Cultural Awareness and Bias in Assessments

Identifying bias on behalf of diversity promotion in a classroom isn't as easy as one might think, even if we are fully aware that it may exist. Often it is under our nose, and we don't realize it, especially if we are within the dominant culture.

This checklist can help educators effectively identify bias and respond to it in order to promote diversity in the classroom by focusing on the classroom environment, curriculum materials, teaching strategies, and student behaviors.

Curriculum Bias Checklist

• Are contributions and perspectives of women and cultures other than European Americans integrated into textbooks and other curriculum materials?
• Are women, ethnic minorities and people of diverse socioeconomic classes and religions portrayed in a non-stereotypical mannerDo the resource materials include appropriate information about religion when religion is integral to the context of the subject?
• Do textbooks or curriculum materials focus on “famous people”, usually those of privileged class status; or are the accomplishments and hard work of poor and working-class people given equal focus and respect?Do the resource materials include cultures represented by families in your school and community?
• Are there resource materials available for limited-English-proficient students in their native languages?
• Are teaching materials selected that allow all students to participate and feel challenged and successful?

The following rubric can be used to evaluate curriculum: