In her opening chapter, Hammond establishes that underserved students of color, including students who are linguistically and culturally diverse, have been affected by systems of inequity; these systems have held them back from becoming independent learners. To become independent learners, students must be given the opportunity to develop cognitive skills and processes that facilitate learning by means of critical and creative thinking. Hammond argues that culturally responsive teaching practices are necessary for moving students away from passive, dependent learning to independent learning, where higher order thinking paves the way for “new cognitive skills and habits of mind that will actually increase their brainpower” (14). This process by which students develop their ability to think is what Hammond calls intellective capacity, also known as “fluid intelligence” or “intellective competence.” To encourage this intellective capacity, Hammond suggests a framework called “Ready for Rigor,” in which teachers become better equipped.

“Ready for Rigor” consists of four practice areas: awareness (teachers understand their own cultural, social, and political background while acknowledging their students’ diversity), learning partnerships (teachers cultivate pacts with students to hone and develop skills), information processing (teachers design learning experiences that help students develop cognitively in a consistent manner), and community building (teachers make concerted efforts to establish the learning environment as emotionally, culturally, and academically safe).