1. Understanding Children and Families of Poverty A dialogue facilitated by Scott Felkey

2. N o SignificantLearningOccurs Without A SignificantRelationship.Dr.JamesComer N o SignificantLearningOccurs Without A SignificantRelationship.Dr.JamesComer

3. Questions to Consider for today’s Session What do we mean we say Poverty? Were schools really designed to educate the impoverished learner? What instructional strategies are important to address when working with children of poverty? How does your PLC support the impoverished learner?

4. A connector Are schools operating differently from the type of belief systems observed in the video clip “October Sky”? clip..\Documents\Video Clips\Oct sky 2.mpg..\Documents\Video Clips\Oct sky 2.mpg

5. What do we know about financial realities in Oakland County

6. Our current reality Last Updated: August 17. 2011 4:07PM Report: 36% of Michigan kids live in jobless households State ranks near last in U.S.; child poverty also a growing problem Karen Bouffard/ Detroit News Lansing Bureau Lansing— Unemployment has taken a toll on children in Michigan, with 36 percent living in families in which neither parent has a full-time, year-round job, according to a report out today.parent Michigan has more children living without a working parent than 46 other states, according to the 22nd annual Kids Count Data Book by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Alaska tied Michigan, and only Kentucky at 38 percent and Mississippi at 39 percent had more kids in households that lack secure parental employment in 2009. From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20110817/METRO/108170383/Report-- 36--of-Michigan-kids-live-in-jobless-households#ixzz1VrIAk7Ua http://detnews.com/article/20110817/METRO/108170383/Report-- 36--of-Michigan-kids-live-in-jobless-households#ixzz1VrIAk7Ua

7. GroupGroup LOWEST 20% Average Income In 2004 By Household Average Income In 2004 By Household $0-$18,500 SECOND 20%$18,501 - $34,738 MIDDLE 20%$34,739 - $55,325 FOURTH 20%$55,326 - $88,029 HIGHEST 20%$88,030+ *TOP 5% (part Of highest 20%) $157,185+ Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census

8. Percent Economically Disadvantaged with MME Spring 08 Percent Met - Math R xy = -.927

9. Percent Economically Disadvantaged with MME Spring 08 Percent Met - Reading R xy = -.942

10. Third Grade Reading Proficiency

11. Sixth Grade Math Proficiency

12. Eighth Grade Science

13. What is Poverty? Group Discussion and Interaction: Definition relative to people, impact, implications for education. Share

14. What is Poverty? “The extent to which an individual does without resources.” Ruby Payne

15. Resources and Definitions Financial Emotional Mental Spiritual

16. Resources and Definitions Physical Support Systems Relationships/Role Models Knowledge of Hidden Rules

17. What does it all mean? Poverty is more about other resources than it is about money. Educators have a tremendous opportunity to influence the non-financial resources. “It costs nothing to be an appropriate role model.” Role models/relationship have the biggest impact on life long learning. Support systems make the biggest difference in school success. Emotional Resources have the most significant impact on life long stability.

18. Clip The Perfect Classroom

19. Hidden Rules There are hidden rules for survival in the different classes: ◦ Poverty ◦ Middle Class ◦ Wealth

20. Hidden Rules of Class Noise level higher Important information is passed non-verbally Value to the group is the ability to entertain No respect unless you are personally strong A wider range of behaviors is acceptable Driving force for decision making are work and achievement Material security is valued Choice is the key concept in the lifestyle Connections and legacies Artistic and aesthetic values

21. TimeTime Poverty Present most important. Decisions made for the moment based on feelings or survival. Middle Class Future most important. Decisions made against future ramifications. Wealth Traditions and past history most important. Decisions made partially on basis of tradition/decorum

22. Poverty Believe in fate. Cannot do much to mitigate chance. Middle Class Believe in choice. Can change the future with good choices now. Wealth Noblesse oblige.

23. Wealth One-of-a-kind objects, legacies, pedigrees. POSSESSIONSPOSSESSIONS Poverty People.

24. Could you survive in middle class? COMPLETE THE QUIZ: Put a check by each item you know how to do. ______1.I know how to get my children into Little League, piano lessons, soccer, etc. ______2.I know how to set a table properly. ______3.I know which stores are most likely to carry the clothing brands my family wears. ______4.My children know the best name brands in clothing. ______5.I know how to order in a nice restaurant. ______6.I know how to use a credit card, checking account, and savings account—and I understand an annuity. I understand term life insurance, disability insurance, and 20/80 medical insurance policy, as well as house insurance, flood insurance, and replacement insurance. ______7.I talk to my children about going to college. ______8.I know how to get one of the best interest rates on my new-car loan. ______9.I understand the difference among the principal, interest, and escrow statements on my house payment. ______10.I know how to help my children with their homework and do not hesitate to call the school if I need additional information. ______11.I know howto decorate the house for the different holidays. ______12.I know how to get a library card. ______13.I know how to use most of the tools in the garage. ______14.I repair items in my house almost immediately when they break—or know a repair service and call it.

