Purpose and Theory of Action

C.A.R.E. was developed as a means to achieve the deep restructuring which (as described by Asa G. Hilliard III in his article “Do We Have the ‘Will’ to Educate All Children?”) “prepare[s] students both for their economic role in society and for their social, intellectual, and spiritual enhancement as well.” It is also a leadership model for educators committed to equity. It accelerates educators’ responsiveness to the learning needs of students who are historically in the lowest-performing student groups—African American, Latino, Native American and South East Asian students. C.A.R.E. teachers and administrators investigate, hypothesize, act and reflect together to improve learning for these groups of students.

The C.A.R.E. model is built on the notion that a focused, small start centered on improved instructional and support strategies for underserved student groups are likely to yield significant whole school changes over time. Traditional whole-school models of restructuring can bring about changes in schools eventually, but rarely do they focus on the essential student–teacher relationships and specific learning improvements among the lowest-performing student groups.

C.A.R.E.’s theory of action is designed to keep school teams of the principal and teachers focused on the following levels of teaching and learning:

• Improving relationships among teachers, students, and families
• Incorporating instructional practices that are culturally responsive
• Expanding curriculum that is culturally relevant
• Authenticating assessment practices so they indicate learning and teaching quality.

The best execution of C.A.R.E. prompts substantive changes in all four areas, leading to significant improvement in targeted low-performing student groups. When C.A.R.E. teachers engage with a student of color and his/her support systems outside of school, for example family, around learning and teaching, the core learning relationship is strengthened. As a result, the C.A.R.E. theory of action posits that both teacher understanding of cultural differences and student achievement increase.

A final premise of C.A.R.E. is that educators are more likely to use culturally relevant instructional and support strategies and abandon ineffective strategies if they are able to see the effects of these approaches on their students.