Culture, Learning, and Policy

• Published in: Handbook of the Cultural Foundations of Learning Vol. 1; pp. 404 - 426
• Main Author: Darling-Hammond, Linda
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Routledge 2020
• Edition: 1
• Subjects: Authentic Partners; Improve School Climate; Young Man; Professional Development School Partnerships; Professional Development; Improve School Environments; Educator Preparation Programs; Design Based Implementation Research; Multi-tiered System; Positive School Climate; Supportive School Environments; Student Succeeds Act; Weighted Student Formulas; School Climate; School Climate Surveys; Social Emotional Learning; Diverse Educator Workforce; Performance Assessments; Social Emotional Strategies; INTASC Standard; ESSA; Professional Learning Communities; Social Emotional Learning Programs; Restorative Justice Programs
• ISBN: 9780415839044; 041583905X; 9780415839051; 0415839041
• DOI: 10.4324/9780203774977-28

To address the cultural nature of human learning and development described in this Handbook, policy must change in many ways. This chapter describes: the kinds of policies needed to develop the knowledge and skills required for culturally-connected and responsive teaching; the institutional supports needed to develop, support, and sustain this kind of teaching; the school designs needed to build strong relationships among students and adults (both educators and families) that support personalized, culturally grounded teaching and learning; the complementary sources of support needed to remove barriers to learning; and the systems changes-ranging from resource allocations to school and program assignment practices-that allow us to move beyond the deficit assumptions about cultural variation that are so deeply entwined in our schools to enable equitable, culturally-informed practice.