ERIC Number: ED660645
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2023-May
Pages: 84
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Analyzing Inclusion of Latino Contributions in U.S. History Curricula for High School
Ashley Berner; Anika Prather; José A. Gregory; Charles Kamasaki; Viviana López Green
UnidosUS
In fall 2022, the Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy (the Institute) and UnidosUS, the largest Latino civil rights organization in the country, designed a project to better understand the representation of Latinos in U.S. History textbooks for high school. Recent years have brought increased awareness that students learn best when they see themselves reflected in curricular materials and classroom instruction. Learning about the experiences and contributions of diverse groups of people has pronounced benefits for all students, as well. This project constitutes a first step in learning about the extent, quality, and variety of classroom content that reflects the contributions and experiences of the Latino community, and required: (1) the determination of ten seminal content areas, developed by UnidosUS and the organization's network of professors and specialists; (2) the design of a rubric for review, based on the Institute's Knowledge Map™ quality measures and further calibrated to the UnidosUS content; and (3) the selection of textbooks for review based on demographic criteria and available data. This research analyzed the presence, depth, tone, and authenticity of the seminal Latino topics in five high school U.S. History textbooks and one AP U.S. History book, all of which are commonly used in seven states. The results of the study can be used to inform efforts to support changes to existing curricula, reframe how the Latino-American contribution to the United States is taught in K-12 schools, and inspire an understanding of the unique role Latinos play in U.S. History. [Additional funding provided by Kemper, Molson Coors Beverage Company Molson Coors, and PNC Bank.]
Descriptors: Secondary School Curriculum, Textbook Content, Textbooks, Hispanic American Culture, Civil Rights, Culturally Relevant Education, Textbook Selection, Textbook Evaluation, History, United States History, Curriculum Development
UnidosUS. 1126 16th Street NW Suite 600, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 202-785-1670; e-mail: info@unidosus.org; Web site: http://www.UnidosUS.org
Publication Type: Information Analyses; Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Amazon.com, Inc.; AT&T; Target Corporation; Capital One Foundation
Authoring Institution: UnidosUS; Johns Hopkins University, Institute for Education Policy
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A