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Reducing Disproportionality in Special Education: The Role of Cultural Self-Awareness

Facilitator: _______________________

A project of the Minnesota Department of Education, Division of Special Education and the Office of Continuing Professional Studies, College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota

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Agenda

Overview of Project

Learning through a Cultural Lens

Module 1

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Project Purpose

Primary goals:

To increase success of African-American students and To reduce special education referral ratesTo improve prereferral practice

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Professional Development Plan

Session One Module 1: Strengthening the Circle: Empowering the African-American LearnerSession Two Module 2: History, Heritage and Schooling: The African-American ExperienceSession Three Module 3: Culturally Sensitive Classroom Assessment: Assessing Social and Academic EngagementNext year: Modules 4-7 (dependent on school participation)

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Module 1 Learning Objectives

At the end of the workshop participants will be able to:Discuss the background of disproportionality and its impact on educators and studentsArticulate a working definition of culture and culturally responsive pedagogyIdentify characteristics of a culturally responsive teacher Discuss the role culture plays in teaching and in the prereferral process

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Exploration of Culture: “I AM” Introductions ActivityThis activity takes place in silence. Draw 5-6 pictures that represent who you are.Find one partner. Don’t show them your picture until asked to do so.Hold the picture up at chest level so your partner can see it.Examine your partner’s picture (No talking!!) Each round lasts 1 minute; there will be 3 rounds.

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“I AM” activity, cont.

On a sheet of paper, answer the following questions:

What did you like/dislike about the activity?Was it easy to communicate what you wanted to?What do you think are the learning goals of this activity?

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Diversity Awareness Scale

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In Minnesota…

Special educators are concerned about disproportionality.

Some facts:African-Americans and American Indians are more likely to be in special education

English Language Learners (ELL) are less likely

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Special Education

BenefitsIndividualized small group instruction

ChallengesLess access to regular classes and curriculumStigmaLower(ed) expectations

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Causes of Disproportionality

Research in Minnesota:Special ed system issues—assessment practices, criteria, lack of parental understandingCommunity and environment—health issues, overall racial bias, povertyGeneral education—lack of options for struggling students, teacher knowledge and attitudes, student attitudes

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National Research

Prereferral problem-solving is a very important part of efforts to reduce special education rates

Classroom teachers are critical

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Disproportionality in IDEA 2004

If district has “significant disproportionality,” it must review and revise policies, practices, and procedures

Each state must set level of significance that will trigger this reviewTraining on prereferral will be one option for districts

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Pilot Site Districts

Factors for selecting pilot sites:Some problem with disproportionalitySize of minority community (at least 30-50 elementary level students)Existing interest and efforts related to diversityExisting interest in disproportionality and/or prereferral practices

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Culturally Appropriate Teaching

Objectives1. What is it?2. How do we do it?3. How do we know when

we’ve done it?

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What is Culture?

Take a moment to think about what the word “culture” means to you.Write a brief definition of “culture” on a piece of paper.You will be asked to share your definition but sharing is optional.

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What is Culture?What do you think?

Objective vs. subjective culture The Iceberg Analogy

How we define cultureA few examples: National origin, race/skin color, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, language, other (for example, rural/urban)

What is your culture?

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Definitions of CultureNo one agreed upon definition of culture exists

One definition is… “culture is a set of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features of society or a social group, and that it encompasses, in addition to art and literature, lifestyles, ways of living together, value systems, traditions and beliefs.” (UNESCO, 2002)

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Definitions, cont.

Cultural self-awareness means understanding culture in general and one’s own culture in particular. It means understanding your own culture with the added ability to describe it to others.

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Intercultural competence encompasses a range of factors including:

Cultural self-awarenessUnderstanding of cultural differencesKnowledge of two or more culturesSkills and ability to behave appropriately in multiple culturesCulture-learning skills

Intercultural competence emphasizes culture learning and adaptation skills that can be applied to any situation. Interculturally competent individuals tend to be more effective when dealing with culturally diverse others of their own and other culture groups.

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Intercultural Competence and Being Culturally Responsive Means…

Understanding the meaning and importance of culture in your life as well as in students’ and their families’ livesBeing an effective culture learnerRecognizing different cultural patternsHelping students understand and deal with cultural identity issues, when appropriate

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A few considerations about learning about culture…

Requires self-reflection of learners about personal experiences with cultural differenceRequires process-oriented learning versus solely fact-based learningRequires exploration of worldviews that differ from one’s own

…and all of these can be challenging

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Turn to your partner…

What does it mean to be culturally responsive?

