School Care: What Is It and How Do We Foster It?

1. School Care: What Is It and How Do We Foster It? Dr. Deborah Schussler Villanova University

2. Goals • Definitions of care • Study results • Who? • What? • How? • Cultural and contextual aspects • How do we do this?

3. Why care about care? “A caring, competent, qualified teacher for every child is the most important ingredient in education reform” (NCTAF, 1996, p. 10).

4. Why care about care? Cognition and affect are inextricably linked. Learning Prevent alienation from academics Student engagement Academic achievement Osterman, 2000 Bryk & Thum, 1989; McMillan & Reed, 1994; Fredricks, et al., 2004 Catterall, 1998; Voelkl 1997 Bryk, Lee, & Smith, 1990; Shann 1999 Acceptance Positive student-teacher interactions Identification with school goals Care

5. Jot down your thoughts • A caring educator is someone who… • A caring student is someone who… • A caring parent is someone who… • A caring school is a place that…

6. Patterns? • Differences in questions? Why? • Where did you get your definitions? • Do these definitions exist at your school? • What can your school do to “live into” these definitions more?

7. Definitions of Care Mayeroff (1971) • Helping another to grow and “actualize” • Involves a relationship • Understand another from his/her perspective • Developmental process • May or may not be reciprocated

8. Definitions of Care Mayeroff (1971) • Ingredients of caring • Knowing • Alternating rhythms • Patience • Honesty ̶ Trust ̶ Humility ̶ Hope & Courage

9. Definitions of Care Noddings (1984; 1992) • Universal need to be received • “Engrossment and motivational displacement” • Care must be received • Teacher’s role = 1) foster caring relationships 2) cultivate students’ capacity to care

10. A Study of Care • “Middle College” High School • 10th-12th grade public, alternative school • School of choice; application for admission • 128 students • Campus – community college

11. A Study of Care • “Middle College” High School Focus – prevent capable students from dropping out of school by creating an academically enriched environment that fosters students’ social and personal development

12. A Study of Care • Demographics • 5 district high schools • Suburban • Free/reduced lunch = 1-13% • Average ACT scores = 20.1-23.3

13. Data • Primary • 16 students; 3 rounds in-depth interviews • Secondary • Teacher interviews • Classroom observations • Extensive field notes • Artifacts • Approximately 1 year

14. Student Quotes • What is compelling? • What is disturbing? • What is revealing? • How would you categorize these quotes? (What label?)

15. Middle College at a Glance

16. Dissecting Care: Who? Teacher, Student, School • From perspective of students: Who are the givers and receivers of care?

17. Caring Relationships Teacher →Student • Academic, Personal, Social Student ↔ Student • Unity, Acceptance, Support School → Student Student → School Student → Teacher

18. Dissecting Care: Who? • Teacher  Student (Academic) “They’ll offer to help you even if you don’t want the help sometimes. And it seems like they suffer if you suffer. If you’re not learning it, and you’re making a bad grade, they’re just as sad about it as you are. And they want you to do good. And, personally, they don’t care if you’re a star athlete or if you’re a great musician or if you have no tone at all, or if you’re just like you don’t care about school. They’ll try and get you to care. They’ll try and get you learning.” (Peter, 10th grade)

19. Dissecting Care: Who? • Grades • Genuine learning, future needs • Reach potential • Care without prejudice • Want students to care about themselves

20. Dissecting Care: Who? • Teacher  Student (Social) “I think another thing you learn in high school is also relationships. You don’t like a teacher, you have to deal with it. Because in the real world, you don’t like a boss, you have to deal with it. It’s basically preparing us for adulthood…. That seems like that’s the main focus here.” (James, 11th grade)

21. Dissecting Care: Who? • Teacher  Student (Personal) “They’re a set of parents…. They treat you like you’re one of theirs.” (Scott, 10th grade) “It’s more like a relationship than just acquaintances.” (David, 12th grade) “I guess I just like knowing my teachers and my teachers knowing me.” (Hayden, 12th grade)

22. Dissecting Care: Who? • Negatives of Teacher  Student Care “Maybe the whole friend-friend teacher-friend thing, it works to get us to do work,…but there are certain times where you just have to break that down and say, ‘If I can tell you’re high in my class I will get you kicked out of here.’ Or give them a zero. Because I’ve known a teacher to actually do that. But there are some who just don’t seem to care. I don’t know. Maybe it’s the whole summer thing coming up and it’s just like everyone wants to get out of here.” (Trixie, 11th grade)

