The Cultural Diversity & Curriculum Reform Program Home Page

CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND CURRICULUM REFORM (CDCR)

An Academic Program in the Department of Teacher Education and Curricular Studies (TECS), School of Education University of Massachusetts Amherst, MA 01003

The mission of public education is to ensure that all youth of all families receive a quality education on equal terms. Forward-looking leaders recognize that if this mission is to be accomplished, effective conditions for learning in school and non-school settings must be created to help young people from all cultural and economic backgrounds succeed. Many important problems -- including learning in conditions of poverty, institutionalized racism, discrimination on the basis of culture and language, and a lack of cooperation among schools and human-service agencies -- must be addressed in order to ensure that public education is both equitable and excellent. The CDCR Program attracts practicing educators and other professionals who are committed to attacking these persistent problems.

Specifically, the CDCR Program offers graduate studies leading to three degrees: the doctors degree, certificate of advanced studies, and masters degree. The program also offers certification in Teaching English as a Second Language and will be continuing its certification in Bilingual Education pending a new faculty appointment. Students may specialize in Bilingual Education, Curriculum Studies, Multicultural Education, Native American/Indigenous Education, or Second Language Education. Within each specialization, students, in consultation with their faculty advisor, create their own individualized curriculum for a graduate degree. In creating their curriculum, students select a major and minor fields of study that they think will further their professional objectives. The CDCR Program attracts a diverse population of scholars who are preparing for leadership positions in education. The graduate student population includes a significant number of international students who become leaders in education when they return to their respective countries.

Five interrelated goals give meaning to the research and practice of students and faculty in the Cultural Diversity and Curriculum Reform Program:

To conduct research into persistent problems that must be solved in order to provide all children, youth, and adults with a quality education on equal terms;
To inquire into the philosophical, historical, and theoretical foundations of the five academic specializations in the CDCR program;
To increase the learning of children and youth by strengthening cooperation among schools, homes, and other human-service agencies;
To disseminate information about the status of education and schooling in contemporary societies; and
To prepare professional educators capable of providing leadership in making public schools and other educational environments more effective in responding to racial, cultural, linguistic, and economic class differences.

ADMISSIONS CRITERIA

The criteria used for admission to the Program for Study of Cultural Diversity and Curriculum Reform reflect the importance of both an underlying sensitivity to the value of cultural diversity and a dedication to disciplined scholarship. It is the intent of the program to create a community of committed scholars dedicated to educational renewal. This has been accomplished by drawing together experienced teachers, researchers, and administrators from diverse backgrounds who have made important contributions to education. Recognizing the central understandings that all the major disciplines bring to bear on evaluating educational practice, individuals who have demonstrated leadership in law, religion, sociology, anthropology, psychology, economics, community development, health services, and other professions are equally encouraged to apply.

The CDCR Program attracts candidates who are interested in becoming highly capable in relating theory to practice, and who are convinced that education is a powerful means for improving society. Candidates for admission are requested to file their application according to procedures established by the Graduate School. Also, if possible, a personal interview with the Program Admissions Committee is recommended.

The specific admissions criteria assessed by the Admissions Committee are as follows:

Academic performance, particularly in scholarship centered on access to quality education;
Quality and depth of academic background in disciplines other than education;
Quality and extent of teaching and administrative experience in public and private schools, and other human service agencies;
Statement of applicant's interest and competency in school renewal and equality in education;
Degree of maturity, self-initiative, and commitment to completing a graduate degree;
Demonstration of competence in written and oral expression;
Extent of creativity and leadership abilities; and
Evidence of leadership and learning in diverse social settings.

NOTE: All assessments of individuals applying for admissions will be based on application materials including academic transcripts, recommendations, publications, personal statements, and samples of writing, as well as presentation of ideas during a personal interview when applicable.

ACADEMIC SPECIALIZATIONS

The Cultural Diversity and Curriculum Reform Program is made up of five specializations, each administered by a faculty member with expertise in that area. For more information regarding a particular specialization, contact the faculty member listed after each description below. For information regarding the CDCR Program, please direct your inquiries to the Program Chairperson, Dr. Theresa Auston.