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Cultural Responsiveness involves…

Reading the cues of another and reacting

The ability to meet another individual’s needs

The ability to empathize and react in a supportive manner

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Culturally Responsive Pedagogy

Teachers who make instructional variations in response to:

CultureRaceGenderClassOther cultural variables

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Cultural Variables

Diverse Learners and Key Cultural Variables

Learning stylesCommunication stylesNon-verbal communication patternsCultural valuesCultural identityIssues of cultural adaptation

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Why is culturally responsive teaching important?

Changing demographics Standards-based reform and Accountability (No Child Left Behind)Individual Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) 2004Economic challengesWe need interculturally competent individuals who have the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors necessary to create inclusive, welcoming, supportive, and successful learning communities.

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Cultural continuumAssimilated to

dominant culture

Strongly identifies with a group that has a cultural world view and experiences that are

different than the dominant group

Bicultural

And various points in between

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The Achievement Gap Closes When…

Educators… 1) are aware of their own cultural filters2) hold positive attitudes and beliefs

that nurture student motivation3) Support students’ efforts to adapt to culturally diverse environments

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Cultural Acculturation Process

Process of cultural change that occurs in individuals when two cultures interactIt leads individuals to adapt elements of another culture, such as values and social behaviors.Culture is not staticIt naturally changes over time and distance

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Effects of AcculturationNormal effects of acculturation may look like disability

Heightened anxietyWithdrawalResponse fatigueDistractibilityDisorientationConfusion in locus of controlSilence or unresponsivenessCode-switchingResistance to changeRelated behaviors

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Gloria Ladson-Billing’“Culturally Relevant

Pedagogy”

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PropositionsAcademic Achievement

Teachers must place student learning at the center of all classroom activity. Students must achieve regardless of how good the “fit” between home and school.

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Cultural Competence

Teachers must help students develop a positive identification with their home culture – an identification that supports student learning (students don’t have to “act white”)

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Sociopolitical Consciousness

Teachers must help students develop civic and social awareness, enabling them to work toward equity and justice beyond their own personal advancement.

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The best teachers of economically

disadvantaged children know how to do a

specific set of skills :

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Protect learners and learning

Put ideas into classroom practice

Challenge external labels given to students such as “at-risk,” “EBD”

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Develop a professional-personal orientation toward students

Know how to satisfy school bureaucracies without compromising teaching quality

Recognize their own fallibility

Have emotional and physical stamina

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Have good organizational ability

Focus on student effort rather than a vague notion of ability

Focus on teaching students rather than sorting them

Convince students that they are needed in the classroom

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Serve as allies with students against challenging material

Source: Haberman (1995)

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Turn to your partner

What do you think makes it so hard for teachers to implement these culturally responsive instructional models in their classrooms?

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Let’s take a look at beliefs…

Gloria Ladson Billings’ research

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BELIEFS TOWARD ACADEMICALLY AND

CULTURALLY AT-RISK STUDENTS

Assume Responsibility

Share/shift Responsibility

Seek Excellence (1) Conductors (2) Coaches

Seek Improvement

(3) Tutors (4) General Contractors

Maintain the Status Quo

(5) Custodians (6) Referral Agents

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REFERRAL AGENTS Referral agents do not believe that

much can be done to help their students improve either, but they shift the responsibility (for maintaining students at these low levels) to other school personnel, by sending them off to the school psychologist or the special education teacher (or other support personnel).

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CUSTODIANS Custodians do not believe that

much can be done to help their students but they do not look for others to help them maintain the students at these low levels.

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GENERAL CONTRACTORS General Contractors believe that

improvement is possible, but they look for ancillary personnel (aides resource teachers, and son on) to provide academic assistance rather than take on the responsibility themselves.

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TUTORS Tutors believe that students can

improve and they believe it is their responsibility to help them do so.

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COACHES Coaches also believe their students are

capable of excellence, but they are comfortable sharing the responsibility to help them achieve it with parents, community members, and the students themselves. Coaches understand that the goal is team success. …They do need a sense of how to blend the talents of the players to form a winning team.

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CONDUCTORS Conductors believe that students are

capable of excellence and they assume responsibility for ensuring that their students achieve that excellence. …Critics describe the quality of the performance in terms of the conductor’s performance, even though the conductor did not play a single note.