23. Dissecting Care: Who? • Teacher care negative when • Teacher like friend, not parent • Personal care conflicted with academic care

24. Dissecting Care: Who? • Student  Student “Here you don’t have to worry about [bullying]. You’ve got your thugs, you’ve got your Goths, and you’ve got every kind of clique here. It really doesn’t matter…. We look at what kind of personality you have in your being.” (Bob, 11th grade) “[My friend] was really stressed out [in math class]. She had like four people that day come up to her and be like, ‘Hey, if you need help with your math, I can help you.’” (Victoria, 10th grade) “I just think we’re different. I mean, we’re all different because we didn’t fit in, so now we’re here and we thrive on our differences.” (Elizabeth, 12th grade)

25. Dissecting Care: Who? • Unity based on “knowing” • Acceptance of differences • Supportive – personally, academically • Common bonds • Divergent data highlights importance of belonging

26. Dissecting Care: Who? • Student  School “Somebody comes in here and they start disrupting things, they’re not about our business. I don’t know if that’s a good way, but if they’re not here to do what they need to be doing, kick them out. That’s what happened the first year is this dude came here. He wasn’t doing nothing but causing a ruckus, you know. We kicked him out, you know, made sure he didn’t come back.” (Joe, 12th grade)

27. Dissecting Care: Who? • Protective of school • Recognition of “core values”

28. Dissecting Care: What? • What does care look like?

29. Caring Relationships Teacher →Student • Academic, Personal, Social Student ↔ Student • Unity, Acceptance, Support School → Student Student → School Student → Teacher Contentious Cordial Pervasive Elements Opportunities for Success Flexibility Respect for Students Family Atmosphere Sense of Belonging Future Present

30. Dissecting Care: How? • How does a school foster caring relationships?

31. Caring Relationships Teacher →Student • Academic, Personal, Social Student ↔ Student • Unity, Acceptance, Support School → Student Student → School Student → Teacher Contentious Cordial Pervasive Elements Opportunities for Success Flexibility Respect for Students Family Atmosphere Sense of Belonging Future Present Organizational Factors School Size Class Size Core Values

32. Dissecting Care: How? • How does a school foster caring relationships? • Structural Aspects • Ideological Aspects: Care as core value • Deeply rooted vs. superficial • Bind people to the group in a “covenantal way” (Sergiovanni, 1992) • Form follows function

33. Dissecting Care: How? • MCHS Application “Every faculty member makes it a daily priority to establish a nurturing learning environment to foster student self-esteem and confidence. The establishments of solid caring relationships between teachers and students, and peer groups who accept them as individuals, create a sense of family which enhances the school environment in the areas of attendance and academic success.”

34. Study Conclusions • Students want to be cared for and want to demonstrate care. • Care must be perceived by students. • When care is received, it has positive outcomes. • The presence of care creates an environment conducive to learning.

35. Study Conclusions • Certain conditions facilitate the existence of care. • 5 elements: opportunities to succeed, flexibility, respect for students, family atmosphere, belongingness. • Care is woven into culture of the school (ideology); structures created to enable.

36. Care in Other School Contexts • Beck & Newman (1996) • “Wilson HS” in south central LA • Was predominantly African-American but growing Latino population • Serves students in 4 housing projects with notable gang activity • Most students qualify for Chapter 1 funding

37. Care at Wilson HS • Care among and between different races • Acknowledged racial/cultural differences and encouraged students to talk about • Students involved in crafting solutions

38. Care at Wilson HS • Caring among and between people of different SES • Adults held “agency, not deficiency models” for students • Faculty interactions with students highly personal; acknowledged and respected students’ hopes and dreams

39. Care at Wilson HS • Caring for, with, and about women • Modeling and encouraging females in leadership roles • Assuming responsibility, providing information and support, and respecting students’ decisions (esp, sexuality and motherhood)

40. Common Themes?

41. Culturally Responsive Care • Gay, 2000 • Caring is fundamental to CRP • Characteristics: “patience, persistence, facilitation, validation, and empowerment for all participants” • Beyond “exhibiting feelings of kindness” • Teachers “demand accountability” and hold high expectations for effort and achievement • “Multidimensional Responsiveness” – understanding the other in his/her context

42. Translating into Practice • How is care part of your school/ district’s ideology? • How do faculty know the students? • What structures exist to facilitate caring relationships • Between teachers and students? • Among students? • How does your school/district foster • Opportunities for students to succeed? • Flexibility in how students achieve success? • Respect for students? • A family atmosphere? • A sense of belonging?