Beginning to Examine Universal Practice

Through a Culturally Responsive Practices Len

Andreal DavisMilaney Leverson

Kent Smith

AgendaSetting the stage – Why do this and what does

current practice look like?

What is Culturally Responsive Practice

How to begin incorporating CRP into PBIS framework

Questions, comments or scathing rebuttal

Wisconsin's Vision for Response to Intervention

“Students w/ disabilities are almost 2x as likely to be suspended from school as nondisabled students, w/ the highest rates among black children w/ disabilities.”

NYTimes, M. Rich Aug 7 2012

• 13% w/ v. 7% w/o• 1 in 4 black K-12 students

High suspension correlated w/ • Low achievement• Dropout• Juvenile incarceration

>1 Susp. 1 Year

• 1 in 6 black • 1 in 13 Amer Indian• 1 in 14 Latinos• 1 in 20 Whites

Not correlated w/ race of staff

Dan Losen & Jonathan GillespieCenter for Civil Rights Remedies at

UCLA

Across the Nation…(Dignity in Schools Campaign, retrieved July 14, 2013)

Black Students 3.5x more likely to be expelled than white students

Latino/Latina students 2x more likely to be expelled than white students

American Indian students 1.5x more likely to be expelled than white students

LGBTQ students 1.4x more likely to be expelled than heterosexual identified youth

Students in foster care 3x more likely to be suspended or expelled than students living with parents or guardians

Youth who do not finish High School are 8x more likely to be incarcerated

In WisconsinAfrican American students are 7x more likely to be

suspended than white studentsAmerican Indian students are 5x more likely to be

suspended than white studentsLatino/Latina students are 3x more likely to be

suspended than white students

In 2010, there were 14,241 students who started school in 2006 that did not graduate.

Unintentional Reinforcement of Trends

These outcomes continue because our systems are not designed to examine outcomes for ALL groups of students.

Our institutions and systems have not changed substantially in the last 100 years.

These outcomes reinforced by policy at every level; Federal, State and Local.

And because…

We see the world not as it is, but as we are…

Gloria Ladson-Billings (UW-Madison) coined the term “cultural relevancy” in 1994. It is a way of teaching that “empowers students intellectually, socially, emotionally, and

politically by using culture to impart knowledge, skills, and attitudes.”

teachers who are culturally competent about their students’ cultural beliefs and practices;

teachers who think of all of their students as capable learners, have high expectations for them, and help the students set short and long term goals for themselves;

teachers who know each student and draw on the students’ own experiences to help them learn;

teachers who have a wide variety of teaching strategies and skills to engage the students;

teachers who can help the students deal with the inequitable treatment of students of color and other underserved populations by helping them become critically conscious and knowledgeable about the students' culture; and

teachers who can create a bridge between the students’ home and school lives while meeting district and state curricular requirements.

Key components of Culturally Responsive Practices:

Where Can I…?ValidateAffirmBuildBridge

Whip Around

Keeping Relationships at the Center

involves building and nurturing relationships, established through honest self-reflection and having an open mind about what factors might be contributing to a student’s success and struggles in the classroom.

Validating and Affirming

Establishing RelationshipsKnow the students’ family, interests and culture.

Plan for culturally responsive teacher/student/parent opportunities for strengthening relationships

Welcome students by name as they enter the classroom.Learn, use and display some words in students’ heritage

languages.Acknowledge all students’ comments, responses,

questions and contributions by affirming, validating, probing.

Use students’ real life experiences to connect school learning to students’ lives.

teachers who are culturally competent about their students’ cultural beliefs and practices;

Moment of Silence

Identity Development

• Does your body language, gestures and expressions convey a message that all students’ questions and opinions are important?

• Do your VISUALS: (bulletin boards, instructional materials etc.) reflect the racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds of ALL students

• Do you create class team-building opportunities that promote peer support for academic achievement?

•teachers who think of all of their students as capable learners, have high expectations for them, and help the students set short and long term goals for themselves;

Cultural Behaviors SpectrumTraditional school norms

Low movement

Turn-taking

Quiet & rule-driven

Norms specific to under-served students

High movement

Overlap

Preference for variation/spontaneity

Make the connection by examining the data

Disaggregation of Discipline data and suspension data. Include Risk Ratio.

Once trends are noted, start thinking systemically.

CRP is delivered to the students through the SYSTEM.

PlanningOnce data shows a pattern, teams need to

consider:What knowledge and skills the staff needHow todeliver that (short term)How to support that (long term)How to monitor the effects and impactWhere resources will come fromAlign to blueprint

Funding Visibility PolicyPoliticalSupport

Training Coaching Behavioral ExpertiseEvaluation

LEADERSHIP TEAM(Coordination)

Local School/District Implementation Demonstrations

Strategies to Build a Culturally Responsive

system of PBIS

Questions to consider

What cultural expectations do you (as practitioner) bring to the educational setting?

What is your culture in relation to education, interactions and school?values, beliefs, traditions, customs, worldview,

conversational styles, non-verbal language and parenting styles

What are the historic experiences/implications of your culture?

What are the differences/dissonances between your culture and the student’s?

Are you expecting one-way accommodation from the student for any cultural differences? Why?

