Curriculum Reform and Diversity in Education

Adopted

WHEREAS, the NAACP remains firmly committed to comprehensive, quality education from pre-school through post-graduate study; and 

WHEREAS, we recognize that combating re-segregation while striving for desegregation and quality education will have a number of diversity impacts on all aspects of learning, beyond the simple creation of a diverse student body; and 

WHEREAS, students of color have been shown to benefit from a rich, relevant, challenging curriculum delivered and assessed with a variety of methods; and 

WHEREAS, such diversity in teaching and learning methods would include lessons and tests tailored to fit varied learning styles, and allowing special education students to be integrated to the greatest extent possible with their non learning-disabled peers. 

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the NAACP will work for diversity in a range of school processes, including, but not limited to recruitment, hiring and retention of teachers, creative curriculum, and teaching and assessment methods; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NAACP will measure diversity in curriculum by the inclusion of African and African-American history and the history of the nation's broad struggle for civil rights in the curriculum as a required, rather than voluntary element; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NAACP advocate for a diverse teaching corps, generated by diversifying the pipeline of prospective teachers along racial, cultural, linguistic and socioeconomic lines, with a particular emphasis on strategies that allow communities to "grow their own" educators; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NAACP will work for diversity in access to a challenging curriculum, rather than ability grouping that denies some students access to the highest opportunities to learn; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NAACP requests the President of the United States to convene a summit meeting by the Secretary of Education with the NAACP and key urban and rural African-American and other ethnic minority educators and social scientists; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that after the summit meeting, the Secretary of Education considers establishing a task force on urban and rural educational reform; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the task force membership be comprised of representation of parents, lay people, school and university professionals, civic organizations, educational professional organizations, state educational agencies, legislators, and the NAACP; and 

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the NAACP will solicit written suggestions and position papers from its units via each State developing a brief report for review by a National NAACP volunteer professional committee to assist in preparing a NAACP Education Reform Set of State Guidelines.