Achieving Representational Balance in Instructional Materials by Exploring 7 Forms of Bias

Outline

Outline:

1. Introduce concept of representational balance in instructional materials
2. Review the data on current state of representational balance
3. Examine the relationship between cultural responsibility, responsiveness, and material development
4. Introduce representational balance tool

Each element of the outline will include interactive and reflective questions with participants engaging with live texts and considering their roles and responsibilities in providing learners with balance instructional materials. There will be independent reflections, whole group discussions, and small group discussions to build knowledge and skill on the topic.

Supporting research

Representation balance is based on research from the Cooperative Children's Book Center highlighting diversity in children's books over ten years. (https://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/literature-resources/ccbc-diversity-statistics/)

The Education Trust who examinded texts and defined representational balance in curriculum. (https://edtrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Curriculum-Report-FINAL.pdf)

PEN America who discusses the need for more diverse books and challenges current laws on book bans. (https://pen.org/book-bans/)

NYU Scorecard whose work served as the basis for developing the tool for representational balance. (https://steinhardt.nyu.edu/metrocenter/ejroc/services/culturally-responsive-curriculum-scorecards)