Culturally Responsive Teaching. Teacher candidates seeking licensure shall demonstrate the following competencies: Preparation to support culturally, racially, linguistically, and otherwise diverse populations of students through providing culturally responsive instruction to increase academic achievement, critical consciousness, and cultural competence; and Required knowledge and skills to include application of competencies that support various racial, ethnic, linguistic, socioeconomic groups through teaching that promotes social justice and equity, including restorative practices and practices to develop racial literacy. Cultural Competencies. The teacher candidate shall: Identify and apply the elements of culturally responsive teaching, including academic achievement, critical consciousness, and knowledge of self and at least one other culture; Identify and assess how issues such as racism, sexism, socioeconomic status, immigration, and gender impact marginalized students, families, and educators on multiple levels by: Acknowledging their own biases and inequitable actions; and Assessing how their own assumptions, values, and biases may impact their responses to students and families and result in inequitable actions and practices, and identify equitable actions and practices; Demonstrate respect for students’ cultures by: Learning about students’ cultural backgrounds; Seeking purposeful immersion experiences within groups different from their own; Communicating high expectations for students of all identities, including gender, race, ethnicity, language, socioeconomics, and disability; Incorporating a variety of culturally responsive materials that represent and support learning for diverse populations of children and families; and Differentiating instruction with consideration for cultural, linguistic, and academic diversity; Examine curriculum and learning materials for bias and deliver instruction with materials that center the perspectives and lived experiences of historically marginalized people; Build a safe and accessible environment, respectful of all individuals, by: Providing strategies to support students with responses to discrimination and negative attitudes associated with cultural or other differences; Creating learning environments that facilitate the active engagement of diverse populations of students; and Co-constructing the values and expectations of the school to incorporate different perspectives, including those of students, families, and colleagues; and Build relationships with families and communities by: Incorporating families’ perspectives about school culture to create an environment that is inclusive and respects their values, beliefs, and hopes for their children; Providing opportunities for families to be involved in their children’s educational experiences by communicating regularly, in multiple ways, and including them in the curriculum; Integrating family and community-based funds of knowledge into teaching and learning; and Providing information regarding school and community resources that are available for students, educators, and families, including multilingual resources reflecting students and families’ heritage languages.