questions we’ll ask…

Questions we’ll ask…

Do we need to specifically think about boys in our design of and implementation of behavioral support? (i.e., Are boys in trouble?)If so, what is it about boys?Then, what is a helpful response from schools?

As a Researcher:• Student researcher

in Educational Psychology

• Published chapters in books on PBIS and anxiety in schools

• Trainer of PBIS with NCDPI for many years

• The questions I will ask emerge from research and data trends

As an Educator:• Worked in regular

education and special education

• Worked with student behaviors from preschool to high school

• The ideas I will share will be PRACTICAL, EASY TO IMPLEMENT, and CHEAP (homemade)

Questions we’ll ask…

Do we need to specifically think about boys in our design of and implementation of behavioral support? (i.e., Are boys in trouble?)If so, what is it about boys?Then, what is a helpful response from schools?

Source: Jeffrey Schwartz & David Rock, 2006

Source: Jeffrey Schwartz & David Rock, 2006

Source: Jeffrey Schwartz & David Rock, 2006

Do we need to specifically consider boys in our design of and

implementation of behavioral support? (i.e., Are boys in trouble?)

The Tensions We Face

Discussing boys without shortchanging girlsConsidering masculinity without endorsing the “gender straightjacket”Including gender without diminishing the significance of race and economic disparities

Are boys in trouble?

565860626466687072747678

2006 2007 2008 2009

MaleFemale

NC GRADUATION RATES (4-year cohort)

Source: http://accrpt.ncpublicschools.org/docs/

Are boys in trouble?

Students Reporting Discipline Problems as Reason for Dropping Out

Source: Stearns, E. and Glennie, E. J. , 2003-08-16 "When and Why Dropouts Leave School: Lessons from North Carolina" Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association, Atlanta

Hilton Hotel, Atlanta, GA Online <.PDF>. 2009-05-26 from http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p107973_index.html

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Male Female

Are boys in trouble?

Rates of Office Discipline Referrals

Source: Vincent, Cartledge, May, & Tobin, 2009

Are boys in trouble?

Rates of Short-term Suspensions

Source: http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/research/discipline/reports/consolidated/2009-10/consolidated-report.pdf

Are boys in trouble?

Rates of Short-term Suspensions

Source: http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/research/discipline/reports/consolidated/2009-10/consolidated-report.pdf

Are boys in trouble?

Rates of Short-term Suspensions

Source: http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/research/discipline/reports/consolidated/2009-10/consolidated-report.pdf

Are boys in trouble?

Rates of Long-term Suspensions

Source: http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/research/discipline/reports/consolidated/2009-10/consolidated-report.pdf

Are boys in trouble?

0102030405060708090

HI ID-Sev VI

MaleFemale

NC Disabilities by Gender (%)Source:

http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/ec/data/childcount/reports/april1/2010/disability-gender.pdf

Are boys in trouble?

0102030405060708090

AU OHI ED

MaleFemale

NC Disabilities by Gender (%)Source:

http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/ec/data/childcount/reports/april1/2010/disability-gender.pdf

Then, what is it about boys?

The “Boy Code”

The Big Myth“Boys will be boys”

– Deterministic (usually biologically)

– Used as a paralyzing explanation

– Not neutral:Masculine threatApathyAggression

The “Boy Code”The Four Injunctions:1. Sturdy oak2. Give ‘em hell3. Big wheel4. No sissy stuff

The Sturdy OakCharacteristics:

Stability and independenceNever show weakness

Problem: Affects motivation and engagement (real and perceived)

Give ‘Em HellCharacteristics:

Daring and bravadoAttraction to violence

Problem: Encourages boys to be careless—about themselves and others (especially other boys)

Big WheelCharacteristics:

Pursuit of status and powerSelf-worth tied up entirely in dominant achievement

Problem: Success understood primarily in terms of win-lose situations

No Sissy StuffCharacteristics:

Avoidance of all things feminineInjunction includes feelings, empathy, and dependence

Problem: Aversion to femininity includes peers, teachers, activities, and content

The Gendered Curriculum: The People

9183

71 7265

52

6858

4458

48

32

0

20

40

60

80

100

Reading Math Science History

Elementary

Middle

High

Source: Dee, 2006http://educationnext.org/files/ednext20064_68.pdf

Percentage of Female Teachers

A Key Message of the “Boy Code”

BOYSARESHAME-PHOBIC.

What is the educational response?

The Keys to Creating a Safe Environment for Learning

R – Relate, relate, relate.

I – Insist that each boy controls his destiny.

S – Serve as a model for risk-taking

K – Keep the momentum toward progress

R – Relate, relate, relate!

Relationships between students and peers

Relationships between

students and teachers

Relationships between

students and content

R – Relate, relate, relate!Building Belonging

Humans express belonging to a space by personalizing it (Armstrong, 1999)

Use routines and, perhaps more importantly, rituals that define your community (Scully & Howell, 2009)

Create a team-orientation that makes success a collaborative endeavor

R – Relate, relate, relate!Being a Team-Centered Classroom

Humans (including boys) have no choice but to follow the hierarchy of needsCultivating a nurturing relationship with our boys is a primary responsibility, not a secondary oneLearning takes place in the context of relationships, not classrooms, textbooks, or activities

R – Relate, relate, relate!Congruent Communication

Make your communication fit with respect to boys’:– Developmental needs– Cultural needs– Emotional/

psychological state– Interests/affinities

R – Relate, relate, relate!Congruent Communication

Techniques:– Student

conferences– Walk-and-talk– Dialogue journals

"Perhaps more than any other form of communication, writing holds us responsible for our words and ultimately makes us more thoughtful human beings.” -- Ernest Boyer

R – Relate, relate, relate!Using humor

“A smile is the shortest distance between two people.”

