TABLE OF CONTENTS
UPDATE
NOTICE
SPOTLIGHT
PEOPLE IN THE NEWS
RECOMMENDED READINGS
TOOLS YOU CAN USE
RESEARCH BASED PRODUCTS
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE UPDATE
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
FEATURED WEBSITE
DID YOU KNOW …
UPCOMING EVENTS
This eNEWS is sent formatted in HTML. If the graphics do not display properly, please go to: www.nccrest.org or www.urbanschools.org to view the eNEWS online. Back issues of the eNEWS are also available there.
All presentations with brief abstracts, dates, and times are now available on our website. www.nccrest.org
Hurry! Registration for NCCRESt’s National Forum is only $250 before December 15th! General registration will go up to $325 the next day. Make sure you visit our website (www.nccrest.org) to register on line and get this early bird deal.
This year’s conference, Leadership for Equity and Excellence: Transforming Education, is going to be a huge success. Complete with 5 pre conference institutes, 95 concurrent sessions, 4 exceptional keynotes, table exhibits, an awards ceremony, an art contest, and
entertainment!This conference will bring people together to discuss the need for all students to have access to high quality learning opportunities. The Forum will be attended by state departments and school districts nationwide, as well as, community leaders, professionals, and parents from across the country.
Keynotes:
Keynote speakers will be…Quality Public School: Education as a Civil Right
Robert P. MosesRespect, Justice, and Equality: Educational Themes
Sara Lawrence-LightfootThe Role of Leadership in Promoting Equity and Excellence in Education
Pedro NogueraTransforming Teaching to Benefit All Students: The Role of Caring and Critical Teachers
Sonia NietoFor more information or to register go to... www.nccrest.org.
KRIS
GUTIERREZ
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Dr.
Gutiérrez is a professor at the Graduate School of Education and
Information Studies at UCLA and the Director of the Education Studies
minor. She is also the Director of the Center for the Study of
Urban Literacies. Gutiérrez earned a PhD at the University
of Colorado at Boulder. Her current research interests include
a study of the sociocultural contexts of literacy development,
particularly the study of the acquisition of academic literacy
for language minority students. Her research also focuses on understanding
the relationship between language, culture, development, and pedagogies
of empowerment. She is a regular columnist for the Los Angeles
Times, and has received many honors including the Outstanding Latina
Faculty Award awarded by the American Association of Higher Education
in 1999 and the Harriet and Charles Gluckman Distinguished Teaching
Award at UCLA (1997).By Nancy Schniedewind and Ellen Davidson
Open Minds to Equality is an educator's sourcebook of activities to help students understand and change inequalities based on race, gender, class, age, language, sexual orientation, physical/mental ability, and religion.
The activities also promote respect for diversity and interpersonal equality among students, fostering a classroom that is participatory, cooperative, and democratic. An essential resource for teachers, leaders in professional development, and curriculum specialists.
Features:
• Ready-to-implement learning activities in both traditional and interdisciplinary curriculum areas• An inclusive framework for thinking about diversity and responding practically to various forms of difference in classrooms.
• A variety of lesson styles including role plays, case studies, dilemma stories, cooperative learning activities, interviews, data analysis, and creative and expository writing.
• Sequenced activities to build awareness and understanding.
• An engaging, readable format with helpful instructions.
This book is a must have for educators who are working to incorporate critical thinking about equity into their lesson plans. Students not only learn about diversity and multiculturalism, but about becoming involved in transforming our society through social action.
Proactive Culturally Responsive Discipline
By Kathleen A. King, Arizona State University
Nancy J. Harris-Murri, Arizona State University
Alfredo J. Artiles, Arizona State University
In this exemplar the authors discuss several problems with the ways that schools often intervene with students’ challenging behavior. Traditional reactive, exclusionary approaches to discipline include detention, suspension, and expulsion. These interventions punish students by excluding them from school and limiting opportunities to receive positive support for behavior change. One of several problems with this approach is that culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students tend to encounter such punitive practices at disproportionately higher rates than cultural and language majority students.
This exemplar presents how one urban middle school in Phoenix, Arizona incorporates proactive discipline into the everyday practices of the school community. The result is a safe, positive school climate, leading to a reduction of student discipline problems, and in turn, prevention of disproportionate representation of culturally and linguistically diverse students in special education due to social, emotional, and behavioral difficulties. Cordova Middle School utilizes a combination of formalized school wide, classroom and individual student-focused approaches to promoting positive behavior.
