Ma’at Cultural Curriculum Consultants LLC
(Pronounced May-At)
Dear Educational Leaders and Community Partners:
Across the nation, schools continue to confront challenges in reading comprehension, evidence-based writing, and academic engagement. The 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress reported that 31% of fourth grade students and 30% of eighth grade students performed at or above NAEP Proficient in reading. These challenges affect students, educators, families, and communities, particularly when instructional materials do not adequately reflect students’ histories and lived experiences. Ma’at offers rigorous, student led instructional resources that connect academic expectations with meaningful cultural inquiry.
At the center of our work is the utilization of Research Simulation Tasks (RSTs) specifically designed for grades 6–12. Our RST Method guides students through the examination of informational and historical texts, source evaluation, collaborative inquiry, and independent writing. It is also designed to strengthen analytical reasoning as students evaluate evidence, develop logical arguments, and articulate well supported conclusions. Through the RACE framework (Restate, Answer, Cite, Explain), students learn to restate and discuss the question, answer it directly, cite relevant textual evidence, and explain how that evidence supports their reasoning.
Cultural relevance and academic rigor are integral to the learning process. Foundational materials include documented localized and global community experiences of African and Indigenous histories that connect social studies with defined literacy concepts and expectations. Content is continuously updated to best support education’s objectives and reflect adherence to New Jersey and National Learning Standards and the Amistad Act. Research on a San Francisco ethnic studies program found improved attendance, grades, and credits earned among academically at risk ninth graders, with subsequent research identifying positive longer term educational outcomes. These findings support the promise of culturally connected instruction but do not constitute measured results for Ma’at materials.
Our instructional resources include five day RST sequences, primary and secondary source analysis, formative activities, multiple choice assessments, and extended written responses. Digital student materials are designed for Google Classroom, in addition to separate teachers’ notes and instructional guidance. Topic specific posters and writing supports reinforce vocabulary, historical inquiry, literacy strategies, and interdisciplinary learning. These materials are designed to support classroom differentiation and meaningful student participation.
Ma’at partners with educators and school leaders to address specific curriculum goals, objectives and mandates. Through instructional resources, professional development, and potential school or district pilots, we can help teams evaluate student progress in reading comprehension, written reasoning, and engagement. We invite you to explore our growing selection of available resources and discuss the ways our approach may align with your institution’s priorities.
We welcome the opportunity to demonstrate how Ma’at can support, strengthen and complement your educational guidelines and professional staff while honoring the cultural heritage our student learners bring to the classroom environment on a daily basis. Together, we can advance academically demanding, culturally meaningful instruction that prepares students to analyze evidence, communicate clearly, and participate thoughtfully in their communities.
Respectfully,
Terrence Knox, M.Ed.
Founder, Ma’at Cultural Curriculum Consultants LLC
www.maatculturalcurriculum.com
Research references
National Center for Education Statistics. (2025). The Nation’s Report Card: 2024 Reading Assessment.
Dee, T. S., & Penner, E. K. (2017). The causal effects of cultural relevance: Evidence from an ethnic studies curriculum. American Educational Research Journal, 54(1), 127–166.
Bonilla, S., Dee, T. S., & Penner, E. K. (2021). Ethnic studies increases longer run academic engagement and attainment. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(37).