Creating a Gender-Fair Multicultural Curriculum

The creation of a gender-fair multicultural curriculum is the necessary basis for the equitable schooling of all girls and boys in the United States. The key to success in curriculum reform is the inclusion of everyone with a stake in the schools in an effective, productive process. Defining the term multicultural education illustrates the different meanings that have evolved. The national curriculum policy debate over the standards-setting and assessment-design processes focuses on five controversial issues: (1) the measurement of performance; (2) the use of national standards; (3) the effect of national standards on local control of education; (4) the knowledge included in national standards; and (5) the development of a national core curriculum through national standards and assessment. In order to achieve a gender-fair multicultural curriculum, the changes must address national policy, state and local curriculum designs, textbook and materials adoption, classroom practices, and assessment systems. To ensure successful multicultural curriculum reform, diversity of participants at all levels of the process is important. A curriculum description provides eight ingredients for the ideal gender-fair multicultural curriculum; four strategies to develop a curriculum reform process that effectively brings everyone involved in the schools together; and five pitfalls that can damage the process. Contains 21 references. (CK)