Developing and Teaching an Anti-Bias Curriculum in a Public Elementary School: Leadership, K-1 Teachers’, and Young Children’s Experiences

ABSTRACT

This article describes the process teachers at a public elementary school completed to develop and implement a developmentally appropriate, race-conscious, anti-bias curriculum in all K-5 classrooms. The study focuses on the experiences of the teachers and children in three early childhood classrooms using a case study design. Data were gathered and analyzed following one-on-one interviews with the principal and teachers, and an observation of an anti-bias lesson in one kindergarten classroom. Themes were identified following this analysis that concurred with existing literature on anti-bias education. The findings suggest the developmental appropriateness of teaching anti-bias topics to young children and the importance of iterative cycles of teacher reflection and learning as they engaged in this process. The findings further suggest that anti-bias education could be implemented at 1st-grade and kindergarten levels at a public school.

KEYWORDS:

• Anti-bias education
• anti-racist
• case study
• early childhood
• public schools

Acknowledgments

We are grateful for the teachers, staff, and students at the school who welcomed us into their community to learn from and document their incredible work. Thank you also to the Tufts University Undergraduate Research Fund for providing funding for this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. All names are pseudonyms to protect participants’ identities.

2. The METCO Grant Program is a voluntary school desegregation program in the Boston area. The purpose is to “expand educational opportunities, increase diversity, and reduce racial isolation.” In 2017, about 3,300 children participated in this program (http://www.doe.mass.edu/metco/, 2017).

3. As referred in Drago-Severson, E., & Blum-DeStefano, J. (2018). Leading change together: Developing educator capacity within schools and systems. ASCD.

4. Original presentation noted in reference list as Tedx Talks (2011).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Tufts University [N/A].