Culturally Responsive PBIS

Leticia Smith-EvansMilaney LeversonKent SmithCulturally Relevant Practices and PBISYour PresentersLeticia Smith-Evans; NAACP Legal Defense Fundlsevans@naacpldf.orgMilaney Leverson; Eau Claire Area School Districtmleverson@ecasd.k12.wi.usKent Smith; WI PBIS Network, Eau Claire Area School Districtsmithk@wisconsinpbisnetwork.orgDefining our TLAs, ASAPODR Office Discipline ReferralOSS Out of School SuspensionSES Socio-economic StatusCRT Culturally Relevant TeachingCultural Capital Ways of behaving, talking, interacting valued by dominant societyCulture similar language, beliefs, norms, values, behaviors and material objects held by a unique group of people.What is Culturally Responsive Practice?Congruent behaviors, attitudes and policies that come together In a system, agency or among professionalsTo work effectively in cross-cultural situations

The capacity to function effectively in cultural contexts that differ from your own

Awareness of your culture and the influence it has on those around youCR PBIS is NOT an Add-on practice. It must be embeded in the PBIS Framework in curriculum, instruction, assessment, data based decision making, communication, family engagement and policy.4When did segregation end?(Skiba, et al, 2011)Brown v. Board of Educationwith all deliberate speed

Alexander v. Holmes County Board of EducationThere is no reason why such a wholesale deprivation of constitutional rights should be tolerated another minute.*Why do we talk about this?National and State Data showing need for CR Practices

Culturally Relevant Teaching and PBISSchool discipline rates are at their all time highs:

Students are being removed from school at nearly double the rate of the early 1970s.

2006 projections from US Dept. of Education:3.3 MILLION students suspended at least once each year109,000 students EXPELLED each year

http://ocrdata.ed.govMore reasons2006 Projections from US Dept of Ed.:

African-American students nearly 3 times as likely to be suspended and 3.5 times as likely to be expelled as white peers.

Latino students 1.5 times as likely to be suspended and twice as likely to be expelled as white peers.

http://ocrdata.ed.gov

Common JustificationsIts not race; its poverty.These are students from more challenging communities.There are just a few difficult students who are driving the data.These are students in under-resourced schools with big class sizes.Its poor parenting, negative parenting, or parents dont value educationThis is a result of negative peer culture.

*This all amounts to blaming the victim.15negative/poor parenting? Frequent OffensesWhite students:SmokingVandalismLeaving without permissionObscene languageObjective OffensesAfrican-American students:DisrespectExcessive noiseThreatLoiteringSubjective Offenses

Conclusions and Implications (as posed by Skiba, et al, 2011)Disproportionality begins at referral

Administrative consequences appear to be distributed rationally in general

But when disaggregated, see significant disproportionality

African American and Latino students are more likely to receive harsher punishment for same ODR than white studentsWHAT DO WE DO ABOUT IT?But first a quick gameWhat do we know about the Hmong culture?About Native American cultures?About Middle Eastern cultures?What about white culture?Understand the contextStereotyping & unconscious bias

Cultural disconnect

Misperceived actions on the part of both students and educators

Lack of proper professional development in culturally responsive teaching, de-escalation, etc.

WE STILL CANT TALK ABOUT RACE!HoweverThings we were taught in the past such as:Not talking about raceNot SEEING color (my classroom is colorblind)Not talking about differencesNot being aware of what the practitioners background brings to the classNot attending to the presence and role of whiteness

ALL contribute to the problemIt is worth noting that as recently as 5 years ago we were taught to be colorblind. That talking about differences some how called attention to the fact that some how different was bad. But NOT talking about things allow problems to develop.21Maybe acknowledging that this is what we were all told to do 15 or even 5 years ago will help build awareness/acceptance for the holdouts? PBIS addresses School Wide Behaviors, but does not impact the classroom level systems without direct instruction.

Development of Universal supports for behavior lay foundation for Academic supports that take place in the same setting.

Culturally Relevant Instruction is not only best practice but essential to the success of ALL students.

Is one part of reducing disproportionate representation in discipline data22Is this why are WE addressing it? Or why should EVERYONE address it?

If specific to ECASD, let's make that clear...

A THREE TIERED APPROACH*UNIVERSAL LEVELEmbedding Culturally Relevant Teaching practices in Classroom and School-wide expectations and instructionFrequent Review of DataExamine practice and challenge the status quoAt the Universal level, some pre-teachingEVERY person has a cultural and racial identityStaff MUST respond actively & positively to changing social, economic and cultural patternsBehavioral standards are tied to the dominant culture Behavioral interventions that are culturally responsive are more effectiveIT IS ESSENTIAL TO TEACH the cultural capital needed to succeeddeviant behavior?AndTeachers intend the best for their studentsCultural mismatches MUST be examined before selecting a behavior intervention as they can lead to inappropriate behaviorBehavior occurs in a contextthe relationship between the student, teacher, peers, classroom, instruction and materialIt is easy to misinterpret or misread behaviorParent and family involvement is CRUCIAL for successSetting the stage at UniversalGuiding Questions Linked to Classroom Systems and Universal School-wide SystemsPractitioner Culture:What cultural expectations do you bring to the educational setting?What is your culture in relation to education, interactions and school?(values, beliefs, traditions, customs, worldview, conversational styles, non-verbal language and parenting styles)What are the historic experiences/implications of your culture?What are the differences/dissonances between your culture and the students?Are you expecting one-way accommodation from the student for any cultural differences? Why?What accommodations are you expecting?

