Lessons Learned Along the Way
This month's eQuiNews focuses on themes emerging from over a decade of work with the National Institute for Urban School Improvement (NIUSI), the National Center for Culturally Responsive Education Systems (NCCRESt), and NIUSI-LeadScape. Specifically, the content focuses on the foundations of our work through these projects and how it has transformed and grown over time as we have learned lessons along the way. Based on our ongoing initiatives in 12 of the largest urban school systems in the United States along with the collective research and experiences of the people with whom we work, we have identified key themes that have shaped our work over time: systemic reform as a work in progress, democraticizing schools, culturally responsive pedagogy (curriculum and instruction), culturally responsive leadership, and emancipatory policy. Within this month's eQuiNews, you will find articles related to actions, tools you can use, and events which focus on and relate to our journey."All of us in the academy and in the culture as a whole are called to renew our minds if we are to transform educational institutions -and society- so that the way we live, teach, and work can reflect our joy in cultural diversity, our passion for justice, and our love of freedom." - bell hooks
NIUSI-LeadScape Principal Michele Erickson Named Principal of the Year
Our very own Michele Erickson, principal of Glenridge Middle School in Orlando, Florida, was chosen by the Orange County Counseling Association as their Middle School Principal of the Year for her outstanding support of counseling services and programs. As an inclusive school leader, Mrs. Erickson has been a passionate supporter of these programs to support students and their families at Glenridge:Michele Erickson's leadership at Glenridge creates a supportive, inclusive school community where all students and families are valued. We at NIUSI-LeadScape are proud to have her as a member of our community, and we applaud the Orange County Counseling Association for recognizing the kind of passion and commitment that Michele Erickson brings to Glenridge Middle School.
- Student Assistance Family Empowerment (SAFE) provides prevention and intervention services for students and their families in the areas of alcohol, tobacco, other drugs, and violence prevention.
- Community Help and Intervention in Life's Lessons (CHILL) provides free mental health counseling to students and families in need of support.
Stimulus Funding to Support Children and Youth with Disabilities
Just as school leaders are struggling to create equitable budgets for the 2009-2010 school year with reduced state funding, the U.S. Department of Education is releasing funding authorized under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The Department of Education will be distributing the first round of these funds to states within the next 30-45 days, which consists of $44 billion dollars to assist in averting teacher layoffs, drive education improvements, reforms, and ultimately results for students. Funds authorized for release this month include:Preliminary information and guidelines for use of each state's funding allocation is available on the Department of Education's website.
- $5 billion for Title I, Part A
- $6 billion for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
Everyday Anti-Racism: Getting Real About Race in School by Mica Pollock
Everyday Anti-Racism: Getting Real About Race in School by Mica Pollock describes research which demonstrates the profound effect of everyday acts of racism. Pollock's book relates historical events and ideology to the implicit racism that frequently occurs today. Designed for educators, it contains short essays which detail specific examples of everyday racism and challenges readers to counteract these acts through their own everyday actions.
Elusive Justice: Wrestling with Difference and Educational Equity in Everyday Practice by Thea Renda Abu El-Haj
Elusive Justice: Wrestling with Difference and Educational Equity in Everyday Practice by Thea Renda Abu El-Haj addresses how educators think about and act upon, differences in schools, including those based on race, gender, class, or disability. Further, she posits that conversations about these differences directly connect to educational justice, and how it is manifested in practice. Abu El-Haj analyzes the ways conversations about difference provide a key site for both producing and resisting inequalities, and examines the dilemmas that emerge from either focusing on or ignoring them.
NEW! OSEP Briefs Available Online
The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), Technical Assistance Center on State Implementation and Scaling Up of Evidence-based Practices (SISEP) has released a new series of briefs which are now available. The four new releases include Scaling Up Evidence-Based Practices in Education, Intensive Technical Assistance, Readiness for Change, and Implementation: The Missing Link Between Research and Practice. Below is a summary of each:
- Scaling Up Evidence-Based Practices in Education: This brief provides guidelines for state leadership teams and others to use in developing the capacity to make effective, statewide, and sustained use of evidence-based practices.
