An analysis of bias in 10 elementary education instructional materials

There has been a recent demographic shift in public schools in the United States. Schools are becoming much more diverse while majority of teachers are white. This has created a cultural divide between students and teachers in our schools today. One major problem is the achievement gap which is defined as the disparity in test scores between White student and their counterparts (Howe & Lisi, 2017). It is important for students to have an example to look to in their teachers that represent their cultures and backgrounds. Through this project I will analyze ten elementary education instructional materials and determine the biases within them. Recommendations will be made to teachers, parents, and librarians about purchasing and adopting books and instructional materials that are inclusive of the student’s experiences. Annotated bibliographies will be distributed so that other teachers can begin to conduct their own original research with respect to biases in existing instructional materials. Through this process, teachers will be able to become more culturally literate and aware. Winner, Outstanding Poster Presentation, College of Education & Professional Studies