Literacy for All Students: An Instructional Framework for Closing the Gap

The Culturally Responsive Instruction Observation Protocol (CRIOP) is a framework for implementing culturally relevant literacy instruction and classroom observation. Drawing on research and theory reflecting a range of perspectives ─ multicultural instruction, literacy theory, equity pedagogy, language and discourse models, sheltered instruction, critical pedagogy ─ it provides a means for assessing the many variables of classroom literacy instruction and for guiding practitioners in their development as multicultural educators.

Literacy for All Students

• Discusses issues in multicultural literacy instruction within the context of various essential instructional components (such as assessment, curriculum, parent collaboration)
• Provides a protocol for observing features of literacy instruction for culturally and linguistically diverse students
• Presents vignettes from real classrooms, written by elementary and middle school teachers, showing their victories and struggles as they attempt to implement a pedagogy that is culturally responsive within a climate of high stakes testing

A highly effective instrument for assessing culturally responsive literacy instruction in schools, the CRIOP serves as a model for realizing a literacy that is both relevant and transformative.