Culturally Relevant Pedagogy and Applied Behavior Analysis: Addressing Educational Disparities in PK-12 Schools

The purpose of this paper is to describe the theory of culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) and itsapplication to PK-12 education for behavior analysts working in schools. CRP is an educationalframework that asserts that successful teachers of African American students help their studentsgain three repertoires: a) socio-political awareness, b) cultural competence, and c) academicexcellence. The CRP framework was designed to counter the effects that racial bias has on theacademic and disciplinary experiences of some students of color. This paper suggests thatapplied behavior analysis and CRP, when used together, may strengthen educators’ efforts toreduce the effects of racism that some students of color experience. The authors first explain thetenets of CRP based on the work of Ladson-Billings (1995). Next, points of convergencebetween ABA and CRP are described. Finally, the authors offer recommendations for behavioranalysts to consider when applying CRP in schools through the provision of examples ofstrategies and tactics derived from the behavioral literature that align with the CRP framework.The framework presented in this paper has implications for behavior analysts interested inapplying culturally relevant practices to their work as educators.