- Intensive Technical Assistance: The purpose of this brief is to define "Intensive Technical Assistance (ITA)" and illustrate its use in education.
- Readiness for Change: This brief defines the variables a state or large district leadership team may consider as they determine if they are "ready" to invest in the scaling-up of an innovation in education.
- Implementation: The Missing Link Between Research and Practice: This brief proposes that our human services infrastructure for effective implementation requires a similar investment so that effective programs and practices can be widely adopted and used to produce socially significant outcomes.
Coaching with Skilled Dialogue
We know that in any process of aiding change, ongoing coaching is crucial to support the effective implementation of new processes and procedures (Fixsen, Naoom, Blase, & Friedman, 2005). In our work supporting school improvement through the National Institute of Urban School Improvement (NIUSI) and the NIUSI-LeadScape community of inclusive school principals, we use skilled dialogue techniques to create meaningful dialogues that lead to sustainable change.In the coaching dialogue, the coach and coachee acknowledge and respect one another's divergent perspectives and use those perspectives to create a Thirdspace - an integrative, inclusive perspective that focuses on the complementary aspects of their two viewpoints (Soja, 1996). Edward Soja defines Thirdspace as "a creative process of restructuring that draws selectively and strategically from the two opposing categories to open new alternatives" (1996, p. 5). Using Thirdspace, the coach invites the coachee to shift from a dualistic and exclusive perception of reality (an "either/or" perspective) to an integrative inclusive perspective that focuses on the complementary aspects of diverse values, behaviors, and beliefs (Barrera & Kramer, 2005). Thirdspace creates opportunities to leverage the existing strengths of both participants in order to develop new approaches to challenges or dilemmas. When coaches and coachees work together to establish mutual understandings that respect both participants' perspectives, the results are additive or hybridized choices that draw from the strengths of both, rather than an either-or decision that devalues the contributions of one of the participants.
Learn more about how to use skilled dialogue in your coaching practices in NIUSI's Skilled Dialogue OnPoint publication.
References:
Barrera, I. & Kramer, L. (2005). Skilled dialogue: Guidelines & strategic questions for ensuring respectful, reciprocal and responsive assessment and instruction for students who are culturally/linguistically diverse. Tempe, AZ: National Institute for Urban School Improvement.
Fixsen, D. L., Naoom, S. F., Blase, K., & Friedman, R. M. (2005). Implementation research: A synthesis of the literature. Tampa, FL: University of South Florida.
Soja, E. W. (1996). Thirdspace: Journeys to Los Angeles and other real-and-imagined places. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers.
DataMaps: A Closer Look
We at the Equity Alliance at ASU have created an abundance of tools and products which educators and researchers can use in their practice to initiate change and move towards more inclusive school environments. One of our most unique tools is our DataMaps series. In addition to breaking down special education disproportionality school and district-wide data by race, we have also created a map for least restrictive environment (LRE). In doing so, we provide a mechanism for educators to look more closely at their practices to answer the question, where are the students being educated? Over a decade of work with our own projects and those experiences of the people with whom we work has lead us to believe that in order to productively lead change, we must first have a rich and detailed picture of our current practice. Check out our DataMaps and tell us what you think!
Kids.gov
Kids.gov, the Official Kid's Portal for the U.S. Government, is an excellent tool for kids of all ages to learn about people, policy, careers, and more. The information is categorized in a format that is easily navigated, with sections: Grades K-5, Grades 6-8, and Educators. Additionally, kids.gov reviews other websites and provides a monthly profile for another resource in their "site of the month" section. Visit their website and explore!
