Theodore Pikes, Ph.D.Georgia Department of Education

Division of Teacher Quality1852 Twin Towers East

205 Jesse Hill Jr. Drive, SE Atlanta, Georgia 30334TheoPikes@aol.com

(404) 463-1410

Vera I. Daniels, Ph.D.Department of Special Education

Southern UniversityP. O. Box 9523

Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70813danielsvi@yahoo.com

(225) 771-3950

April 20, 2007

2007 CEC Convention and Expo

Louisville, Kentucky

Cultural Responsiveness

A Need for Understanding Evidence-Based Practices

to Address Challenging Behaviors

The Problem

African American Students and School Discipline: A Synopsis of Research Findings

The Debate

Causes of Misbehavior

School Characteristics Associated with Discipline Problems

Limitations of Traditional Approaches for Addressing Challenging Behaviors

Cultural Responsiveness and Culturally Responsive Practices

Agenda

The Models

Positive Behavior Support (PBS)

Response to Intervention (RTI)

The Future

Blending PBS and RTI

The Solution

Scientific and Evidence-Based Practices for Addressing Challenging Behaviors

Culturally Responsive Practices

Agenda

African American Students and School Discipline(Synopsis of Research Findings)

Carla R. Monroe (2000)

Nationally, African American students are targeted for disciplinary action in the greatest numbers than other students (Johnston 2000)

According to quantitative reports, African American students are statistically two to five times more likely to be suspended than their white counterparts (Irvine 1990)

Qualitative findings simultaneously indicate that teachers confine reprimands and punitive consequences to African American children even when students of other races engage in the same unsanctioned behaviors (McCadden 1998)

African American Students and School Discipline(Synopsis of Research Findings)

Carla R. Monroe (2000)

Skiba et al.s (2000) research further reveals that African Americans receive harsher punishments than their peers, often for subjectively defined offenses.

Inequities in school discipline are most pronounced among boys (Ferguson 2000).

The Debate

Do African American students act out more when placed in classrooms with teachers who are not African American?

Do teachers of other racial/ethnic backgrounds judge or rate African American students’ behavior more harshly than do African American teachers?

Do teachers of other racial/ethnic backgrounds interpret African American students’ “cultural style” differently from African American teachers?

Big Question: Does racial/ethnic dynamics play a role in teachers’ “responsiveness” to student behavior?

Causes of Misbehavior(Popular Theoretical Explanations)

Biomedical / Biophysical / Biogenic

Psychodynamic / Psychoanalytic

Behavioral

Socio-Cultural

Biomedical / Biophysical / Biogenic Perspective(Approach to the Problem)

abnormal behavior results from a physiological flaw; an inherited or abnormal biological condition within the body.

Genetic transmission Brain injury Neurological dysfunction Biochemical irregularities Temperament or inborn behavioral style.

interventions include drug therapy, dietary control, exercise, surgery, biofeedback, alterations in the environment that exacerbate the physiological problem, etc.

(Kauffman, 2005; Rosenberg, Wilson, Maheady, & Sindelar , 2004)

Psychodynamic / Psychoanalytic Perspective(Approach to the Problem)

seeks to explain the motivation or driving forces behind human behavior and emotion.

abnormal behavior results from a pathological imbalance among the dynamic parts of one’s personality -- id, ego, and superego.

ID

EGO

SUPEREGO

Wants / Desires Morals

Reality

Psychodynamic / Psychoanalytic Perspective(Approach to the Problem)

interventions stress the importance of . . .

individual psychotherapy for the child, and often for the parents as well

a permissive and accepting classroom teacher

understanding the unconscious motivation for the behavior.

(Kauffman, 2005; Rosenberg, Wilson, Maheady, & Sindelar , 2004)

Behavioral Perspective(Approach to the Problem)

maladaptive behavior results from inappropriate learned responses

interventions should consist of “choosing target responses, measuring their current level, analyzing probable controlling environmental events, and changing antecedent or consequent events until reliable changes are produced.” (Kauffman, 2005, p. 77).

common techniques for strengthening and weakening behaviors include positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, extinction, punishment (Rosenberg, Wilson, Maheady, & Sindelar , 2004).

Sociological / Socio-Cultural Perspective(Approach to the Problem)

sociological perspective focuses on how an individual’s behavior is perceived in a particular social context.

provides insight as to how social factors influence the way we think about individuals who are different.

views the distinction between “appropriate” and “inappropriate” behaviors as being rooted in an ever-changing social context.

(Rosenberg, Wilson, Maheady, & Sindelar , 2004)

School Characteristics AssociatedWith Discipline Problems

Insensitivity to student’s individuality

Inappropriate expectations for students

Inconsistent management of behavior

Instruction in nonfunctional and irrelevant skills

Destructive contingencies of reinforcement

Undesirable models of school conduct

Kauffman, J. M. (2005). Characteristics of emotional and behavioral disorders of children and youth, 8th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson / Merrill Prentice Hall, p. 216.

