2019 Innovative Schools Summit · Use growth mind-set statements before students working on independent tasks – Make affirming statements in the classroom to challenge negative

Copyright © EDEquity, Inc. All Rights Reserved

www.edequity.com

2019

Innovative Schools Summit

I’m Not Broken:

Cultivating Schools Climates Which Address the Dis-Proportionality in

Discipline for Students of Color!

Presented by

Edwin Lou Javius

CEO/President, EDEquity Inc.

[email protected]

Twitter:@edequity

© EDEquity, Inc. All Rights Reserved

www.edequity.com

10 MTSS Strategies to

Address Learning and Behavior for

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

1. Provide positive descriptive feedback on effort as a class incentive –

Be descriptive in your feedback to students for them to replicate the

positive behavior or action.

2. Validate affirm bridge and build home/community behavior and

language align expectations – If there is a conflict or miss

communication in behavior and verbal interaction, the teacher

should attempt to understand the action, acknowledging positively

and share another strategy as a tool that aligns with the school/class

expectations.

3. Be purposeful, intentional and deliberate in your teaching proximity to

“catch” students ready to participate in class activities – Being overtly

mindful of your positioning in the classroom to observe specific

students call on them to actively participate in class discussion/class

activities.

4. Teach situational appropriateness and code-switching as a classroom

expectation – Teach students that there are different

environments/expectations to engage (behaviorally and linguistically)

and know how and when to move back and forth within the different

environments

5. Use growth mind-set statements before students working on

independent tasks – Make affirming statements in the classroom to

challenge negative thoughts that the student may have when

tackling challenging independent tasks

6. Teach the student how to praise their peers for positive behavior and

effort – Create prompts where students can praise the effort of their

peers in developing a communal learning environment

7. Plan lessons that empower students culturally, racially and

linguistically – When planning be intentional in developing lessons that

have experiences of “who and how” the student taps into intrinsic

motivation

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8. Embed intervention strategies as part of your tier I instruction – When

planning lessons embed strategies for students that may lack pre-

requisite skills/learning.

9. Use student’s caretakers (parent/guardian/extended family)

information when building an academic and behavior plan – When

communicating with the student’s parent, extended family guardian,

seek positive information to support developing an asset-based

academic and behavior plan.

10. Plan and overtly use sentence frames with key vocabulary for

students to practice the formal academic and content formal

language – When developing lessons, be intentional in crafting

sentence frames that allow students to use the vocabulary of the

content and open-ended frames to explain their thinking.

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Not all home/community expectations are similar

PBIS Cultural Expectations

Expectations School Expectations Bridge Community/Home Expectations

Direction

Directions to a student can be

vague by providing a choice

when a choice is really not

being solicited. For example:

Do you want to clean your

area?

Directions are clear and specific

with timeline and accountability,

along with verbal response

required from me, i.e. Yes, Mom! I

will clean the room and remove

the clothes from under the bed!

Respect

Follows a middle-class norm of

how the teacher believes

respect should look like.

“Expect respect because of

authority position.”

Authority is respected. However,

respect is not constant. Respect

must be earned based on

individual actions.

Incentives

Extrinsic rewards are valued,

short-term.

Intrinsic rewards are long-lasting,

verbal reward with specificity

signals caring.

Relationships

Relationships are formed based

on academic levels and social

networking.

Based on racial affinity of

common reality established on

race and culture

Voice

Level of voice is defined based

on area. Quiet voice is

rewarded, even when excited!

Loud and high octave voice

signals excitement. Verbal back-

and-forth is an affirmation of the

story being told.

Responsible

Understanding your individual

space and others. Individual

responsibility is rewarded.

Collective responsibility is

rewarding. “Take care of your

little bother!” Individual space

varies based on relationship.

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Cultural Academic and Behavior

Self-Assessment Survey

The purpose of the Cultural Academic and Behavior Assessment Survey (CABAS) is to identify key understanding of how

culture impacts the educators’ knowledge, skills and action in implementing social/emotional and academic preventive

support structures for diverse students.

