About

CREATE - Culturally Responsive Education for All: Training and Enhancement

CREATE begins with one question: Why? 

Why don’t students from diverse backgrounds achieve at the same level as their peers?

Why are students from diverse backgrounds enrolled in special education more often than their peers? 

To answer these questions, CREATE mobilizes educators to look deep into their educational practices.  The goal: identify practices that contribute to achievement gaps and change those practices through professional development, training and technical assistance.  

American Indian Student Achievement Network

Districts with significant populations of American Indian students are teaming up to identify barriers to learning that limit American Indian students. Together, they will hold professional development and training sessions to better serve the American Indian populations in their districts.

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Checklist for Addressing Racial Disproportionality in Special Education

This checklist was designed as a tool to aid states and districts required to analyze special education data, assisting them in taking steps to reduce racial disproportionality. This checklist helps educators analyze their identification practices, and pinpoint areas for improvement.

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The Consortium on Racial Equity in PK–12 Education in Wisconsin

The Consortium on Racial Equity in PK–12 Education in Wisconsin combines the insight of Courageous Conversation with the power of Systemic Equity Leadership to assist six districts, 10 CESAs, and the DPI in analyzing their systems and exercising leadership to eliminate racial disparities. In our delivery of the Consortium program, we blend critical race theory with proven strategies for adult learning. 

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CREATE Conference

This annual conference will enhance educators’ understanding and application of research-based, culturally responsive policies, procedures and practices.  This conference replaces the Summer Institute on Disproportionality. 

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CREATE Monthly E-Newsletter

If you are interested in the latest research on promising practices in culturally responsive education, the CREATE E-Newsletter is your source.  Jam-packed with news, research, professional development and training opportunities, the CREATE E-Newsletter keeps teachers, administrators and district leaders up-to-date on CREATE projects and related news from across the nation.

For more information, visit the E-Newsletter Archive or contact:

Culturally Responsive Classroom Practices

Culture, diversity, power and privilege are the focus of this year-long training, designed specifically for classroom teachers and administrators.  The 2009 sessions will help participants identify new ways to reach students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.  This initiative features graduate-level course credits and is taught by Shelley Zion and Elizabeth Kozleski, from the University of Colorado-Denver.

For more information, contact:

Culturally Responsive Early Childhood Project

A culturally responsive education starts with early childhood programs.  That’s why the CREATE initiative is focusing outreach efforts on Birth to 3 programs, child care resource and referral programs and Head Start providers.

This important work connects tribal and non-tribal partners.  The result will be development of culturally responsive early childhood education and care practices, guidelines for culturally responsive early childhood special education screening and assessment practices and a checklist for addressing disproportionality in early childhood programs.

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Needs Assessment and Professional Development Strategic Plans

As part of the CREATE initiative, Wisconsin school districts that have been identified as having significant disproportionality needs will be invited to assemble a team to complete a needs assessment on district practices that affect students of different backgrounds.  The district needs assessment team will identify practices and policies that may be contributing to disproportionality. Based on the needs identified in the assessment, the district team will make recommendations for future professional development offerings.

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Professional Development Academies

These academies will be developed to share best practices and new approaches in reaching students from diverse backgrounds.  The first academies will take place during the 2009-10 school year.

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