Dr. Donna ElamSoutheastern Equity Center

July 2013

Equity, Excellence and Engagement of Diverse Learners

North Carolina CDC

Overview

• This session will be a hands-on, interactive session with research and best practices to address the needs of a diverse student population while integrating rigor and equity to impact student achievement for career development and opportunities.

•

STAND UP AND BE COUNTED!

I Believe All Children Can Learn

Think About This Carefully …

I believe that I teach all children to high standards.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Projections

The Demographics of the U.S. are Changing Rapidly

A NATION AT-RISK

A NATION ACCOUNTABLE

Source: Jay P. Greene and Greg Forster, “Public High School Graduation and College Readiness Rates in the United States,” Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, September 2003.

Students Graduate From High School At Different Rates, 2001** 4-Year Graduation Rates

CULTURALLY COMPETENT LEADERSHIP:Implications for Practice in Higher Education

Some of the root causes

View Movie: A TIME TO KILL (SUMMATION)

At-Home Storybook Readingby age 6-1/2

SES Avg. per day

Total

Middle Class*

45

minutes

1,700 hours

*Adams, M.J. (1990) Beginning to Read: Thinking and Learning about Print

At-Home Storybook Readingby age 6-1/2

SES Avg. per day

Total

Middle Class

45

minutes

1,700 hours

Low

Income*

2

minutes

25

hours

As Grade Level Increases, the Assignments Given to Students Fall Further and Further Behind Grade Level

Standards

Source: John Holton, South Carolina Department of Education, analysis of assignments from 362 Elementary and Middle Schools in SC.

WHY

WHY

Why Cultural Competence is Important

Getting everyone on the same page

Exploring Terms

“I –Time” – Take a few moments to think about the following terms:

• Choose recorder & reporter for group• Share highlights with small group.• Reach consensus on the “best of the

best” • Report out: Diversity/Equality/Equity/

Cultural Competence

Diversity

• Diversity –

Diversity

Diversity – The limitless differences among individuals and groups that are often observed in religious, racial, cultural, socio-economic, political values, behaviors, physical/social differences, and preferences.

Equality

• Equality –

Equality

Equality – equal treatment for all students irrespective of their academic needs… “We treat everyone the same way.”

Practices are rarely changed for individuals but may be changed for the majority or to meet the needs of the organization.

Equity

• Equity

Equity Equity in the broadest sense is defined as just,

impartial, and fair. Educational equity emphasizes equal

outcomes, not only equal input.

Jones, Elam, & Nichols, 2010

Cultural Competence

• Cultural Competence.

Cultural Competence

Cultural Competence is the knowledge and skill set

needed to provide effective delivery of services to diverse populations

Culturally Competent Educators…

Understand their own biases and how they effect attitudes and behavior;

Identify and eliminate patterns and incidence of discrimination;

Communicate about the hard issues of race and education without alienating groups;

Have the personal courage & commitment to persist.

Culturally Competent Educators…

Learn much of what they must know and be able to do,

from and through their

students’ families and communities.

If we don’t…

Why Cultural Competence is Important

Reframing the Conversation about Equality/Inequality:

•

At your tables, discuss the 3 questions below; select a recorder, reporter, time keeper to report your responses.

• Do you feel that there is equality for all of your students for their career paths?

• What are the greatest challenges that you face regarding the diversity of your students?

• What strategies do you utilize that ensure your students’ success in transition from school to career?

What Does The Research Say?

Emergent Themes:

Strategy for Staff: Data Dialogues:• What does the data tell us?• Which teachers are having success?• Which teachers are struggling?• Conduct expertise scan & pair or cluster

structured support.

Culturally CompetentLeadership

Culturally CompetentLeadership

Strategy for Students:Building RelationshipsAuthentic Expectations

Strategies used in the African American culture to either function within or outside of mainstream

society.

(1a) Defensive

A filter of protection against

racism &

engagement to function

bi-culturally

(1b) Alienated

Rejection of

mainstream culture

(*Based on the compiled research of Fordham & Ogbu, 1986; Cross, 1995; and Solomon, 1992)

Versus

Oppositional Identities*

Strategy for your school or district:Organizing your program

information with the Logic Model

The Logic Model• Organizes elements of your program

in a way that:– Is concise– Shows the “big picture” as a series of

hypotheses:• “What” we want to happen• “How” we intend to make it happen• “IF” these things happen, “THEN” we will see

these results

39

Factors Promoting Academic Success

• Factors Promoting Academic Success include: – Rites of passages programs– All male academies– Appropriate mentors and mentoring initiatives– Early career exploration programs– Fusion of African/ cultural teaching pedagogy– Summer bridge programs– Family support (especially mothers)– Personal confidence and motivation– Recognition of unique learning styles – Training and development of a pedagogically effective faculty

Logic ModelWhy bother: • A working model• Dynamic, not static• Reflects a Process that contributes to outcomes, not

an end product• Aids reflection and communication

• Data about outcomes and process• Common language, knowledge, and processes

strengthen organizational culture

The Logic ModelIMPACT

Our long term

results

OUTCOMES

WHAT changes

we’ll expect to

find

OUTPUTS

WHAT evidence

we’ll produce from our efforts

STRATEGIES

HOW we’ll do it

RESOURCES

WHAT we’ll need

IF we have these,

resources in place

and

IF we do

these things

THEN we

expect to see these

changes

…that will contribute

to this long term transfor-mation

The Logic ModelIMPACT

Equity & Excellence

in Education for Diverse Students

OUTCOMES

Eliminate minority

isolation & Impact the

Achievement Gap

OUTPUTS

WHAT evidence

we’ll produce from our efforts

STRATEGIES

ReformsData

DialoguesDifferentiated

InstructionCultural

Competence

RESOURCES

ResearchExpertise

PDPLCs

IF we have these,

resources in place

and

IF we do

these things

THEN we

expect to see these

changes

…that will contribute

to this long term transfor-mation

Resource

• W.K. Kellogg Foundation• Logic Model Development Guide

We can, whenever and wherever we choose, successfully teach all children whose schooling is of interest to us. We already know more

than we need to do that.

Whether or not we do it must finally depend on how we feel about the fact that we haven’t so far.”

- Dr. Ron Edmonds