National Center for Culturally Responsive Educational Systems

Addressing Disproportionality: From Planning to Action

Sacramento, CA September 27-28, 2004

Who are We?Principal Investigators Alfredo J. Artiles, Arizona State University Janette K. Klingner, University of Colorado at Boulder Elizabeth B. Kozleski, University of Colorado at Denver Cheryl A. Utley, Juniper Gardens Children’s Project, University of Kansas Bill Tate

Continuous Improvement Data Analysts

David Gibson, VIMST Michael Knapp, VIMST

Project Staff

Rhona Jackson, Project Administrator

Carolyn Jefferson-Jenkins, Professional Development

Jenn Light, Instructional Technology

Deidre Magee, Professional Development

Carolyn Ottke-Moore, Research/Events

Jennifer Quinlan, Web Master

Heraldo Richards, Researcher

Wendy Wyman-Bliss, Evaluation

Project Coordinator Shelley Zion, University of Colorado at DenverDirector, Networking and Dissemination David P. Riley, Education Development Center, Inc.

Project Officer Grace Zamora Durán, Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education

Support Staff•Laura Barletta •Ayanna Brown•Sherise Kerford

•Kristy Martinez•Tamra Scheetz•Kate Templeton

Who’s on Board?• Leonard Baca, Bueno Center

• Phil Chinn, California State University, LA

• Kayte Fearn, Council for Exceptional Children (retired)

• Ronald Felton, Miami-Dade County Public Schools

• Betty Green-Bryant, Council for Exceptional Children

• Beth Harry, University of Miami

• Asa Hilliard, Georgia State University

• Stephanie Hirsh, National Staff Development Council

• Dixie Jordan, Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights

• Joy Markowitz, Project Forum, National Association of State Directors of Special Education

• Festus Obiakor, University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee

• James Patton, College of William and Mary

• Kristin Reedy, Northeast Regional Resource Center

• Anthony Sims, Illinois State Board of Education

• Brenda L. Townsend, University of South Florida

• Stanley Trent, University of Virginia

• Edward Lee Vargas, Hacienda La Puente Unified School District

• Kenneth Wong, Vanderbilt University

What We Do• We are searching for solutions to the widespread

underachievement and disproportionate placement in special education experienced by culturally and linguistically diverse students.

• Through four core teams, our work will focus on:– Continuous improvement, increasing knowledge and understanding

through the evaluation of current practice, change efforts, and their impact.

– Research and development, synthesizing and expanding research-based practices in Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, Literacy Instruction, Positive Behavior Supports, and Early Intervention.

– Professional development, leveraging the continued improvement of schools through collaboration with existing technical assistance networks, local asset mapping, and leadership academies.

– Networking and dissemination, engaging in a national discourse across local, professional practice, and policy communities on improving educational outcomes for culturally and linguistically diverse students.

• Close the achievement gap between students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and their peers

• Reduce inappropriate referrals to special education.

Literacy

Positive behavioral supports

Culturally responsive practices

Early intervention

PurposeProvide technical assistance and professional development to

Critical Foci

– Increase the use of prevention and early intervention strategies

– Decrease inappropriate referrals to special education

– Increase the number of schools using effective literacy and behavioral interventions for students who are culturally and linguistically diverse.

Outcomes

Products– Research syntheses– Policy briefs– Public service announcements – Research-based articles– On Points for Practitioners– Virtual Professional Development Modules– Activities and curricula for culturally responsive practice– Web-based Data Maps– Virtual State-wide “campuses”– Meta-tagged Library

General & Special Education Audiences

–Students - Researchers

–Families - Teacher Educators

–Practitioners - Policy Makers

–Administrators

Mission

Supporting state education agencies and local school systems to assure a quality, culturally responsive education for all students.

Value AddedNCCRESt supports the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act as it extends the goals of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001

What is Disproportionality?

“the extent to which membership in a given group affects the probability of being placed in a specific special education disability category.” ( Oswald, et. al. 1999.)

Does Disproportionality Exist?

• Has been a concern for over three decades. (Dunn, 1968; Johnson, 1969; Donovan & Cross, 2002)

• Black children are 2.88 times more likely to be labeled MR and 1.92 times more likely to be labeled ED than white children.

• In some states, Asian/Pacific Islanders are more than twice as likely to be identified as SLD

• Native Americans are twice as likely to be labeled ED or SLD.

• Although Latino students are often not over-represented in state and national data it is likely to change when their proportion of a district’s diverse student body increases.

(Losen & Orfeild, 2002)

Why is Disproportionality a Problem?

• Concern of finding bias or inappropriate practice of the referral and placement process

• Disability label stigmatizes a student as inferior

• Results in lowered expectations

• Potentially separates the student from peers

• Leads to poor educational and life outcomes

• Students may be denied access to the general education curriculum

• May receive services that do not meet their needs

• Students may be misunderstood or underserved in General Education

Culturally responsive educational systems benefit all students.

What are Culturally Responsive Educational Systems?

Culturally responsive educational systems are grounded in the belief that students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds excel in academic endeavors when

–their culture, language, heritage, and experiences are valued and used to facilitate learning and development; and

–they are provided access to high quality teachers, programs, curricula, and resources.

Culturally responsive educational systems are concerned with instilling ethics of care, respect, and responsibility in the professionals who serve culturally and linguistically diverse students.

Assumptions About the Causes of Disproportionate Representation

What it is not:

Intrinsic or family-based

deficits

Contributors

•Practices

•Beliefs

•Disablers

•Policies

Disproportionality is an Education Issue

Special Education

Intersections

Learning

Culture

Disability

Schooling

Socio-cultural Contexts

Regulation

Productivity

Socio-cultural Histories

Complexities of Disproportionality

•Social Forces

•SEA & Fed Policies

•School Districts

•Schools

•Teachers

•Families & Communities

•Students