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The CRSP Framework

Culturally Responsive & Sustaining Pedagogy

Classrooms where every student is known, challenged, and ready to lead. CRSP turns decades of research into twelve practical moves across four connected domains.

Download the research base Explore the domains
  • 4 domains
  • 12 practices
  • 1 connected whole
UnderstandingBuilding awarenessEngagementBuilding communityCRSPFrameworkAgencyBuilding critical consciousnessCompetenceBuilding durable skills

Four Domains, Twelve Practices

One connected whole, not a menu.

Teachers grow across all four domains together. Understanding lays the foundation, and Engagement, Competence, and Agency build on it.

Domain 1

Understanding

Building awareness

Educators examine their own lens, then come to know and affirm the full identities students bring to class.

  1. 1Build sociocultural awareness
  2. 2Reflect on ways to promote engagement over compliance
What the research says

High teacher expectations are one of the strongest predictors of student achievement.

de Boer et al., 2018
Domain 2

Engagement

Building community

Trusting relationships and a strong classroom community create the conditions for real thinking.

  1. 3Nurture a culture of trust & belonging
  2. 4Develop learner identity, mindset, and confidence
  3. 5Foster an academic community
  4. 6Deepen student capacity for productive struggle
What the research says

Students in “identity-safe” classrooms scored higher on standardized tests and wanted more challenging work.

Steele & Cohn-Vargas, 2013
Domain 3

Competence

Building durable skills

Students carry the cognitive load, with thinking routines, feedback, and goals that build on their strengths.

  1. 7Strengthen critical thinking skills
  2. 8Differentiate using data
  3. 9Use feedback & reflection processes to drive learning
  4. 10Encourage student ownership through goal setting
What the research says

Building on students’ background knowledge and identities increases their ownership of learning and academic outcomes.

Ladson-Billings, 1995
Domain 4

Agency

Building critical consciousness

Learning connects to who students are and what they value, then extends into action for justice.

  1. 11Leverage student inquiry, analysis, and values to increase motivation
  2. 12Apply and extend learning in ways that promote justice
What the research says

Over four years, every 0.1 gain in students’ critical reflection came with a .254-point rise in GPA.

Seider et al., 2020
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Cover page of the CRSP Framework Research Base Overview

Free Download

Dig into the full research base.

A 22-page overview of the studies behind every domain and practice, with a complete reference list you can share with your team.

  • 22 pages
  • PDF
  • Free to share for non-commercial use
Download the PDF

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