A Think Twice Review of:

Review of Representation of Social Groups in U.S. Educational Materials and Why It Matters

Think Twice - Feb 08, 2022

Publisher/Think Tank - New America

Author(s) - Amanda LaTasha Armstrong

New America recently released a report about the value of culturally relevant curriculum in schools. According to a new review, the report is timely and helpful, although some limitations in its analysis weaken an otherwise valid exploration of how to address long-standing issues of racial and gender justice.

Reviewer(s) - Christine Sleeter, California State University, Monterey Bay

Christine Sleeter of California State University, Monterey Bay, reviewed New America's Representation of Social Groups in U.S. Educational Materials and Why it Matters. The report synthesizes research studies that analyze representation of diverse groups in curriculum materials, particularly children's literature. It finds an underrepresentation of minoritized racial/ethnic groups and females, very little attention to nonbinary and LGBTQ characters, and very little analysis of characters with multiple identities. The report concludes that many students consequently lose the opportunity to see themselves in curriculum and to learn about minoritized Americans who differ from themselves.