What strategies can you use to ensure curriculum inclusivity?

1 Assess your current curriculum

The first step to ensure curriculum inclusivity is to assess your current curriculum and identify any gaps, biases, stereotypes, or exclusions that may exist. You can use various tools and frameworks to conduct a curriculum audit, such as the Anti-Bias Education Standards from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Guidelines from the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST), or the Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain (CRTB) Model from Zaretta Hammond. A curriculum audit can help you evaluate how well your curriculum aligns with your vision, mission, and values, as well as the needs and interests of your learners and their communities.

2 Involve stakeholders in the curriculum development process

The second step to ensure curriculum inclusivity is to involve stakeholders in the curriculum development process. Stakeholders include students, parents, teachers, staff, administrators, and community members who have a stake in the quality and relevance of the curriculum. By involving stakeholders, you can ensure that the curriculum reflects multiple perspectives, voices, and experiences, and that it addresses the issues and challenges that matter to your learners and their contexts. You can use various methods to engage stakeholders, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, workshops, or co-design sessions.

5 Provide ongoing feedback and assessment

The fifth step to ensure curriculum inclusivity is to provide ongoing feedback and assessment to your learners and yourself. Feedback and assessment are ways of monitoring and measuring the progress and outcomes of learning, and providing information and guidance for improvement and growth. By providing ongoing feedback and assessment, you can support your learners' learning and development, and identify and address any gaps, challenges, or misconceptions that may arise. You can also use feedback and assessment to evaluate and improve your own curriculum design and delivery, and to celebrate and share your successes and achievements. You can use various types and methods of feedback and assessment, such as formative, summative, diagnostic, self, peer, or portfolio.

6 Seek continuous learning and improvement

The sixth and final step to ensure curriculum inclusivity is to seek continuous learning and improvement for yourself and your team. Curriculum inclusivity is not a one-time event, but a ongoing process that requires constant reflection, revision, and action. By seeking continuous learning and improvement, you can keep up with the changing needs and expectations of your learners and their communities, and the emerging trends and best practices in education. You can also foster a culture of inquiry, collaboration, and innovation among your staff and colleagues, and model the values and behaviors that you want to see in your learners. You can seek continuous learning and improvement by engaging in professional development, research, networking, or mentoring.