WE CAN’T TEACH WHO WE DON’T KNOW DR. LISA WILLIAMS

OFFICE OF EQUITY AND CULTURAL PROFICIENCY

Culturally Responsive Instructional and Disciplinary

Practices

The objectives of today’s session include:

Examine the demographic features of the population of students attending BCPS.

Examine the understanding of “behavior” as a social construction.

Discuss the implication of cultural mismatch.Identify ways to eliminate or minimize

instances of culturally unresponsive behaviors.

Enrollment by race/ethnicity

Between 2007 and 2019, enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools is projected to: Decrease 4% for students who are White; Decrease 4% for students who are Black; Increase 36% for students who are Hispanic; Increase 31% for students who are Asian or Pacific

Islander; Increase 13% for students who are American Indian or

Alaska Native

Our Changing Minority Enrollment

Division of Curriculum and Instruction – May 23, 2011

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* Categories for Multiracial and Hawaiian/Pacific Island were not tracked in 1980.

English Language Learners (ELL) Students, 1999-2010

Division of Curriculum and Instruction – May 23, 2011

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Homeless Students

Division of Curriculum and Instruction – May 23, 2011

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*2010 data is year to date

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Free and Reduced Meal Students (FARMS) 1989-

2010

Division of Curriculum and Instruction – May 23, 2011

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What is challenging behavior?

What is disruptive behavior?

How do you know…

When behavior has moved from challenged to disruptive?

When behavior has moved from disruptive to challenged?

How do you manage the subjective nature of the issue?

Complicating an already Complicated Proposition

Culture mediates our perceptions Values Believes Behaviors Language Mores

Cultural Mismatch

Do you know it when you see it?

Why you need to know it when you see it: Data Describing Disciplinary

Disparities?Classroom Management

◦ “Violations of implicit interactional codes” (Vavrus & Coles, 2002)

◦ Interactions of some teachers/some students?Cultural Disparities

◦ Cultural misinterpretations◦ Lower or different expectations

Influence of stereotypes◦ How are African American boys perceived?◦ Different standards of “boys will be boys”◦ Differential standards for “respect”, “loitering”,

“threat”

Do you ever see perceptual mismatches?

How do you handle it when you do?

What Behaviors are Students Referred What Behaviors are Students Referred For? By RaceFor? By Race

What Behaviors are Students Referred What Behaviors are Students Referred For? By RaceFor? By Race

White students referred more for:

SmokingVandalismLeaving w/o permissionObscene Language

Black students referred more for:

DisrespectExcessive NoiseThreatLoitering

Of 32 infractions, only 8 significant differencesOf 32 infractions, only 8 significant differences::

Alternative Explanations of Alternative Explanations of Disciplinary DisproportionalityDisciplinary Disproportionality

Do black students misbehave more?◦No supporting evidence◦May in fact be treated more severely for same offenses

Is Disciplinary Removal Effective?

30-50% of students suspended are repeat offenders◦ “Suspension functions as a reinforcer...rather than as

a punisher” (Tobin, Sugai & Colvin,1996)

Use of suspension correlates with◦ School dropout (school level) (Raffaele-Mendez;

Ekstrom, 1986)◦ Juvenile incarceration (state level) (Skiba et al)

The Case for Culturally Responsive Practices

How do culturally responsive practices work to effectively help us navigate the

teaching and learning process

Allows us to root decisions in a shared sense of reality.

Relationally based teaching and learning- the “who” matters just as much as the “what.”

Requires recognition of the perceptions and experiences of students.

What are some requisite considerations if we are to be culturally responsive

Shared languageShared understandingConsistent consequencesUse of praiseAttention to building the internal locus of

control

-PEDRO NOGUERA, CITY SCHOOLS AND THE AMERICAN DREAM

I fundamentally believe that educating all children, even those who are poor and non-white, is an achievable goal, if we truly value all children, Of course, that is the

real question: Does American society truly value all of its

children?

DR. LISA WILLIAMSOFFICE OF EQUITY AND CULTURAL PROFICIENCY

Thanks for your attention