Students Culture:What cultural expectations does the student bring to the educational setting?What is the students culture in relation to education, interactions and school?(values, beliefs, traditions, customs, worldview, conversational styles, non-verbal language and parenting styles)What are the historic experiences/implications of the students culture?What are the cultural characteristics of this student that are strengths in the educational environment?What have you determined to be motivating & reinforcing to this student?What are the parents/caretakers view on the students behaviors of concern?

Classroom Instruction:What is the teaching style, materials, content, structure, etc?How are your methods of instruction designed to meet the cultural strengths & learning styles of the student?How have you explicitly taught this student the cultural capital needed to succeed in school?How do you elicit high expectations for this student?How have you clearly demonstrated & explained to this student expected behavioral responses?How do you include this students interests & background in your instruction?

The Classroom Context/Ecology:What is the cultural environment of the individual classroombased on identified best practices?How is your classroom based on collaboration & cooperation rather than competition?How is your classroom based on praise & reinforcement rather than punishment?How does your classroom environment allow for movement & interaction?How does your classroom environment honor student strengths, including this student?

Good TeachersTeach students - not a subject or grade level.Maximize academic learning time.Have students earning their own achievement.Keep students actively engaged in learning.High quality and rigorous instruction and high expectations for ALL students.

Teachers in their classrooms have the greatest impact on reducing disproportionality. Some of the things they have in common33What does this mean???Good TeachersClearly state positive expectations.Create a climate of positive expectations for all. Establish effective management techniques.

DATA, DATA, DATA*The BIG 5 + 2 Recall your Tier I training to, at each team meeting, review the Big 5 and look for patternsEven deeper data analysis means to disaggregate data By subgroups: race, sped status, SES

Review for patterns DOES NOT mean quick a fixThere is no right or wrong to this; national trend is toward looking at the Big 5 from the additional lenses of Race, SPED and SES.37Are we advising them about what they should do? Or telling them what we do? I think we should make that clear...Screening ToolsA measure should be used for students who are internalizers No externalizing behaviors to show up in ODR data, but teachers have concerns Such tools should be systemic in use as well as researched with regards to cultural bias.Screening data is considered along with Big 5 + 2 and ODR data on student for patternParent/Family InvolvementThis is essential at the beginning, but even more so as need for intervention increases.Schools must value families and whatever level of support they have to offer.Script/consent processVital at entrance to Tier II intervention for the family to understand HOW the intervention works as well as their role in the interventionCulturally Relevant Practice Checklist(Initially referred to as Mismatch Checklist)Brief interview between school and familyGauges family PERCEPTION of mismatchGeared to gather the familys perspective on:Student/school relationshipStudent/classroom relationshipBehavior concernsdoes this make sense? Trying to make less paragraphyIs this the official name? I was confused about this with Ellen so want to be sure :)Checklist continuedProvides starting point for discussions based on degree of mismatchThen utilize the guiding questions to determine how to enhance practiceBecomes paramount as a student moves into higher tier interventions and wraparound is consideredEnhances partnership and communication

Family involvement should increase as need increasesFunctional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) helps us understand WHAT the student is getting from the behavior.Need family perception:Why the behavior continuesWhat the student gets from the behaviorFBA is about changing our system to modify student behavior. Perception is vital.Past practice has been to change the student to fit our system...generally doesnt work. Must change our system to meet the needs of the students we work with. WraparoundTeams members selected by the family Include natural supports, not just school staffTeam should reflect family values based on their perceptions of what is important to them and respecting their natural supportsProgress on goals is based on measures of perception and data (ODR, DPR, attendance, grades, etc.)ACTIVITYIn next slide, consider the information presented.How do you address this information with staff?How do you start creating change based on this one piece of information?

Take 7 minutes to do this.*Do we want this in the middle of the universal info? Seems like a funny flow...

Culturally Relevant Practices in PBISis emerging. There is no best practice YET

Research shows that CRT practices must be a part of a system to be lasting.

huh? Resourcessmithk@wisconsinpbisnetwork.orgmleverson@ecasd.k12.wi.us

Suspended Educationwww.splcenter.org/get-informed/publications/suspended-educationAPA Zero Tolerance Reportwww.apa.org/ed/cpse/zttfreport.pdfPBIS Indianawww.indiana.edu/~pbisin

Creditshttp://www.naacpldf.org

Guiding Questions: Lisa Bardon, PhD. University of Wisconsin Stevens Point

Cultural checklist: Eau Claire Area School District adapted from University of Wisconsin Green Bay