Note: Identify your responses based on if the situation arises you use this strategy or approach.

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Cultural Academic Behavior Assessment Survey (CABAS) Consciousness Never

1

Rarely

2

Sometimes

3

Often

4

Always

5

1. I make a conscious effort to affirm and validate my students daily for their

positive verbal interaction; respect with peers.

2. I seek to look for students that have had negative encounters with the

school rules and others on campus to acknowledge their presence when

they are following the school’s expectations.

3. When I give feedback to my students it is clear and descriptive enough for

other students to replicate my expectations.

4. I’m purposeful, intentional and deliberate in “catching” students being

respectful and displaying effort in my class and out in the hallways.

Section Rating

Commitment

1. I overtly teach situational appropriateness and “code switching” to my

students.

2. I openly acknowledge my faults to my students when I’m unclear in my

instruction and directions to them.

3. I’m known as an advocate for my students and their family in un-covering

the hidden rules and curriculum in my school.

4. When I’m unfamiliar with community language and behaviors being

displayed by my students, I ask them to explain them to me.

Section Rating

5


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Congruency

1. I understand the importance of consistency of rules, however I have the

skills to differentiate my expectations to meet the needs of my students.

2. As a member implementing behavior strategies, I use qualitative and

quantitative data to make instructional decisions and actions.

3. Based on observational data, I can make immediate adjustment to re-

direct student behavior without compromising the school rules and

expectations.

4. I use what I know is of interest to my students’ and culture (after 3:00 pm)

to design strategies to empower my students.

Section Rating

Caring

1. I use verbal affirmation as a primary means of incentives to my students in

and out of class.

2. I am able to interact with my families with respect and kindness even

when the parent is frustrated with the school.

3. I provide frequent “peacock moments” for my students in and out of class

for positive behavior and effort.

4. I am able to leverage my relationship with students to empower them to

be successful in school.

Section Rating

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School Wide and Classroom

Survey Question Examples The following examples are school wide and classroom examples to assist in helping the surveyor understand the

questions on the survey. For example: Consciousness 1 corresponds to survey question Consciousness 1.

Consciousness 1. Being mindful every day and act on giving students positive words or nonverbal cues when I hear them

speaking in a respectful way or tone with other students.

2. Know or have been provided a list of students that are experiencing conflict with the school rules and make a

conscious effort to provide positive comments when the student(s) is following the rules.

3. When I’m in class or outside of class, I use clear and precise language that my students can understand and

follow.

4. I aggressively look for students to demonstrating behavioral expectations or showing effort to comply with

classroom and school rules.

Commitment

1. I incorporate in my class instruction, via structured oral language and vocabulary development, how to take

community language and bridge it to academic language. I also overtly show the students when different

types of behaviors are used in different environments.

2. I reflect and share with my students when I’m wrong or unclear, and I have given them the language to

respectfully interrupt me when they are unclear about my direction/instruction.

3. My students and families can come to me anytime to get clarification of rules that are unclear or have various

interpretations.

4. I ask my students to teach me aspects of their community and culture so I can better understand and teach

them.

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Congruency

1. I can apply school wide and classroom rules in different ways with consideration of the students’ needs, without

other students feeling I am showing favoritism.

2. I use observational and achievement data to make recommendations for improving students’ behavior.

3. I watch my students intently, to be preventive when I see possible behavioral/discipline issues.

4. I ask my students to share their interests with me to develop teacher/student relationships, and I use their

information as academic and behavior data.

Caring

1. I give my students positive descriptive feedback as a means to developing genuine student/teacher

relationships in and out of class

2. Despite a parent being frustrated, I still look to interact with the parent to find positive solutions for their child.

3. Through my classroom instruction and preventive interaction with students, my students are provided caring

comments that make them feel “special” and their joy is visible to the peers and others

4. I use my relationship with my students to lead them to the next level of academic and behavioral

performance.

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Cultural Academic Behavior Assessment Survey (CABAS) Rubric

Beginning

16-26

Emerging

27-39

Applying

40-69

Innovating

70-80

I am un-sure of how culture

impacts the learning and

behaviors needs of my

students.

