Identity-safe classrooms are those that validate students' experiences, backgrounds, and identities to promote academic and social success for all students. These classrooms are free from negative relationships, cues, and teaching practices that implicitly, or explicitly, link students' identities (e.g., race, gender, religion) to academic performance. Teachers can create identity-safe classrooms by focusing (a) on a specific constellation of behaviors that emphasizes students' belonging in class; (b) on cooperation versus competition; and (c) on challenging, diverse teaching materials and learning tasks that reflect student interests and experience. This pedagogical approach is focused on all students in the class, not just those identified as strong students.

This approach is in stark contrast to many interventions for low-performing, diverse schools that concentrate on narrow, remedial curriculum; punitive discipline; and ...