Traditional Methods of Addressing Challenging Behaviors

Views individual as “the problem”

Attempts to “fix” individual

Relies on “quick fix” for a single behaivor

Sanctions aversive actions

Use of inflexible systems (lack of cultural responsiveness)

Cultural Responsivenessand

Culturally Responsive Practices

Culturally Responsive Practices(A Brief Overview)

Use of the cultural knowledge , prior experiences frame of reference, and performance styles of ethnically diverse students to make learning experiences encounters more relevant and effective for students

Acknowledge the legitimacy of cultural heritages of different ethnic groups

Build bridges of meaningfulness between home and school experiences and between academic abstractions and lived sociocultural realities

Culturally Responsive Practices(A Brief Overview)

Use of a wide variety of instructional strategies that are connected to different learning styles

Teach students to know and praise their own and each others’ cultural heritages

Incorporate multicultural information, resources, and materials in all the subjects and skills routinely taught in schools

(Gay 2000)

Positive Behavior Support

(PBS)

What is Positive Behavior Support (PBS)?

A process for :

understanding why the child engages in problem behavior

developing strategies for preventing the occurrence of the behavior while teaching the child new skills

offering a holistic approach that considers all factors that impact the child and child’s behavior

(Retrieved on April 16, 2007 from http://challengingbehavior.fmhi.usf.edu/pbs.html)

Positive Behavior Support(Understanding the Concept)

Process of Positive Behavior Support(Defining Features)

Essential Steps to the Process of PBS

Building a Behavior Support Team (identification of goals) Person –Centered Planning (identification of goals) Functional Behavioral Assessment (data collection and

analysis) Hypothesis Development (summary statements) Behavior Support Plan Development (multi-element plans) Monitoring Outcomes (monitoring system)

Response to Intervention

Response to Intervention (RTI)(Where Does Support for RTI Come From?)

Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA 2004) Regulations

authorizes local education agencies to use Response to Intervention (RTI) models.

IDEA 2004 states, “In determining whether a child has a specific learning disability, a local educational agency may use a process that determines if the child responds to scientific, research-based intervention…” (Section 1414(b)(6)(B)).

Response to Intervention (RTI)(Where Does Support for RTI Come From?)

No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB)

requires states to improve the academic achievement of every student;

requires states to improve teacher quality

mandates increased accountability

requires students to take state-wide assessments that are aligned with curriculum accountability standards; and requires students to make adequate yearly progress in the areas that are tested.

puts reading first; and ensures that every student can read by third grade. The Reading First (RF) initiative supports scientifically based reading instruction programs.

Response to Intervention (RTI)(Understanding the Concept)

no formal definition

considered as an individualized, comprehensive assessment and intervention process.

well established and widely endorsed by researchers and educators.

utilizes a problem-solving framework to identify and address student academic difficulties using effective, efficient, research-based instruction.

allows for multiple attempts to provide assistance to students before identifying them as having a disability

Response to Intervention(Definition)

Response to Intervention is the practice of (1) providing high-quality instruction/intervention matched to student needs and (2) using learning rate over time and level of performance to (3) make important educational decisions. (NASDSE, 2005, p. 7)

Response to Intervention (RTI)(Potential Benefits)

emphasizes teachers use of research-validated instruction and interventions.

increases accountability for all students in the general education classroom.

helps ensure that students’ poor academic performance is not related to or a result of poor instruction.

provides support to students as soon as they show signs that they are having difficulty learning, regardless of whether or not they have a disability.

Response to Intervention (RTI)(Potential Benefits)

students no longer have to “wait to fail” to receive help

can prevent the over-identification of minority students for special education

Responsiveness to Intervention and Learning Disabilities. A Report Prepared by the National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities (June 2005). Retrieved April 15, 2007 from http://www.ldanatl.org/pdf/rti2005.pdf.

Response-to-Intervention --The Promise and the Peril. Retrieved April 15, 2007 fromhttp://www.cec.sped.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=7617

Response to Intervention (RTI)(Major Issues)

much about RTI is murky; research is limited

RTI is still being researched, and is still in the early stages of development

most research has focused on students in elementary grades in reading, with some additional research on RTI and early math and behavior.

confusion exists as to what RTI is, and whether schools are required to use it

the biggest issue is who accepts responsibility for RTI.

Response to Intervention (RTI)(Major Issues)

RTI is a special education initiative, for it to work general education must take the lead in providing evidence-based instruction to all students as well as research-based interventions to struggling learners.