I believe the academic and

behavioral levels of students are

predetermined by their home

culture.

I have the ability to influence

certain students’ willingness to

adapt to the expectations/rules

of my classroom and the school.

I believe that the academic and

behavioral levels of my students are

malleable (able to grow), and that I

have the ability to transform fixed to

growth mind-set in myself and my

students.

I use from pre-written lessons

for my teacher editions

(textbook series) to teach my

students even if the lessons

lack cultural experiences of

my students.

When I lesson plan I take into

account my students’ culture

when the curriculum and

behavioral expectations dictates

it.

I understand that my students’

culture has an impact/effect on

lesson planning and delivery,

however I need to be more

conscious about accessing

student culture in planning.

Consideration of students’ cultures

drives my lesson planning and delivery.

This is especially crucial for students

whose culture differs from my own. I use

my culture and that of my students to

ensure my students can successfully

access academic and behavioral

standards.

Students should enter school

understanding the

expectations of school and

classroom behavior.

I maintain a learning

environment in which my

students understand the

behavioral expectations of the

class/school, and classroom rules

are clearly stated.

I develop a learning

environment for my students

that allows them to

demonstrate flexibility to self-

regulate behavioral challenges.

I cultivate a learning environment in

which students feel safe to take

intellectual risks. I am willing to learn

from my students’ cultural and

community norms of behavior.

There is a universal level of

respect and my students

should enter school knowing

and can demonstrate this

universal understanding.

I teach my students to be

respectful to me and their peers

both in and out of class.

I am purposeful in teaching

what respect looks like both in

and out of my class, and the

importance of using verbal and

non-verbal communication

styles.

I am conscious in developing

academic language to provide my

students the skills to respectfully

question and/or engage me when

they encounter academic and

behavioral challenges. The students

use those verbal skills (vocabulary) to

mitigate peer to peer conflict.

I am not conscious in

providing validation and

affirmation to my students for

their learning and behavior

efforts.

I am patient with my students

who have academic and

behavioral challenges and

provide incentives for my

students that demonstrate

positive behavior.

I am conscious in “catching”

my students demonstrating

positive behaviors in and out of

class. I use verbal incentives to

make the student(s) feel

empowered to replicate those

behaviors.

I am purposeful daily in validating,

affirming and bridging my students’

academic and behavioral efforts, and

conscious in providing positive

descriptive feedback for students

which have had behavioral

challenges in the past.

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Overall Rating Beginning Emerging Applying Innovating Points

16-26

Points

27-39

Points

40-69

Point

70-80

Consciousness

Beginning Emerging Applying Innovating Points

1-5

Points

6-9

Points

10-17

Point

18-20

Commitment


1-5

Points

6-9

Points

10-17

Point

18-20

Congruency


1-5

Points

6-9

Points

10-17

Point

18-20

Caring


1-5

Points

6-9

Points

10-17

Point

18-20

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Culturally/Racially Assets Teaching Approach to Meeting the Needs of

All Students

Cultural/Racial Assets Teaching is a teaching approach from the constructivist theory of learning.

Teachers actively foster, build, validate and honor prior knowledge of diverse learners. Standard

English Learners (SEL’s) and English Learners (EL’s) are more inclined to use their primary

home/community experiences and language to make a connection with academic and behavior

expectorations of school. The more culturally synch the school experience is with home, and

community experiences of SELs and ELs demonstrate a deeper level of understanding and

cognitive engagement (Gay, 2017).

CRAT encourages teachers to examine the academic and behavior assets that are culturally

incongruent with evidenced-based programs and traditional teaching practices. One of the key

elements of CRAT is to Validate (recognize) Affirm (understand) and Bridge (connect) the

home/community experience to the school experience. The second element of CRAT is the teacher

must challenge their assumptions, beliefs and biases of the cultural and racial differences SELs

and ELs bring to academic and behavior encounters in school. The differences must be viewed as

assets and need to be cultivated to support positive school outcomes and experience. The teacher

must learn how to extrapolate cultural and racial assets to plan academic and skill-based lessons

to foster the academic complexities and sophistication of the learner. This level of examination

and planning and lesson design for the teacher mirrors that of Universal Design Lessons (UDL)

and Differentiated Instruction (DI).

