Enhancing the School Success of Boys of Color Grades PreK-3: Train-The-Trainer – Lansing, MI

1. Enhancing the School Success of Boys of Color Grades PreK-3: Train-The-Trainer – Lansing, MI Promoting Academic Success (PAS)* Initiative July 11, 2011 Dorinda Carter, PhD Michigan State University The PAS project was funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. Michigan State University and the Lansing School District , one of four PAS sites, developed this training.

2. Today’s Agenda • Institute Overview • Introductions • Establishing Group Norms • K-W-L-H • Introducing Frameworks that Guide Sessions • BREAK • The Educational Crisis for Boys of Color in the U.S. • Take-Aways • Wrap-Up

3. Institute Overview • Purpose • Equip trainers with tools needed to implement professional development on enhancing the school success of boys of color in Lansing Public Schools • Enhance educator awareness of issues affecting boys of color and their school success, and the racialized and gendered nature of the problem. • Engage participants in critical self-reflection about the impact of their social identity on their pedagogy and practice in the classroom, specifically as it relates to interacting with boys of color. • Allow participants to PLAN and ACT in ways that are more culturally inclusive for boys of color in the classroom

4. Institute Overview • Modules • Module 1 – Establishing the Context for Training on Enhancing the School Success of Boys of Color • Module 2 – Engaging in Critical Self-Reflection as an Educator of Boys of Color • Module 3 – Understanding the Development of Positive Male Identities for Boys of Color • Module 4 – Establishing a Boy-Friendly Classroom • Module 5 – Using Instructional Approaches that Motivate and Engage Boys of Color

5. Institute Overview • Overarching Structure for Sessions

6. Module 1 Establishing the Context for Training on Enhancing the School Success of Boys of Color

7. Introductions • Activity 1.1 – Introductions • Activity 1.2 – Get-To-Know-You Bingo

8. Establishing Group Norms • Activity 1.3 – Defining and Establishing Courageous Conversation • Activity 1.4 – R-E-S-P-E-C-T

9. Teacher Identity Teacher Pedagogy and Practice Teacher Critical Consciousness Theoretical and Conceptual Frameworks • Critical Self-Reflections for Educators • How does my social identity inform/shape my pedagogy and practices? • In what areas do I need to learn more about cultural inclusivity, culture, power and difference? • How might I be a more culturally responsive educator?

10. Culture, Identity, and Achievement Culture is embedded in all of these pieces!

11. What is Culture? A shared, learned, symbolic system of values, tastes, styles, beliefs and attitudes that shapes and influences one’s perceptions, behaviors and interaction patterns in the world; ways of thinking, knowing, and being in the world

12. What is Culture? • What kind of culture currently exists in your school building/classroom? What type of culture should exist? • How is excellence defined in your school building? Classroom?

13. The Achievement Gap is . . . • Comprised of many gaps. It’s: • A racialgap • A socioeconomic gap • A social class gap • A gender gap • A skills gap • An opportunity/access gap • A funding/resource gap • A teacher quality gap • . . . .

14. Equality ≠ Equity • Equality is achieved through the recognition of differences. • Acknowledge the differences that children bring to school (e.g., race, ethnicity, language, gender, etc.) • Admit and accept the possibility that students’ identities influence how they experience school • Accepting differences means making provisions for them • Equity is providing equal access to the same opportunities • You are achieving equity when you plan for differences • Treating everyone equally does not mean treating everyone the same. • Equality is achieved when individuals are treated equitably.

15. Question How am I promoting equity and equality at various levels within the organization? What can I do to ensure gaps are being filled?

16. What Contributes to Student Achievement Outcomes? • Structural/In-School Factors • School culture and climate • Institutional Policies and Procedures • Teacher Pedagogy and Practice • “-isms” • Teacher Quality • School district organization and leadership • School building organization • Environmental • Social identities • Peer Groups • Home • Community • Individual • Student achievement attitudes and beliefs • Student behavioral choices

17. A Holistic Approach to Student Achievement Community

18. Forms of Capital An individual’s assets. Sometimes seen as liabilities, depending on the social context Cultural Styles, tastes, interaction patterns, normative behaviors of social groups of people Human The skills and capabilities an individual has to make them more productive in society Social Derived from family and peer networks, relationship-building Forms of Capital

19. Dominant v. Non-Dominant Cultural Capital (for schooling)

20. Dominant v. Non-Dominant Human Capital

21. Dominant v. Non-Dominant Social Capital

22. Question How can I/my grade level team/our staff build on students’ non-dominant capital to enhance their learning?How can I/we ensure that every student is able to develop dominant cultural capital?

23. From Awareness to Action

24. Explanations for Underachievement of Boys of Color • Low teacher expectations • Peer pressure • Maladaptive behaviors • Negative student-teacher relationships • Eurocentric curriculum • Low parental involvement • Stereotyping • Racism

25. What Stuck? • An ‘Aha’ moment • A pleasant surprise • Something that you had to struggle with to understand • Something that you don’t agree with • Something that you agree with strongly • Something you thought was particularly interesting • Something you didn’t expect • An insight or solution • Something you want to know more about/A question that you have

26. Thank you… • The PAS project was funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. Michigan State University and the Lansing School District, one of four PAS sites, developed this training.