The Illinois State Board of Education adopted new Culturally Responsive Teaching and Leading Standards to prepare future educators to teach diverse students. ISBE’s Diverse and Learner Ready Teacher (DLRT) Network developed the standards, which educator preparation programs in colleges and universities will integrate into their course content and field experiences. The standards aim to foster classroom and school environments in which every student feels that they belong. This feeling of belonging is critical to improving academic and behavioral outcomes for Illinois’ increasingly diverse students. More than 52 percent of Illinois students identify as students of color and English Learners make up the fastest growing student population, but Illinois’ teacher workforce remains more than 82 percent white. The ability to reach students from different cultural backgrounds is an essential skill to succeed as a teacher in Illinois today. The standards support inclusion and equity for students by guiding educators to:

1. Self-reflect and gain a deeper understanding of how their life experiences affect their perspectives;

2. Understand that systems in our society create and reinforce inequities;

3. Curate the curriculum to include and represent a wide spectrum of identities; and

4. Ensure the diversity of the student population is represented within the broader learning environment.