Amanda Rampata
From theory to impact: Messages matter in a culturally responsive curriculum
Children’s literature is a powerful influence on the social construction of perceptions and narratives, and it is critically important that all children see themselves represented in text in their classrooms. This qualitative research capstone will consist of results from a comprehensive curriculum equity audit from both district-issued piloted English Language Arts curricula: myView Literacy published by the Savvas Learning Company in 2018 and into Reading, published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in 2019. In addition to the audit, the research will also include insights and commentary from teacher and student surveys related to diversity in the curriculum. The author uses these findings to argue for the importance of making curricular decisions with a critical attention to text selections and the engagement of students in critical literary for the purposes of advancing equity for all children.