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Turn to your partner

Do beliefs change?

If you think so…•What facilitates this process?

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Personal Cultural Identity Revisited

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White Identity StatusStage 1 Conformity

Preference for dominant cultural values over ownEthnocentric attitudes and beliefsMinimal awareness of self as racial beingBelief in universality of values and norms governing behaviorLimited knowledge of other groupsBelieve they are not racistBelieve minority inferiority justifies discriminationDenial & compartmentalization

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White Identity Status

Stage 2 DissonanceForced to deal with inconsistenciesForced to acknowledge whiteness and examine own cultural valuesConflict between upholding humanistic values and own behaviorRisk ostracism from family and friendsTendency to retreat into white culture

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White Identity Status

Stage 3 Resistance and ImmersionComplete endorsement of minority viewDedicated to reacting against white societyRejects white social, cultural and institutional standardsDesire to eliminate oppression

Questions and challenges own racismSees racism everywhereAnger at family, friends, institutionsZealous

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White Identity StatusStage 4 Introspection Stage

Intensity of feelings drainingResistance is reactive, not proactiveDoesn’t allow personal growthDiscomfort with rigid group views

White identity cannot be defined by external forcesNeed for greater individual autonomyIndependent research fro goals beyond reacting to racismReduction of defensiveness associated with being white

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White Identity Status

Stage 5 Integrative AwarenessSelf-fulfillment with regard to racial cultural identityNonracist white identity emerges

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Minority Identity StatusStage 1 Conformity

Self• Self-deprecating• Own cultural characteristics negative• Physical characteristics source of shame

Same Minority• Group deprecating—internalized white stereotypes• Use of denial “I am not like them.”

Other Minority• Share dominant attitude and beliefs toward other

minoritiesDominant Group

• Appreciating attitude• White culture, social and institutional standards better

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Minority Identity StatusStage 2 Dissonance

Self• Conflict: Self-deprecation & self-appreciation

– Feelings of shame and pride– Why should I feel bad about who I am

• Growing personal awareness that racism exists• Considers positive attributes of minority culture

Same Minority• Conflict: Group deprecation & group appreciation• Questions dominant views—aspects of own culture appeal• Finds members of own group attractive as friends or lovers

Different Minority• Conflict between dominant view and shared experience• Questions stereotypes—sense of comradeship

Dominant Group• Conflict: Group deprecation & group appreciation• Awareness that dominant values do not benefit self• Growing suspiciousness & distrust

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Minority Identity StatusStage 3 Resistance/Immersion

Self• Self discovery of own history and culture• Self esteem is raised

Same Minority• Strong sense of commitment & identification with group• Minority value accepted without question• Restrict interactions with own group

Different Minority• Conflict between empathy & culturo centrism

Dominant Group• Perception of dominant group as oppressor• Withdrawal from dominant culture• Anger, hostility, distrust and dislike towards whites

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Minority Identity StatusStage 4 Immersion

Self• Conflict between allegiance to group and personal

independenceSame Minority

• Concern with unequivocal nature of group• Sees own group taking extreme positions

Different Minority• Uneasiness with culturo centrism• Desire to understand other group experiences• Movement to understand differences in oppression

Dominant Group• Conflict between trust and selective trust• Recognition that many elements of majority society are

desirable• Is it a sell out to accept certain White values?

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Minority Identity StatusStage 5 Integrative Awareness

Self• Positive self-image• High sense of autonomy• Bicultural or multicultural without a sense of selling out• Autonomous unique individual• Member of own group and larger group

Same Minority• Pride in group without unequivocal acceptance• Empathy with group experience• Empathy towards members functioning less adaptively

Different Minority• Group appreciating• Desire to understand values and traditions• Support for all oppressed people

Dominant Group• Selective appreciation of those who seek to eliminate oppression• Open to constructive elements of dominant culture• Racism is seen as a sickness in a society where white people are also victims

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Ask your partner

“Dreamkeepers or Gatekeepers”

In light of what you have just learned, what does this phrase mean to you?

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Turn to your partner

Summarize one or two points from this presentation that you think are the most critical to your understanding of culturally responsive teaching.

Congratulate yourself on taking on the important task of being culturally responsive in your teaching!

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References

UNESCO, 2003 (def of culture)Definitions of culture (Paige)—add citation to slides 19-20Slide 27: NCLB; IDEIA, 2004Slide 32: Gloria Ladson-Billings CRPSlide 40: Haberman, 1995