The essential element of CRAT is the teacher must have or move toward an Equity Mindset. An

Equity Mindset is an undeniable belief that the students are bringing academic strengths and

resiliency to the classroom every day. Teachers of CRAT overtly uses positive description

feedback on effort (Dweck , 2009) to foster students to tackle rigorous learning and performance

tasks. The teacher develops a learning environment which the students are the producer of

knowledge and not a consumer of knowledge, through high order questioning and structure oral

language practice. The teacher is purposeful, intentional and deliberate in fostering academic

conversation and discourse by connecting their home language with the language of school.

Culturally/Racially Assets Teaching is grounded in research of many educational scholars who

studied the impact of culture on teaching and learning. To maximize the learning opportunities

for “Salt Water Fish” (SELs and ELs culture), School Culture needs to honor and appreciate the

water each fish is swimming in to survive.

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General Characteristics of Diverse Learners

Learning Styles Valued by the

(Fresh Water Fish)

Standardized and Rule-Driven

Inductive (part to whole) Controlled, Egocentric

Low-movement Expressive Context

View Environment in Isolated Parts

Precise Concepts of Space, Number, and Time

Respond to Object Stimulus

Dominant Communication is Verbal

Long Attention Span

Long Concentration Span

Emphasis on Quiet

Emphasis on Independent Work

Cognitive

Emphasis on Written Language

Communication Focused

Standard Language English Language Learners:

(Salt Water Fish)

Variation Accepting and Improvising

Deductive (part to whole) Expressive, Sociocentric

High-movement Expressive Context View

Environment as a Whole

Approximate Concepts of Space, Number, and Time

Respond to People/Social Stimulus

Non-verbal as well as Verbal Communication

Shorter Attention Span

Shorter Concentration Span

Emphasis on Rich Verbal Interplay (Talkative)

Responds to Collaborative Efforts

Cognitive/Affective

Verbal Expression Preferred

Interaction Focused

These are general characteristics and should not be used as blanket characteristics of the different learners.

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Salt Water Fish

In the following scenario, identify the learning style(s) in each of the students.

Scenario 1

The morning bell rings, alerting students that itʹs time to line up. By this time, Donte has

worked up a sweat chasing his classmates and playing a brisk game of tag. Two minutes

later, he finally positions himself in line yet does so while facing students behind him,

strikingup conversation with whoever will engage him. Upon entering the building, he

jumps up to touch the top of the doorway proving that he has hops (can jump high), just in

case there was someone nearby who was unaware of this skill. As he climbs the stairs

on his way to the classroom, he runs his hand along the wall of the hallway. Now in the

classroom, he puts his jacket in the closet, unable to resist talking to the others there

even though the teacher has repeated for the third time that no one should be talking.

After taking his seat and placing his homework on the desk for the teacher to monitor,

he plays a drum beat with knuckles of one hand and the base of his other palm while

rapping his multiplication tables to no one in particular.

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Diagnose

In the following scenarios, identify the learning style(s) and instructional planning to engage

the learning and behavioral needs of the student.

Scenario 1

Styles:

Scenario 1

Instructional Planning/Modifications:

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26 Leadership

I have had the pleasure of en-gaging hundreds of courageous educators throughout the nation in developing systems and strategies to increase leadership and teacher efficacy. Recently American schools have encountered another “black-eye” – no pun intended. The National Assessment of Educational Progress has reported that our schools, at various grade levels, have actually widened the gap between students of color and their white counterparts.

In addition to the NAEP data, other edu-cational and non-educational agencies are reporting disproportionate data of black and brown students being expelled, suspended and referred to special education.

In an effort to combat the number of stu-dents of color referred to special education, the nation has implemented a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) model. One of the goals of the MTSS is to strategically examine the root causes of why students of

color are referred more often to special edu-cation and experience behavior problems.

