Difference does NOT equal Disability: Creating Culturally Responsive Educational Systems

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Difference does NOT equal Disability Creating
Culturally Responsive Educational Systems

• Elizabeth Kozleski and Shelley Zion
• NCCRESt
• University of Colorado at Denver and Health
  Sciences Center
• June, 2006

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Why NCCRESt?
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Purpose

• Close the achievement gap between students from
  culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
  and their peers
• Reduce inappropriate referrals to special
  education.

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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).

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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.

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Why is Disproportionality a Problem?

• Bias or inappropriate practice in the referral
  and placement process
• Disability label stigmatizes a student as
  inferior
• Results in lowered expectations
• Potentially separates the student from peers

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Why is Disproportionality a Problem?

• 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

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Disproportionality is an Education Issue
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The Cultural Construction of Dis/Ability
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The Cultural Construction of Dis/Ability
People
Practices
Policies
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Why Does Culture Matter?
Cultures in the classroom and classroom
cultures All teaching is cultural
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Whats in an Educational System?

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Features of Culturally Responsive Educational
Systems

• Culture, language, heritage, and experiences of
  ALL students and families are
• valued
• respected and
• used to facilitate learning and development.

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Features of Culturally Responsive Educational
Systems

• Practitioners and Administrators assume
  responsibility for the learning of ALL students
  from ALL cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
• Every student benefits academically,
  socioculturally linguistically.
• Access to high quality teachers, programs,
  curricula, and resources is available to every
  student.

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How do we know what to change or where to begin?

• The answer is in rich and accessible data.

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People

• Who are our students?
• What are their concerns?
• How are they doing?
• Are different groups of students experiencing
  different levels of success?
• What do we know about their school experiences?

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School Assessment Tool
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The Major Elements

• The self-assessment guide provides a framework
  for evaluating (a) knowledge, (b) skills, and (c)
  dispositions in 5 domains
• School Governance, Organization, Policy and
  Climate
• Family Involvement
• Curriculum
• Organization of Learning
• Special Education Referral Process and Programs

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Using the Tool

• Convene a team of school personnel
• Collect responses from all school staff
• Tabulate results
• Use results to identify strengths and weaknesses
• Develop a plan of intervention that will increase
  the schools effectiveness in the areas
  identified for improvement

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Policies

• Educate
• Inform
• Emancipate
• Create Access

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District Level Rubric
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Major Elements

• The tool addresses four standards
• CORE FUNCTIONS Educational systems are designed
  to ensure that equitable educational
  opportunities are available and accessed by all
  students, including those from diverse cultural,
  linguistic, or ability backgrounds.
• INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICES Learning environments at
  all grade levels are designed to support and
  produce academic achievement for diverse
  learners.
• INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION Children with
  disabilities are ensured access to, participation
  in, and progress in the general curriculum.
• ACCOUNTABILITY Student Performance on state and
  district assessment is analyzed and used to guide
  instruction and school improvement.

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Using the tool
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Practices
Discourse Tools Collaboration Evidence
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Looking at Practice- Curriculum Review

• Picture of Mississippi Tool Contributions
• Diversity Additive
• Transformational
• Social Action

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Looking at Practice- Practitioner Briefs
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Looking at Practice- PL Modules
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What is Systemic Change?

• Simultaneous renewal in Multiple Layers of the
  System

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Balancing Change Dynamics
Equity
Access
Practice Access Commitment Flexibility Context
Research Equity Capacity Coherence Universality
Achievement
Participation
Achievement
Participation
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www.nccrest.org