--Victor Borge

R – Relate, relate, relate!Using humor

According to research, humor helps with…Attention and motivation (Bandes, 1988; Bryant et al., 1979; Wandersee, 1982)

Comprehension, particularly with boys (Gorham & Christophel, 1990) Student recall (Hill, 1988) Reducing the negative effect of testing situations (McMorris et al. 1985)

R – Relate, relate, relate!Using humor

Caveats…SarcasmTargetedRace, sex, or other off-color topics

Ideas…Icebreakers/Warm-upsMnemonic devicesUse funny content (books, etc.)Jokes as reinforcersTest itemsIn-the-moment tension reduction/redirection

Providing choice– Authentic choices

ScheduleTasks

– Topic– Mode– Type of

Participation– Artful choices

(intentional communication)

I – Insist that the boy controls his own destiny

Connect to and celebrate intrinsic motivation

I – Insist that the boy controls his own destiny

Connect to and celebrate intrinsic motivation– Assess what already

motivates your students about school

– Invite external enthusiasm into the classroom

– Support boys’ activity outside of school

I – Insist that the boy controls his own destiny

Become predictably excitingAllow routines and procedures to…– Structure student

participation – Support student choices

Provide cues that make the classroom “navigable”

I – Insist that the boy controls his own destiny

S - Serve as a Model Risk-Taker

S - Serve as a Model Risk-Taker

Learn from your students– Have students

teach you extra-curricular skills

– Be open to student thinking during class discussions

– Ask students to defend “wrong” answers

S - Serve as a Model Risk-Taker

Allow students the opportunity to provide real, influential feedback– Suggestion boxes– Post-lesson

reflections/evaluations

K – Keep the momentum in the direction of progress

Manage the potential pain of failure– Group responses– Wait Time– “Lifelines”– Cooperative work– Mastery-based

assessment

K – Keep the momentum in the direction of progress

Provide relevant, meaningful feedback– Individual

reinforcement systems

– Classroom reinforcement systems

RacetrackBingo

K – Keep the momentum in the direction of progress

Recognize the processSet realistic, motivating goalsAccepting shaping

The Special Case of Black Males

Are boys in trouble?

Rates of Office Discipline Referrals

Source: Vincent, Cartledge, May, & Tobin, 2009

If there is a cultural bias, who would be most likely to shape it?

Source: http://www.nrms.org/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-534/pancTD111601.pdf

If there is a cultural bias, who would be most likely to shape it?

Source: http://www.nrms.org/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-534/pancTD111601.pdf

NC Graduation Rates (4 yr cohort)

Black Males White Females50556065707580859095

100

2010

Source: http://apxcd.schools.nc.gov/pls/apex/f?p=775:1:68119480945333

NC Short-term Suspension Rates

Black Males White Females0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

2005-062006-072007-082008-092009-10

Source: http://dpi.state.nc.us/research/discipline/reports/

NC Long-term Suspension Rates

Black Males White Females0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

2005-062006-072007-082008-092009-10

Source: http://dpi.state.nc.us/research/discipline/reports/

NC ED by Race

Emotional Disturbance

BlackWhiteAmerican IndianLatinoMultiracialOther

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts (SY2010-2011)

NC LRE by Race (<40%)

Separate

BlackWhiteAmerican IndianLatinoMultiracialOther

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts (SY2010-2011)

Black Males and Hip Hop

Black Males and Fashion

African-American Humor

Black Males and Athletics

Black Families

Strengths of Black Families

Strong achievement orientation Flexible family roles Strong work orientation Strong kinship bonds Strong religious orientation

Source: Hill (1999)

Children in Single-Parent Homes(2009)

Source: The Annie E,. Casey Foundation, http://datacenter.kidscount.org/data/acrossstates/Rankings.aspx?ind=107

Low-Income, Single MothersSubstantial parent involvement Abundant amount of support for parenting from external caregivers Parenting skills that emphasize and enhance achievement Respect for others, self respect and racial pride with their children

Source: Woody & Woody (2003)

Black Males and Career Aspirations

Source: http://www.act.org/research/policymakers/cccr10/pdf/ConditionofCollegeandCareerReadiness2010.pdf

Reviewing some suggested practices…

With your group, discuss the suggestion made by Dr. Kunjufu. In particular, discuss…• The experiences of group members with

these practices• What implementation steps would be required

to use this strategy• Whether any other demographic groups might

be adversely affected by this practice

Source: Jeffrey Schwartz & David Rock, 2006

Application

1. Think about behavioral support practices at the school(s) in which you work. What is the value of the practice?

2. Consider the Boy Code and cultural issues that we have discussed today. Where do you see potential problems?

3. How might the practice be adjusted to maximize its value for girls AND boys?