Learn about Equity in Education via Podcast
One of our partner centers, the Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA) hosts an award winning podcast, Classnotes, twice monthly. Initiated in September 2006, IDRA's Classnotes merges podcast technology and education experts to create a space for listeners from all around the country to learn about the latest research and commentary on educational equality. Classnotes is currently featuring its 49th podcast. Discussions have included topics ranging from U.S. Supreme Court Cases on Race (Episode 18) to Families and Teachers Communicating (Episode 43). Listeners can listen in using a computer or can download Classnotes directly to an mp3 player.
Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) 2009 Convention and Expo (April 1-4, 2009)
CEC is hosting its 2009 Convention and Expo, April 1-4, 2009 in Seattle, Washington. Convention participants will share teaching strategies, learn about the latest special education legislation and trends, participate in the nearly 900 educational sessions, explore new products and services in the exhibit hall, and network with others working with children with exceptionalities and their families. Click here to register.
Looking to the Future: Legal and Policy Options for Racially Integrated Education in the South and the Nation (April 2, 2009)
The University of North Carolina (UNC) School of Law, the Civil Rights Project/Proyecto Derechos Civiles at UCLA, and the University of Georgia Education Policy and Evaluation Center are hosting a conference in Chapel Hill, North Carolina for all individuals who advocate and are committed to integrating schools throughout the nation, specifically as they relate to the 2007 U. S. Supreme Court decision in Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1 (PICS). Topics that will be discussed include making the case for integration, evaluating socio-economic based assignment plans, finding viable legal strategies for racial equity (after PICS), and building political will for integrated schools (after PICS).
National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAEP) 88th Annual Convention (April 2-6, 2009)
NAEP's 88th Annual Convention and Exposition will be held in New Orleans, Louisiana this year April 2-6, 2009. The keynote speaker for this year's convention is General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.). Other featured speakers include Ian Jukes and Jeff Corwin. Participants have a variety of workshops to choose from on topics such as RTI: Making It Work for Students, Staff, and Families and Relationship Centered Leadership. Registration is now open.
Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes (Deadline April 30, 2009)
The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes honors outstanding young leaders who have made a significant positive difference to people and our planet. Annually, ten winners are selected nationwide. The goal of the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes is to celebrate heroic young people and to inspire others to do their part. The deadline for submissions is April 30, 2009.
CREATE a Culturally Responsive Environment Conference (June 29- July 1, 2009)
Formerly known as the Summer Institute on Addressing Disproportionality, this conference is designed to enhance educators’ understanding and application of research-based and culturally responsive policies, procedures, and practices. The CREATE grant was awarded to address the achievement gap between diverse students and to eliminate race as a predictor of participation in special education in the state of Wisconsin. Participation is limited to educators who reside and practice in Wisconsin. To find out more, contact Terry O’Connell.
Visit our website: www.equityallianceatasu.org.
Check out our NIUSI-LeadScape guest writers blog: www.niusileadscape.org/bl/.
Several staff member of The Equity Alliance at ASU were recently invited to present at NASP. Our presentation, How Early Intervening Transforms Practice: Equity as an Education Imperative, was well received. To view the presentation and download handouts, click here.
Your Voice Matters!
Your voices are very important to helping teachers, administrators, governments, and organizations build and improve educational systems to meet the needs and celebrate the strengths of all students; let us know if there is information you would like us to feature in future newsletters which can help make schools places where students and their families feel valued and heard. Your voice matters! Please give us your feedback by taking a few minutes to fill out this brief survey or email us at: niusileadscape@asu.edu.
eQuiNews reflects the collaborative relationship between the National Center for Culturally Responsive Educational Systems (NCCRESt), the National Institute for Urban School Improvement (NIUSI), NIUSI-LeadScape, and the Equity Alliance at ASU Region IX Equity Assistance Center. With a new issue every month, eQuiNews can communicate with the broadest audiences and provide the most innovative, vital and current information on issues in education, school reform, cultural diversity, disproportionality, inclusive practices, and much more. eQuiNews will keep you informed of the work of these projects as well as other news and information in related fields.
For questions or comments on this newsletter, please email the editor of this newsletter - Kara Sujansky (kara.sujansky@asu.edu).
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