The model was implemented to encour-age the school system to view students who have possible learning disabilities with an asset-based lens. In short, the model was to analyze academic and behavioral causes to students’ lack of success in school.

As nationally conveyed, the model is de-signed to put in place specific “safety-nets” and educators who will critically examine multiple data sources prior to placing the student at various tiers of support. Tier one support calls for differentiated core instruc-tion, and should be provided by the general education teacher. Tier two support pro-vides additional academic and behavioral support, without taking away the basic dif-ferentiated core instruction. In tier three, the student is provided intense individual-

By Edwin Lou Javius

Students of color are disproportionately

referred to our special education programs,

a factor that will continue until they are

appropriately engaged through multiple

literacies: academic, social, cultural and racial.

I’m not broken…

I just do school differently!

CULTURAL CONSIDERATION IN THE CLASSROOM

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ized, research-based intervention strategies, with tight progress monitoring structures.

The fire that spurred me to write this ar-ticle is a desire to have us seriously reflect and act on our leadership decisions that may explain why black and brown students continue to be disproportionately referred, diagnosed and remain in our special edu-cation programs. I would like to offer my personal analysis and a reflection that might shed some light on changing the educational experiences for students of color, and offer a solution to educators who look to success-fully implement an MTSS that is culturally, racially and linguistically responsive to stu-dents of color.

As a lead consultant for high performing and turn-around schools throughout the na-tion, I have collected data from a number of districts and schools implementing the Posi-tive Behavioral Intervention and Support (PBIS) model to assist teachers with strate-gies to address student behavior.

Despite the fact that the national MTSS model clearly indicates that student referrals to special education should address learning disabilities, many support structures unfor-tunately focus their attention on the behav-ior of the student as the cause of academic underachievement. This drives the student study team members to devote 80 percent of their efforts on addressing behavior and only 20 percent on their examination of instruc-tional issues.

According to literacy development expert Alfred Tatum, the root causes of behavioral struggles for most boys of color stem from curriculum and instructional delivery that does not appropriately engage the students’ multiple literacies: academic, social, cultural and racial.

Teachers strongly indicate in conferences and training sessions that, “There is no way for me to teach if I have behavior problems.” While I emphatically concur with the teach-ers, I do go on and ask, “What comes first, a powerful well-designed lesson or a moti-vated student?”

Needless to say, the intellectual air be-comes quiet and personal reflection begins.

I then remind them that when they ar-rived at my training, not all of them were motivated either. Their level of motivation

and excitement is based on my ability to en-gage them with the content and delivery.

Teachers want the same type of classroom experiences as boys of color: enthusiastic teachers, relevant curriculum, the oppor-tunity to share their knowledge with their peers, affirmation of their responses, oppor-tunity to move in the class, and rationale of why the information is important.

Bias interrupting success In further examination of strategies dis-

tricts use to modify behavior of black boys, I have realized that if I were an elementary student today, I would be a serious candidate for special education services.

Not many district programs and strate-gies have explicit modifications for a young squirrely black boy from the projects who loved school. The way I entered school and the cultural attributes I carried would not have been viewed as academic or cognitive assets. As Lisa Delpit indicates, there is a cultural incongruence with the norms of my home culture and school culture.

As I have witnessed in many special edu-cation audits and behavior specialist meet-ings, many if not most educators do not consider the impact of a school culture that is Eurocentric and middle class for all stu-dents. This lack of recognition for cultural differences, and the impact on certain stu-dents, has created an underlying bias im-pacting the behaviors for black and brown boys in school.

Norms of behavior are key to school suc-cess; however educators must be willing to acknowledge that some school norms are hidden. Subsequently, many students of color engage the tiered support system through the behavior door. There is little consideration that movement, divergent thinking, verbal prowess, being argumenta-tive and learning exuberantly are key learn-ing skills of gifted and talented learners.

The chicken or the egg?Teachers should consider which comes

first, a powerful lesson or a motivated stu-dent. Often, districts and schools tend not to have a clear and explicit approach to im-proving the basic differentiated core tier one instruction.

