Cheryl S. Greene, Ed.D.Kyrene de la Esperanza www.voicesofcolor.com

Voices of Color: Using student voice to achieve educational equity

February 16, 2010 Phoenix, AZ

2010 Leadership for Equity & Excellence Forum

Welcome and Introductions!

Learning Outcomes:• Recognize the power of student voice in

exploring issues of equity and race

• Develop a deeper understanding of the intersection of race and student achievement, especially from the perspective of students

• Discover new methods for successfully using student voice to address equity and other critical issues within your learning environment

The difficulty inherent in the work of equity is that of breaking the

silence…deliberately and purposefully engaging in

conversations that often evoke feelings of defensiveness, resentment, and confusion.

CourageousListen with an open heart and mind.

Conversations Maximize the power of

conversations to envision new

possibilities and create a culture of change

Consider the achievement of students in your school or district.

What are your successes?What are your challenges?

What other critical issues come to mind when you think about your school, district or educational setting?

– What are the current processes or strategies that are used to address these issues?

– Who has been engaged and/or involved in the solution?

Pair Share

The Kyrene Story“Academic Excellence”

Kyrene School District• Kindergarten – 8th Grade• Located in Phoenix, Tempe, Chandler• 6 Middle Schools (Grades 6 – 8 )• 19 Elementary (Grades K – 5)

Student Demographics (2004) 71% White 13.5% Hispanic 7% Asian 6% African American

1.8% Native American

“Kyrene students excel academically”

“Since the 2000 administration of the Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS), Kyrene students in grades 3, 5, and 8 have consistently out performed the state in the percent of the Meet or Exceeds Category.”

Kyrene School District A Top Performing District (2004)

• All 25 schools met or exceeded state performance and progress goals

• 19 Kyrene schools, including all 6 middle schools, received the "Excelling" rating

• All 25 schools ranked "Excelling" or "Highly Performing"

Kyrene and Arizona8th Grade Math AIMS 2003

450

455

460

465

470

475

480

485

490

All Students

Me

an

Sta

nd

ard

Sc

ore

State

Kyrene

“Excellence without equity

is a hollow victory.”--Mary Hatwood Futrell

400

425

450

475

500

525

550

All W A B H

Mea

n S

tan

dar

d S

core

Kyrene 8th Grade Math AIMS 2003District and State MSS by Ethnicity

State

Kyrene

Kyrene School DistrictChallenges and Barriers

• A focus on aggregate v. disaggregated data

• Avoidance of courageous conversations

• Reluctance to acknowledge the racial achievement gap

“The real voyage of discovery consists not of seeking new

landscapes but of seeing through new eyes.”

--Marcel Proust

Student voice can serve as a catalyst for engaging staff in difficult equity conversations

and provide the necessary lens to clearly identify critical issues.

Voices of ColorThe Power of Student

Voice to Foster Courageous

Conversations

As you watch Voices of Color, listen for the factors

(identified by the students) that contribute to the

achievement gap.

• Stereotypes

• Expectations for Student Achievement

• Making School Real for Students

• Parental Support of Education

• Finding Your Voice

Voices of Color What spoke to you?

The Changing Landscape of Schools Today:

An Unprecedented Challenge for Educators:

Ensure high levels of learning for all students.

“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but

nothing can be changed until it is

faced.”

--James Baldwin

All students can learn.

Schools can and do make a difference.

Success in our future world depends on meeting

unforeseen challenges.

A New Vision for Kyrene

• Dr. Schauer clearly communicates the message that “all means all”

• Leadership team examines disaggregated data • June 2008: 3-day “Beyond Diversity” training for

Leadership Retreat• Ongoing professional development on race and

equity, including workshops by Bonnie Davis • November 2009 Board Study Session to share

achievement gap data and Voices of Color

Kyrene “Post Script”

• In October 2008, a cross disciplinary team of 7 attended Glenn Singleton’s 2008 Summit for Courageous Conversations

• At this Equity Forum, we have a cross disciplinary team of 11, which includes again our Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, School and District Administrators, Prevention Specialist, etc.

Kyrene “Post Script”

• Seek multiple voices; value multiple perspectives

• Respect students’ need for safety• Consider co-curricular and natural ways to

involve students• Talk less, listen more!• Co-create/team up with students (Do with,

not to!)

Utilizing Student Voice to Transform Learning Environments

• School and/or community forums• Print or web-based forums or news

columns• Leadership/advocacy• School announcements/assemblies• Student Superintendency Advisory

Council

Examples of youth/student voice:

What are some ways students have given voice to issues of educational equity at your school, district or organization?

What are some additional ways students can “give voice” to issues of equity (and other critical issues) impacting your school, district, or organization?

Student Voice

“Once you've found your own voice, the choice to expand your influence, to increase your contribution,

is the choice to inspire others to find their voice.”

--Stephen Covey, “The 8th Habit”

Find your voice.Express your voice.

And, help others find theirs.

Together, we can be the voice of equity.

“The courage to be great lies deep within

each of us.”Fortune cookie

Cheryl S. Greene, Ed.D.Kyrene de la Esperanza

480-783-1700cgreen@kyrene.org

http://www.voicesofcolor.comCheryl@VoicesOfColor.com

A feeling I have…

A thought I have…

A step I will take…