raising the bar summit: keynote speaker eddie fergus
TRANSCRIPT
Raising the Bar on Academic Achievement:
Improving School Climate and Discipline for Westchester County’s African American Students
Eddie Fergus, Ph.D.
Educational Leadership and Policy
Acknowledgements
• Planning Committee members• Student Advocacy Organization• Audience participants
Complexity of
Problem
Complexity in
Solutions
STUDY OF NYS SUSPENSION PATTERNS: 2009-10
Office for Civil Rights, USDOE: 2009-2010 Data Collection
• The Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) is a mandatory data collection, authorized under the statutes and regulations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Department of Education Organization Act (20 U.S.C. 3413).
• A total of 337 school districts responded to the survey request. There are over 700 districts in NYS– Note: NYC schools are not included in final analyses due to
questions of data accuracy.
Types of Analyses Conducted to Identify Suspension Disparity
• Composition analysis– Comparison of suspension categories to overall enrollment among
districts participating in survey– Suspension categories:
• Only one suspension• More than one suspension• In-school suspension
• Relative Risk Ratio– A Relative Risk Ratio (Risk Ratio) is a comparison of the relative
risks of a particular racial/ethnic group compared to the relative risks of the remaining racial/ethnic groups.
– Suspension categories:• Only one suspension• More than one suspension• In-school suspension
COMPOSITION ANALYSIS
Number of suspensions by gender (2009-10)
Male Female
Total Suspended 26,350 11,920
Only one out of school suspension
16,005 7,615
More than one out of school suspension
10,345 4,305
In-school suspension 37,410 19,595
Percentage of suspension by gender (2009-10)
Total Suspension
Only one out of school suspension
More than one out of school suspension
In-school suspension
Total enrollment
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
MaleFemale
Number of suspensions by race/ethnicity (2009-10)
Asian Black White Hispanic
Total suspended
385 12,260 19,640 5,970
Only one out of school suspension
280 7,140 12,495 3,695
More than one out of school suspension
105 5,120 7,145 2,275
In-school suspension
780 17,550 30,790 7,645
Percentage of suspension by race/ethnicity (2009-10)
Total Suspended
Only one out of school suspension
More than one out of school suspension
In-school suspension
Total enrollment
0% 20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
AsianBlackWhiteHispanic
RELATIVE RISK RATIO ANALYSIS
Risk of suspension of males by race/ethnicity (2009-10)
Total Suspensions Only one Suspension More than one suspension
In-School Suspension
2.59
2.31
3.02
2.39
0.53 0.570.47
0.6
1.27 1.26 1.28
1.03
Black
White
Hispanic
Risk of suspension of females by race/ethnicity (2009-10)
Total S
uspen
sions
Only o
ne Susp
ensi
on
More
than
one
susp
ensi
on
In-S
chool S
uspen
sion
3.63.4
3.9
3.42
0.42 0.43 0.39 0.45
1.21 1.241.15 1.07
Black
White
Hispanic
RESEARCH INSIGHTS ABOUT CAUSE
Research Insights
Student demographic factors1. Gender, race, ethnicity, SES, and parental education predictive of ODR
(Bryan,et.al., 2011) and perception of school climate (Fan et.al., 2011).
2. Adult perception of dress and demeanor by race (Morris, 2005); adult perception of skin color (Goff, 2013)
Teachers3. Gender and race of student predictive of ODR by teacher (Bryan,
et.al.,2011; Skiba, et.al., 2011; Skiba, et.a;, 2002)
4. Color-blind and deficit thinking ideology reduces academic expectations and increases ODR (Fergus, forthcoming)
School factors5. Expansion of zero tolerance policy increases rates of ODR and
suspension (Gregory, et.al. 2010; Hoffman, 2014; Skiba and Raush, 2006)
6. School attachment and commitment reduces school misbehavior (Peguero, et.al., 2009)
THE SILVER BULLET IS….
Fix system
•Upgrade responsiveness of system•Institutionalize policy that expects practice change
Rethink “fix
students” approach
•Approaches need to repair the disbelief of school as a mobility tool•Remove pathology in our approach; trauma and poverty is the experience and condition not the person
FIX SYSTEM CAPACITY UPGRADES…PEDAGOGY AND LEADERSHIP 4.0
• Equity is viewing and
understanding
difference in order to
treat someone fairly…
Equity
How is Equity Achieved?
PURPOSE OF SCHOOL FOR MARGINALIZED POPULATIONS IS TO BE PROTECTIVE
Dual Axis Model of Vulnerability (Margaret Beale Spencer)
Risk Factor Level
Protective Factor
Level
High Low
Low
High Vulnerability(difficulties apparent)
Masked Vulnerability(difficulties veiled)
High Low Vulnerability
(demonstrated, but often unacknowledged resilience)
Undetermined Vulnerability(positive outcomes predicted)
LEADERSHIP CAPACITY TO APPROACH AND MANAGE THE UPGRADES
Equity Traps (McKenzie and Scheurich, 2004)
1. Deficit view
2. Racial Erasure
3. Avoidance and Employment of the Gaze
4. Paralogical beliefs and Behaviors
The Psychology of Race Talk (Derald Wing Sue, 2013): Three Protocols Take Center Stage
Politeness• Uncomfortable
topics should be avoided
• Sensitive topics discussed superficially
Academic• Expressing
emotions violate scientific inquiry
• Personal narratives are not legitimate forms of scientific knowledge
Color-blind• Individuals
should be judged on their internal attributes
• Operates to minimize differences and privilege