Number of unknowns about RTI implementation -- one is the cut off score for not responding

Response-to-Intervention --The Promise and the Peril. Retrieved April 15, 2007 from http://www.cec.sped.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=7617

Response to Intervention (RTI)(Core Principles / Core Features)

1. High quality classroom instruction emphasis is on quality instruction that must occur in the general

education setting before students are singled out for specific assistance

2. Research—based instruction involves the use of curriculum and instructional approaches that

have a high probability of success for the majority of students

3. Classroom Performance involves the assessment of student progress in the general

education curriculum against grade level standards.

Response to Intervention (RTI)(Core Principles / Core Features)

4. Universal Screening emphasis is on specific criteria for judging the learning and achievement

of all students not only in core academic areas but also in related behaviors (e.g., class attendance, tardiness, truancy, suspensions, and disciplinary actions).

5. Continuous progress monitoring involves the continuous monitoring of students’ classroom progress to

quickly identify learners who are not meeting the benchmarks and other expected standard.

6. Research-based interventions involves 8 -12 weeks of intense instruction; implemented as soon as it

has been determined that a student has a deficit (based on continuous progress monitoring).

Response to Intervention (RTI)(Core Principles / Core Features)

7. Progress monitoring during intervention provides a cumulative record of the learner’s response to intervention;

data obtained is used to determine the interventions’ effectiveness and to make modifications, when needed.

8. Fidelity measures focus on the individuals who provide the instruction and interventions;

fidelity measures provide information on whether the intervention was implemented as intended and with consistency; these measures are usually in the form of an observational checklist of critical teaching behaviors.

Mellard, D. (2004). Understanding responsiveness to intervention in learning disability determination. Retrieved April 15, 2007 from http://www.nrcld.org/publications/papers/ mellard.pdf

Response to Intervention (RTI)(Three-Tier Model of School Supports)

Academic Systems Behavioral Systems

1-5%

Tier 3: Intensive, Individual InterventionsIndividual StudentsAssessment-basedHigh IntensityOf longer duration

1-5%Tier 3: Intensive, Individual InterventionsIndividual StudentsAssessment-basedIntense, durable procedures

5-10%Tier 2: Targeted Group InterventionsSome students (at-risk)High efficiencyRapid response

5-10%Tier 2: Targeted Group InterventionsSome students (at-risk)High efficiencyRapid response

80-90%Tier 1: Universal InterventionsAll studentsPreventive, proactive

80-90% Tier 1: Universal InterventionsAll settings, all studentsPreventive, proactive

Students

Batsche, G. M. (2005). Implementing the Problem-Solving/Response to Intervention Protocols: Implications for School Social Workers. Keynote Address at the FASSW Annual Conference.

In a Snapshot

Response to Intervention represents . . .

a changing landscape in education in terms of how teachers teach and how students learn.

an alternative approach to the assessment before classification model

a marriage (partnership) between policy, legislation, and scientifically-based practices.

Blending RTI and PBS

Research Perspectives

Policy and Legal Reasons

Implementation Reasons

Potential Outcomes (Cultural Responsiveness)

Rationale for Blending PBS and RTI

Blending PBS and RTI in Culturally Responsive Practices for African American Students

Dimensions of African American Culture

Spirituality

Harmony

Movement

Verve

Affect

Blending PBS and RTI in Culturally Responsive Practices for African American Students

Dimensions of African American Culture

Communalism

Expressive Individualism

Oral Tradition

Social Time Perspective

(Boykin 1983).

References

Boykin, A.W.(1983). The academic performance of Afro-American children. In J. Spence (Ed.), Achievement and achievement motives (pp. 324-371), San Francisco, California: W.H. Freeman and Company.

Center for Evidence-Based Practice: Young children with challenging behavior: http://challengingbehavior.fmhi.usf.edu/pbs.html

Gay, G. (2000). Culturally Responsive Teaching. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Kauffman, J. M. (2005). Characteristics of emotional and behavioral disorders of children and youth, 8th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson / Merrill Prentice Hall.

Mellard, D. (2004). Understanding responsiveness to intervention in learning disability determination. Retrieved April 15, 2007 from http://www.nrcld.org/publications/papers/mellard.pdf

References

Monroe, C. M. (2005). Why are “bad boys” always Black? Causes of disproportionality in school discipline and recommendations for change. Clearing House, 79(1), 45-50).

Response-to-Intervention --The Promise and the Peril. Retrieved April 15, 2007 from http://www.cec.sped.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=7617

Rosenberg, M. S., Wilson, R., Maheady, L., & Sindelar, P. T. (2004). Educating students with behavior disorders, 3rd ed., Boston: Pearson / Allyn & Bacon.

Webb-Johnson G., & Carter, N. P. (2007, Summer). Culturally Responsive Urban School Leadership: Partnering to Improve Outcomes for African American Learners. The National Journal of Urban Education & Practice, 1(1), 77-98.