The evidence shows, discipline and behav-ior problems decline when students are en-gaged in effective class activities and lessons. Noteworthy is the fact that more evidence is showing students of color are more engaged when lessons are differentiated to meet their cultural and linguistic needs.

Tatum, among other scholars, shares the importance of providing culturally relevant materials to address the learning needs of students of color, particularly black boys.

“We really know what to do to solve the issue of the under-achievement of boys of color,” said noted teacher educator and effec-tive schools researcher Ron Edmonds (1935-1983). “We have to be dissatisfied with why we have not done what we know works.”

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Districts and schools that have recognized the brilliance and

cultivated above average academic success in boys of color have

teachers who believe in their talents.

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28 Leadership

Believing in brilliance Districts and schools that have recognized

the brilliance and cultivated above average academic success in boys of color have teach-ers who believe in their talents. Students who overtly know the teacher believes in them have teachers who:

• use what they know about the student after 3 p.m. and use that information to design relevant lessons to enhance the skill level of students;

• have pedagogical content knowledge – a deep understanding of the content and are students of knowing their students;

• validate and affirm the home language and cultural norms, and support “code switching”;

• refine their district’s MTSS model to overtly address tier one instruction and pro-vide learning experiences that allow boys of color to show a depth and sophistication of their thinking;

• give their students positive descriptive feedback for their efforts; and, last but not least,

• provide a racially and culturally safe classroom in which students do not feel their race is on trial when actively participating in class discussions.

I urge educators to critically examine what really causes us to misdiagnose students of color. If you open the academic door first and address the mediocrity of instruction, you will f ind statistically significant im-provement in discipline and a decline in un-necessary referrals to special education.

I urge districts and schools to improve their systems of support and consider cul-ture as an asset to meeting the behavior and academic needs of all students. If we are committed to eradicating disproportionality in discipline, we must be relentless in culti-vating learning conditions and systems that are restorative and not punitive. If we solve the current issue with our boys of color in school, all student demographic groups will grow as well.

Resources• Tatum, Alfred W., “A Call for Change:

Providing Solutions for Black Male Achievement,” 2012, Council of Great City Schools: http://goo.gl/qXUC6T.

• Tomlinson, Carol Ann, and Javius, Edwin Lou, “Teach Up for Excellence,” ASCD Educational Leadership, February 2012: http://goo.gl/3Kg1jx.

• Gay, Geneva (2010). “Culturally Re-sponsive Teaching: Theory, Research and Practice” (2nd Edition) New York: Teacher’s College Press.

• Delpit, Lisa (1995) “Other People’s Children: Cultural Conflict in the Class-room.” The New York Press, New York.

Edwin Lou Javius is CEO/president of EDEquity, executive principal coach, equity team facilitator, and a reflective question coaching expert. He may be contacted at [email protected]; Twitter @edequity.

EdEquity’s Culturally Conscious Positive Behavior Support survey is used to identify key understanding of how culture impacts an educator’s knowledge, skills and action in implementing social, emotional and academic preventive support structures for diverse students.The full survey is administered in a professional development context, but we invite you to sample the “Consciousness” portion. Identify your responses based on: If the situation arises you use this strategy or approach. Add up your points to discover where you rate.

1. I make a conscious effort to affirm and validate my students daily for their positive verbal interaction; respect with peers.

Never (0) Rarely (1) Sometimes (2) Often (3) Always (4)

2. I seek to look for students who have had negative encounters with the school rules and others on campus to acknowledge their presence when they are following the school’s expectations.


3. When I give feedback to my students it is clear and descriptive enough for other students to replicate my expectations.


4. I’m purposeful, intentional and deliberate in “catching” students being respectful and displaying effort in my class and out in the hallways.


Where do you fall on the support spectrum? Emerging Applying Innovating

0-6 points 7-11 points 12-16 points www.edequity.com

Understanding your impact

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Documents

2019 Innovative Schools Summit · Use growth mind-set statements before students working on independent tasks – Make affirming statements in the classroom to challenge negative