Bilingual Education

Language diversity is a fact of life in the United States. Millions of young people enter our schools speaking a language other than English as their native language. Bilingual education emerged in the 1960s representing the demands of community activists and concerned parents that their children be given an equal chance to learn, and that this chance needed to be rooted in children's language and culture. The Bilingual Specialization is based on the premise that the native languages and cultures that students bring to their educational experience are worthwhile and important to their learning, serving as a basis for future development. Teachers and prospective teachers in bilingual classrooms thus need to develop an array of skills, attitudes, and behaviors that help them create educational environments that affirm their students' backgrounds as a necessary prerequisite for effective learning. These skills include: an understanding of the history, policies and practices of bilingual education; an awareness of first and second language acquisition; fluency in the native language of their students; and a respect for and willingness to work with students' families and communities to promote their learning.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Theresa Y. Austin,

Curriculum Studies

To confront contemporary educational problems in a fundamental way, the Curriculum Studies Specialization concentrates on systematic improvement in the connections among the curriculum, the environment, and the learner. We recognize that planned learning environments can either stifle or foster the abilities and interests of students, and thereby can either contribute to perpetuating or correcting inequalities based on race, gender, and social class background. In an attempt to continually rethink the definition and improve the function of curriculum in a changing world, a multi-faceted approach focused on curriculum theory, research, development, implementation, and evaluation has been adopted. By learning from the historical development of the curriculum field and looking towards the future priorities for curricular reform, we prepare educators to lead in identifying conditions that hinder learning and in constructing environments that foster learning for all children and youth from all families..

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Robert L. Sinclair, 416 Hills North, (413) 545-3642.

Multicultural Education

Multicultural education is becoming a necessary aspect of educational reform in our nation's schools. As such, it has developed as an important area of research and study for educational leaders hoping to promote learning among students of all ethnic, racial, cultural, social class, and linguistic groups. The Multicultural Specialization is based on the premise that such differences can enrich rather than limit students' educational experiences and those of their peers. All educational leaders need to be aware of the differences their students bring to school and be able to function effectively in environments where languages, cultures, and values different from their own predominate. Not only must prospective educational leaders be aware of their own attitudes and actions toward all students, but they also need to be cognizant of how schools' policies and practices can unjustly influence the educational outcomes of students. Thus it is crucial that they learn to examine issues of pedagogy, curriculum, and school structures to ensure educational equity for all children.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Sonia Nieto, 210 Furcolo Hall, (413) 545-1551.

Native American/Indigenous Education

The Native American/ Indigenous Education specialization is designed to offer students the opportunity to focus their course of studies on the role of education within Native American and Indigenous communities. This specialization supports research on issues of equality in education for Native Americans and Indigenous populations from a global perspective. It promotes the examination of the role education has played as an instrument of oppression, and how Native American and Indigenous nations have restructured educational systems to reclaim their cultural identities and to restore their political power.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Deirdre Almeida, 420 Hills North, (413) 545-4188.

Second Language Education

With the globalization of the world's societies, competence in a second language and literacy is becoming increasingly important. The Second Language Education specialization prepares professionals to work in a variety of educational settings, including elementary, secondary, college, adult, and teacher education in the U.S. and other countries. Students study the social, political, and psycholinguistic processes involved in learning and teaching a second language and use this knowledge to create more facilitative learning environments. The specialization offers Provisional and Standard Certification in English as a Second Language (ESL).

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Jerri Willett, 205 Furcolo Hall, (413) 545-3675.

PROGRAM FACULTY

Dr. Robert L. Sinclair, Professor, B.S. Miami, 1961; M.Ed., 1962; Ed.D., UCLA, 1968.

Dr. Sonia Nieto, Professor, B.S., St. John's, 1965; M.A., New York University, 1966; Ed.D., Massachusetts, 1979.

Dr. Jerri Willet, Associate Professor, B.A., Florida, 1967; M.A., San Francisco, 1971; M.Ed., Hong Kong, 1980; Ph.D., Stanford, 1987.

Dr. Deirdre Almeida, Assistant Professor, B.A., Massachusetts, 1976; M.A., Stanford, 1978; Ed.D., Massachusetts, 1992.

Dr. Theresa Y. Austin, Assistant Professor, B.A., California at Los Angeles, 1976; M.A., 1980; Ph.D., 1991.

ADJUNCT FACULTY

Dr. Gloria M. Figueroa de Guevara, Associate Dean for Academic Support Services, Student Affairs.

Dr. Manuel Frau-Ramos, Assistant Professor.

Dr. Benjamin Rodriguez, Director, Bilingual Collegiate Program.

Bilingual Education
Curriculum Studies
English As A Second Language
Indigenous Studies
Multicultural Education

NCEL Home Page-- School of Education-- U-Mass