Development of a Scale to Assess the Appropriateness of Curricula Materials for Diverse Populations

Abstract

As America's public school population becomes more diverse, selecting culturally appropriate instructional materials becomes increasingly important. Though several existing scales assess the quality of curricula materials, most do not consider cultural relevance. The Curricula Appropriateness Scale (CAS) was designed to determine the appropriateness of curriculum materials for diverse populations. The final CAS contains six statements with a 4-point, Likert-type scale response option ranging from 1=strongly disagree to 4=strongly agree for each item. Item selection was based on a review of the professional literature and existing instruments. A local panel of experts (n=10) examined a draft version of the scale for content validity. Based on the panelists' comments, the scale was revised and piloted with 27 undergraduates enrolled in an elementary school health course. A national panel of experts (n=5) then examined the scale for content validity. Feedback from the national panel was used to revise the CAS for a second pilot test. Students enrolled in a second elementary school health course completed the second CAS during the assessment of the federally developed curriculum, Learning to Live Drug Free. Item consistency reliability was measured using Cronbach's alpha. Psychometric characteristics and recommendations for using the CAS are presented.