To download this exemplar go to www.nccrest.org, click on tools and products, then Exemplars or follow this link.
ONPOINT
Principals of Inclusive Schools
Christine Salisbury, University of Illinois-Chicago
Gail McGregor, University of Montana
In this OnPoint the authors discuss the role of principals in building a school’s capacity to serve all learners well, and the strategies and resources that successful principals use to develop an inclusive learning community in urban schools. Principals influential in helping students, staff, and parents think and act more inclusively. They serve as catalysts for the key stakeholders. Their role is to guide and support the course of change, drawing together the resources and people necessary to be successful. This OnPoint also walks the reader through the process of adopting inclusive schooling practices.
To download this OnPoint go to www.urbanschools.org, click on publications, then OnPoints or follow this link.
The Special Education Referral and Decision-Making Process for English Language Learners: Child Study Team Meetings and Placement Conferences
by Janette K. Klingner & Beth Harry — 2006
The purpose of this study was to examine the special education referral and decision-making process for English language learners (ELLs), with a focus on Child Study Team (CST) meetings and placement conferences/multidisciplinary team meetings. We wished to learn how school personnel determined if ELLs who were struggling had disabilities, to what extent those involved in the process understood second language acquisition, and whether language issues were considered when determining special education eligibility. We observed CST meetings and placement conferences for 19 students who were considered ELLs when they were referred. Findings revealed that in practice, only cursory attention was given to prereferral strategies. Most students were pushed toward testing, based on an assumption that poor academic performance or behavioral difficulties had their origin within the child and indicated a need for special education. Although some school personnel were quite knowledgeable about language issues, many were not. There was tremendous variation in the quality of what transpired during meetings. These differences were influenced by the intentions, knowledge, skills, and commitment of CST or multidisciplinary team members. All the factors we describe point to aspects of the process that should be improved.
To purchase this article go to… http://www.tcrecord.org/Content.asp?ContentId=12804
Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) is collaborating with NIUSI in their efforts to address whole school improvement and change related to such issues as the over referral, identification and placement of students of color who are not succeeding in general education. MMSD has selected 10 elementary schools to serve as the district leaders in addressing issues of disproportionality. Each school has established a building leadership team to grapple with change in their building. Additionally, the district supports the building principals in their efforts through monthly coaching sessions and on-site assistance. On a recent site visit, NIUSI representatives visited the 10 elementary schools to see the progress each school is making, problem solve concerns and discuss next steps in the districts efforts to provide support to the 10 NIUSI elementary schools.
Memphis City Schools
NIUSI representatives collaborated with Memphis City Schools in providing professional development for 10 NIUSI elementary schools as they work towards developing more inclusive schooling practices. Building leadership teams received training on how to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all students with special emphasis on curriculum development and the ecology of the classroom.
"Next in importance to freedom and justice is popular education, without which neither freedom nor justice can be permanently maintained.”
-James A. Garfield (1831-1881)
SHOW RACISM THE RED CARD
Visit this site to see what England is doing in their schools to combat racism. Show Racism the Red Card is an anti-racist charity, which specializes in producing educational resources. These include videos, a DVD, magazines, posters and education packs. The aim of this project is to combat racism through the use of footballers (soccer players) as anti-racist role models. This is the seventh successive year that this project has run an anti-racist schools competition and they’ve found it to be an extremely useful way of encouraging young peoples’ interest in anti-racism.
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2ND ANNUAL NATIONAL FORUM: LEADERSHIP FOR EQUITY AND EXCELLENCE: TRANSFORMING EDUCATION
Brought to you by the National Center for Culturally Responsive Educational Systems (NCCRESt)
Washington DC, February 7-9, 2007
http://www.nccrest.org/events/events/national_forum_2.htmlNSDC’S 38TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Nashville, TN, December 2-6, 2006
http://www.nsdc.org/conference06/welcome/hostletter.cfmCADRE FOURTH NATIONAL SYMPOSIUM
Washington DC, December 7-9, 2006
http://www.directionservice.org/cadre/6TH ANNUAL NATIN
Washington DC, January 29-30, 2007
http://www.nativefamilynetwork.comNATIONAL DIVERSITY CONFERENCE
Seattle, WA April 25-27, 2007
http://www.ediversitycenter.net/casde/index.phpCONFERENCE ON EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE IN EDUCATION
The Richard Stockton College Pomona, New Jersey, April 28, 2007
http://talon.stockton.edu/eyos/page.cfm?siteID=84&pageID=1
