Education that works: instructional practices that effectively engage underserved students in secondary [social studies] classrooms. (2015)

Undergraduate: Joshua Conger-Kallas

Faculty Advisor: Patrick Akos
Department: History

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Inequalities in U.S. public education are exacerbated by poor instructional practices that fail to engage historically underserved high school students. Problems with standardized testing measures to enact accountability, fairness, and access to quality education are that ideals do not match up to reality and prescriptive norms oversimplify complex identities and diverse social structures. Practices in response to these policies generally fail to account for the various needs of students, schools, and communities since a ¿¿¿one size fits all¿¿¿ model, established by members of the dominant society, disproportionately empowers some while disenfranchising other populations. However, pervasive achievement gaps may be ameliorated by instructional practices that involve, attach, and commit underserved youth to the academic and social activities correlated with greater levels of positive associations and experiences in school (Li & Lerner 2013). Specifically, more flexible teaching practices and theories - involving interdisciplinary, multicultural, and project-based learning - are needed. Engaging learners varied interests, intelligences, and backgrounds, educators can de-emphasize labeling students into restrictive categories. Then resources can be better allocated to help underserved students develop the necessary skills to attain success so they can become optimally-productive citizens.