge of historic events, situations, conflicts, and interpretations from diverse perspectives
5	Implementation of strategies that encourage students' valuing their own heritage; valuing richness of cultural diversity and commonality; respecting diverse cultural groups throughout the world; awareness and sensitivity to individual differences within cultural groups; eliminating stereotypes related to diversity factors
6	Implementation of instructional strategies that appropriately address students' cultural identities and learning styles while providing rigorous instruction for all students to increase academic achievement
7	Implementation of a variety of testing and other assessment strategies that appropriately address students' cultural identities and learning styles
8	Promotion of a climate that is amenable to the diversity of students, families, and community and that supports academic achievement
9	Activities that involve professional and/or support staff in exploring attitudes and feelings about their own cultural identities
10	Activities to identify instructional strategies, techniques, and materials appropriate to Education That Is Multicultural as a means of attaining optimal academic achievement
11	Training in assessing prior knowledge, attitudes, abilities, and learning styles of students from varied backgrounds in order to develop multicultural instructional programs
12	Recognition and correction of stereotyping, discrimination, bias, and prejudice
13	Fostering greater intergroup understanding
14	Recognition and correction of the omission and misrepresentation of groups and individuals in curriculum and instruction
15	Recognition of inequitable participation in school activities by students and staff from diverse groups and strategies for correcting the inequities.
16	Identification of human resources for Education That Is Multicultural
17	Identification and use of materials and references for Education That Is Multicultural