This dissertation examined the relationship between school reform initiatives in the United States over the last thirty years and multicultural teaching practices. The methodology chosen was a qualitative phenomenological research study that was conducted with six participants, three novice teachers and three teacher educators. The research revealed that though educators valued the importance of multiculturism in the classroom, there was a disconnect in consistent implementation. The findings also revealed that school reform initiatives such as the Every Students Succeed Act (ESSA) of 2015 provided the guidance used by states and school districts to identify standards for the classroom. This suggests that for multiculturism to become a viable part of the classroom, additional steps are necessary by the school districts and teachers to connect this work to state standards developed from school reform. It was also suggested in this study that to make multiculturalism a viable part of the work in the classroom, there need to be critical changes to the language that is used within state standards as well as how student success is measured and understood. This includes changing assessments to ensure curricula offer students opportunities to see themselves in the work of the classroom. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]