25. Let’s take a quiz Let’s divide in half This half of the room take the poverty quiz found on handout 40 the other half take the wealth quiz found on handout 42. Now find a partner who did not take the same test as you and discuss what surprised you and why.

26. COMPLETE THE QUIZ: Put a check by each item you know how to do. ______1.I know which churches and sections of town have the best rummage sales. ______2.I know which rummage sales have “bag sales” and when. ______3.I know which grocery stores’ garbage bins can be accessed for thrown-away food. ______4.I know how to get someone out of jail. ______5.I know how to physically fight and defend myself physically. ______6.I know how to get a gun, even if I have a police record. ______7.I know how to keep my clothes from being stolen at the Laundromat. ______8.I know what problems to look for in a used car. ______9.I know how to live without a checking account. ______10.I know how to live without electricity and a phone. ______11.I know how to use a knife as scissors. ______12.I can entertain a group of friends with my personality and my stories. ______13.I know what to do when I don’t have money to pay the bills. ______14.I know how to move in half a day. ______15.I know how to get and use food stamps or an electronic card for benefits. ______16.I know where the free medical clinics are. ______17.I am very good at trading and bartering. ______18.I can get by without a car. Could you survive in poverty?

27. Could you survive in wealth? COMPLETE THE QUIZ: Put a check by each item you know how to do. ______1.I can read a menu in French, English, and another language. ______2. I have several favorite restaurants in different countries of the world. ______3.During the holidays, I know how to hire a decorator to identify the appropriate themes and items with which to decorate the house. ______4.I know who my preferred financial advisor, legal service, designer, domestic- employment service, and hairdresser are. ______5.I have at least two residences that are staffed and maintained. ______6.I know how to ensure confidentiality and loyalty from my domestic staff. ______7.I have at least two or three “screens” that keep people whom I do not wish to see away from me. ______8.I fly in my own plane or the company plane. ______9.I know how to enroll my children in the preferred private schools. ______10. I know how to host the parties that “key” people attend. ______11. I am on the boards of at least two charities. ______12. I know the hidden rules of the Junior League. ______13. I support or buy the work of a particular artist. ______14. I know how to read a corporate financial statement and analyze my own financial statements.

28. POVERTYMIDDLE CLASSWEALTH POSSESSIONSPeople.Things.One-of-a-kind objects, legacies, pedigrees. MONEYTo be used, spent.To be managed.To be conserved, invested. PERSONALITYIs for entertainment. Sense of humor is highly valued. Is for acquisition and stability. Achievement is highly valued. Is for connections. Financial, political, social connections are highly valued. SOCIAL EMPHASIS Social inclusion of the people they like. Emphasis is on self-governance and self-sufficiency. Emphasis is on social exclusion. FOODKey question: Did you have enough? Quantity important. Key question: Did you like it? Quality important. Key question: Was it presented well? Presentation important. CLOTHINGClothing valued for individual style and expression of personality. Clothing valued for its quality and acceptance into the norms of middle class. Label important. Clothing valued for its artistic sense and expression. Designer important. TIMEPresent most important. Decisions made for moment based on feelings or survival. Future most important. Decisions made against future ramifications. Traditions and past history most important. Decisions made partially on basis of tradition decorum. EDUCATIONValued and revered as abstract but not as reality. Education is about facts. Crucial for climbing success ladder and making money. Necessary tradition for making and maintaining connections. DESTINYBelieves in fate. Cannot do much to mitigate chance. Believes in choice. Can change future with good choices now. Noblesse oblige. LANGUAGECasual register. Language is about survival. Formal register. Language is about negotiation. Formal register. Language is about connection. FAMILY STRUCTURETends to be matriarchal.Tends to be patriarchal.Depends on who has/controls money. WORLD VIEWSees world in terms of local setting. Sees world in terms of national setting. Sees world in terms of an international view. LOVELove and acceptance conditional, based on whether individual is liked. Love and acceptance conditional, based largely on achievement. Love and acceptance conditional, related to social standing and connections. DRIVING FORCESSurvival, relationships, entertainment. Work and achievement.Financial, political, social connections. Hidden RulesHidden Rules

29. Hidden Rules Clip Gold Lame’

32. Bottom Line Kids from poverty are different Brains adapt to suboptimal conditions But brains can and do change everyday You can facilitate that change For others to change, you must change It takes focused, smarter actions Those from poverty can graduate It will take a 100% “no excuses” mindset

