VIDBE-Q Volume 66 Issue 1
way to effectively teach culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students by
using culture as a conduit of instruction and student engagement (Gay, 2010).
Hammond (2015) advanced CRE as a tool for stimulating cognitive development
among culturally and linguistically diverse learners (Hammond, 2015). A more
recent iteration, Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy (CSP), seeks to not only be
responsive to CLD students, but to also sustain their languages, literacies, and
ways of being. CSP is grounded in the twin goals of promoting educational success
among historically marginalized CLD learners and fostering positive, cultural
pluralism in school settings (Alim & Paris, 2017). In this article, I reference CRP
with an inclusive understanding that incorporates the aforementioned
complementary strands of the pedagogical framework.
The Case for Culturally Responsive Pedagogy
Culturally Responsive Pedagogy has become a widely recognized
framework for educational reform, and there is a growing research base
demonstrating its benefits. Empirical studies have shown the model's efficacy in
terms of increasing confidence, interest, and engagement in school among
historically underperforming CLD students (Esposito & Swain, 2009; Howard,
2003) and boosting their academic success (Milner, 2011; Tate, 1995). This
flourishing CRP research and practice has exclusively focused on sighted students;