What accommodations are you expecting?

3 Types of Practice: Traditional, Responsive, Culturally Responsive

Traditional Responsive Culturally Responsive

Teacher centered (eyes on me)

One way

High Affective Filter (nervous if you don’t

do it)

Student centered (teacher holds up fingers, students

repeat)

Two way interaction

Lowered affective filter (compliance without

fear)

Call and Response

IndigenousAy’go, Ay’me

Se Puede, Si Su Puede

RhythmicPeace-QuietHolla-Back

Are you ready?- Totally

LyricalI know I Can – Be What

I Wanna Be

What cultural expectations does the student bring to the educational setting?

What is the student’s culture in relation to education, interactions and school? values, beliefs, traditions, customs, IMAGES, REPRESENTATIONS,

worldview, conversational styles, non-verbal language and parenting styles

What are the historic experiences/implications of the student’s culture?

What are the cultural characteristics of this student that are strengths in the educational environment?

What have you determined to be motivating & reinforcing to this student?

What is the parents’/caretakers’ view on the student’s behaviors of concern?

Family Engagement

Family Engagement• Family representatives should be someone not employed by the

district• Team must value family voices in decision making• Family representative role and responsibilities should be clearly

defined• Family member participation can be encouraged by:

– Scheduling meetings at family-friendly times or with childcare– Sharing meeting minutes, schedules & agendas with families– Delegating specific tasks to family representatives or focus

groups• Keep in mind:

– Representation of community cultures– Representation of multiple family values and systems

• Family representatives and family engagement opportunities can: – Ease in validating, affirming, building relationships – Enhance sense of belonging and communication

Epstein’s 6 Types of Parent Engagement

1. Parenting: Helping homes support children as students

2. Communicating: Designed to facilitate communication about programs and progress

3. Volunteering: Parents as helpers and supports4. Learning at home: How to help students with

homework & other curriculum related activities, etc.5. Decision making: Involving families in school

decisions6. Collaboration with community: Strengthen

home/school/community

School-wide expectations

School-wide Behavior Expectations

Respect Others

Respect Self

Respect the Environment

(activity)

We must help our students make connections.

Principles of Ma’at

1) Truth; 2) Balance; 3) Order; 4) Law; 5) Morality; 6) Justice

EXPECTATIONS

Classroom Procedures/Routines

Class-Wide ArrivalCooperative

LearningGroups

IndependentSeat Work Whole Group

Identify Attention Signal…….Teach, Practice, Reinforce

Be Respectful•Use kind words & actions•Follow adult directions

• Enter/exit classroom prepared• Use inside voice

so others may learn

• Listen to others• Acceptdifferences• Use kind words• EncourageOthers• Wait your turn to

speak (this may disengage some students unless capital taught)

• Follow directions

• Create for yourself and be proud

• Be honest in your work

• Eyes/ears on speaker (is this distancing?)• Raise hand to

speak (is this distancing? Options?)

• Contribute to learning

Be Responsible

•Take proper care of all personal belongings & school equipment

• Place materials in correct area• (practice ORDER)• Begin warm-up

promptly

• Use Time Wisely• Contribute• Complete your

part

• Be a TASK master• Use your

neighbor/community

• Follow directions• Take notes• Meet your

goals

Be Safe

•Keep hands, feet & objects to self•Use all equipment & materials appropriately

• Walk • Use Materials Carefully

• Respect community resources

• Keep hands, feet, and objects to self

• Stay at seat• Keep hands,

feet, and objects to self

Culturally Responsive Alternative - DICTIONARY

Students are taught behavior expectations and then expected to define what those expectations would look like:

• At school• At home• In the community

For example; what does it look like to be Responsible when someone is bothering you?

• At school: Tell an adult• At home: Walk away (telling an adult annoys

your parents)• In your neighborhood: Stand up for yourself (or

get your butt kicked)

Expectation Dictionary

Acknowledgments

Establish a Positive Environment

Five instances of praise and acknowledgement for every correction.

Begin each class period with a celebration or affirmation (Harambee time – “come together”) Chant, song, celebration Builds community, belonging and group identity

Your first comment to a child establishes behavioral momentum Engelmann, Mace, “interspersed requests” Behavioral priming

Provide multiple paths to success/praise.Group contingencies, personal contingencies, etc.

Teaching and Using Acknowledgement

Acknowledgement:Is an important part of how behaviors are taughtBuilds behavioral fluency fasterHelps teach cultural capital (code switching)

when cultural differences existDevelops positive connections between student

and school

Positive EnvironmentReview whose experience is on display:What reading material is available and who is shown in it?What music is used?

Review range of instructional and work options:How are students expected to complete work (in a small

group, individually, etc.)?What type of instruction is provided (lecture, call and

respond, movement based)?

Wrap upObjectives for this session

included: Define CRP and how it fits with PBISOffer practical short term ideas to

start the conversation with staffGuide long term professional

development

Questions, comments and Scathing Rebuttal?

Andreal Davisdavisa@wisconsinrticenter.org

Milaney Leverson leversonm@wisconsinpbisnetwork.org

Kent Smithsmithk@wisconsinpbisnetwork.org