33. As a PLC how are you addressing the needs of your impoverished learner?

34. N o SignificantLearningOccurs Without A SignificantRelationship.Dr.JamesComer N o SignificantLearningOccurs Without A SignificantRelationship.Dr.JamesComer

35. Deposit Made To Individual In Poverty Withdrawals Made From Individual In Poverty Appreciation for humor and entertainment provided by the individual Acceptance of what the individual cannot say about a person or situation Respect for the demands and priorities of relationships Using the adult voice Assisting with goal-setting Identifying options related to available resources Understanding the importance of personal freedom, speech, and individual personality Put-downs or sarcasm about the humor or the individual Insistence and demands for full explanation about a person or situation Insistence on the middle class view of relationships Using the parent voice Telling the individual his/her goals Making judgments on the value and availability of resources Assigning pejorative character traits to the individual

36. Creating Relationships DEPOSITSDEPOSITSWITHDRAWALSWITHDRAWALS Seek first to understand Seek first to to be understood Keeping promisesBreaking promises Kindnesses, courtesiesUnkindnesses, discourtesies Clarifying expectationsViolating expectations Loyalty to the absent Disloyalty, duplicity ApologiesPride, conceit, arrogance Open to feed backRejecting feedback Chart taken from Stephen Covey’s book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

37. Rita Pierson, Ed.D “The Power of Relationships”

38. Reading and Poverty Reading problems contribute significantly to the perpetuation of socio-economic, racial and ethnic inequities. "You know if you look at where we are today, the bottom line is for a country like America to be leaving behind about 38-40% of its youngsters in terms of not learning to read is unconscionable. What makes it equally or doubly unconscionable is if you disaggregate those data: 70% approximately of young African Americans kids can’t read. 70%! If you look at Hispanic kids, 65-70%! The fact of the matter is when we do our studies and we identify kids at risk for reading failure, we know that the majority of those kids who are at risk and who will hit the wall as they learn to read are kids from poverty." - Dr. G. Reid Lyon, Branch Chief, National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (Children of the Code interview)Children of the Code interview

39. A brutal fact! 43% of Americans with the lowest literacy skills live in poverty and 70% have no job or a part-time job. Only 5% of Americans with strong literacy skills live in poverty. National Institute for Literacy

40. "Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Experiences of Young American Children."Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Experiences of Young American Children Dr. Todd Risley Correlations with Socioeconomic Status and Race: Now, the interesting thing is that when look at the amount of talking the parents are doing, and the amount of extra talk they're doing over and above business talk, nothing is leftover relating to socioeconomic status. It accounts for all the variance.business talk And there's nothing left for race either. Remember, we stratified by African-American, and nothing left. All the variation in outcomes are taken up by amount of talking, the amount of talking in the family to the babies before age three. In other words, some working poor people talked a lot to their kids and their kids did really well. Some affluent business people talked very little to their kids and their kids did very poorly.

41. Joos, 1967 Can go one register down in the same conversation and that is socially accepted.

42. LANGUAGE AND STORY 1. When students speak in casual register, have them say it two other ways in formal register. 2. Give information to parents and students in story form. What can you do in the classroom?

43. Research about language in children from ages 1 to 3 years stable households by economic group. Number of words exposed to Economic group Affirmations (strokes) Prohibitions (discounts) 10 million words Welfare 1 for every 2 20 million words Working class 2 for every 1 30 million words Professional 5 for every 1 Source: Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Experience of Young American Children (1995) by Betty Hart & Todd R. Risley

44. Registers: FROZEN FORMAL CONSULTATIVE CASUAL INTIMATE Kaplan Discourse: FORMAL CASUAL

45. To survive in poverty, one must rely upon non-verbal, sensory, and reactive skills. To survive in school, one must use verbal, abstract, and proactive skills.

46. It is possible to have a brain and not have a mind. A brain is inherited; amind is developed. –Attributed to Reuven Feuerstein

47. Dr. Rita Pierson “The Role of Language and Story: Guess What Happened to Jack?”

48. Powerful Practices Powerful Practices Build Relationships of Respect (Resilience) Make Beginning Learning Relational Teach Students to Speak in Formal Register Assess Each Student’s Resources Teach the Hidden Rules of School Monitor Progress and Plan Interventions Translate the Concrete into the Abstract Teach Students How to Ask Questions Forge Relationships with Parents Recognize Effort/ Confront the myth Pre-telling and Retelling

49. Learning Achievement Coalition Oakland LACO http://www.lac- o.org/SitePages/New%20Page.aspx http://www.lac- o.org/SitePages/New%20Page.aspx