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Session Title: Addressing the Needs of Underserved Urban Communities Through Contextually Culturally Responsive Evaluations
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Panel Session 553 to be held in Capitol Ballroom Section 6 on Friday, Nov 7, 10:55 AM to 11:40 AM
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Sponsored by the Multiethnic Issues in Evaluation TIG
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| Chair(s): |
| VIctor Perez,
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign,
vperez@uiuc.edu
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| Discussant(s):
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| Victor Perez,
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign,
vperez@uiuc.edu
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| Abstract:
Contextually Culturally Responsive Evaluations (CCRE) provides
evaluators with a methodological theory to promote a social justice agenda striving for educational equity for students who have historically been underserved in urban communities. This holistic approach to evaluation contrasts traditional notions of cultural subjectivity which have historically served to marginalize students from diverse backgrounds. Importantly, contextually culturally responsive evaluations focus on the belief that evaluations and reforms striving for educational equity need to be meaningfully linked to the students' and their communities' unique cultures. This clear infusion of culture and context into evaluation provides an insightful lens for promoting a social justice agenda which stresses the importance of incorporating a student's culture and community context into a study.
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Border Theory and It's Implication for Contextually Culturally Responsive Evaluations
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| Melba Schneider Castro,
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign,
melbac@ucr.edu
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Further analysis of theories driving evaluation methodology for
underrepresented communities needs to be addressed. Importantly, border analysis opens a new dimension of critical inquiry over methodological and epistemological practices in evaluation, such as research design choices, data collection, interpretation, and reporting. Thus, the border as a conceptual region allows us to understand, analyze, and critique inequity resulting from differences, such as linguistic differences, or gender, race, class, and religion. The paper utilizes border theory to examine the interplay of values, culture, and power in which evaluation can be used as a tool to promote educational equity and social justices for underrepresented and marginalized students.
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A Case Study of the Bethel Imani Freedom School (BIFS) Program from a Contextually Culturally Responsive Evaluation Approach
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| Maria Jimenez,
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign,
mjimene2@uiuc.edu
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The importance of culture and context cannot be ignored in evaluations which seek to address the needs of marginalized groups. Contextually culturally responsive evaluations (CCRE) provide a
template in which evaluators can use to better understand the ways in which culture and context influences program design, implementation, and impact. Thus, in order to make accurate judgments of program quality evaluators need to be attuned with the culture and context of a program or policy. History, language, power, values, traditions, and norms are important contextual factors which influence evaluations of programs. The paper utilizes CCRE to examine the components of the Bethel Imani Freedom School Program in south side Chicago. The Bethel Imani Freedom School (BIFS) Program serves children ages 6-18 for six weeks and utilizes literacy, conflict resolution, and social action to promote cultural and social awareness. Further, he paper outlines the activities of BIFS and depicts how CCRE can be used in evaluation which takes into account both culture and context as means to promote social justice and equality for all students.
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