Academics and research in California are rallying around policy and legislation to support ethnic studies in California. The California Alliance of Researchers for Equity in Education (CARE-ED) is preparing to release its next research brief, “Ethnic Studies and Critical Multicultural Education: Educating for Democracy in California and Beyond.”

In this research brief, the California Alliance of Researchers for Equity in Education (CARE-ED), a statewide collaborative of educational researchers, analyzes the research basis for ethnic studies and critical multicultural education in public schools. We examine the racial framing of traditional curriculum, and highlight research on the impact of traditional and alternative curriculums on students academically and personally. We turn specifically to California to see the seeds of hope and change already growing. We conclude with recommendations for educators, teacher educators, educational leaders, policy makers, and advocates for continuing to expand ethnic studies and critical multicultural education as key levers for advancing democracy in schools and society.