1. Excellence Through Equity: A Framework for Ending Exclusionary Practices Pedro A. Noguera, Ph.D. UCLA

2. Pervasive inequality makes the pursuit of equity difficult but…  Equity is:  Addressing the needs of all students  Academic and social  Recognizing that not all students are the same  They learn in different ways and at different paces  Equality and equity are not the same  Staying focused on outcomes – academic and developmental

3. Poverty Rates Are Rising DeNavas-Walt, C., Proctor, B. D., & Smith, J. C. (2010). Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2009. U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Reports, P60-238,.Washington, DC.: U.S. Government Printing Office. Available at: http://www.census.gov/prod/2010pubs/p60- 238.pdf

4. Demographics are Changing

5. Limitations of Policy  NCLB moved us forward by requiring schools to produce evidence of learning, but:  Ignored standards related to learning conditions  Focused too narrowly on using tests to monitor learning  Narrowed focus of curriculum to test preparation  Little guidance on how to deliver good instruction to disadvantaged groups – ELLs, special needs, etc.  Relied on pressure as strategy to improve schools without strategies to intervene and provide support  Ignored non-academic needs of children

6. A framework for pursuing excellence through equity  Child Development – requires a holistic approach to education and differentiation  Neuroscience – elasticity of brain means all kids need stimulation and requires personalized approaches to learning  Understanding and responding to the way students are affected by environmental context  Family – Peers – Community - Society

7. Five Essential Ingredients for school improvement - A coherent instructional guidance system - Ongoing development of the professional capacity of staff - Strong parent-community-school ties – to mitigate effects of poverty - A student-centered learning culture/climate - Shared leadership to drive change

8. II. Re-think Traditional Discipline Practices  Current approaches to safety emphasize security, overlook relationships  Metal detectors, armed guards, surveillance cameras  Locate discipline problems in students – assumes if we remove deviant and delinquent students problem will go away  Tend to ignore the ways in which the structure and culture of school and classroom practices may contribute to discipline problems

9. Flawed Practices  Discipline policies emphasize exclusion and humiliation  Tend to target students who are behind academically and who are “at-risk”  Exclusion practices tend to reinforce and exacerbate academic deficiencies  We suspend same students without addressing underlying causes of behavior problems  Increased reliance on law enforcement - criminalization of school misconduct  We have created a school to prison pipeline

10. School rules and procedures often undermine purpose of education  Schooling based upon a social contract of expectations - conformity in exchange for education  What happens to students when contract is broken?  Rules often unrelated to values - failure to engage the moral and ethical development of students  Absence of moral authority among adults  Too much emphasis on control, not enough focus on addressing student needs and creating an environment conducive to teaching and learning

11. III. A More Effective Approach: From Reactive vs. Preventative Discipline Practices  Reactive  Rely heavily on isolation and exclusion  Engage parents after behavior problems are exhibited, not before  Focus on behavior infractions while overlooking underlying causes  Fail to respond to early indicators of serious behavior problems  Preventative  School values and norms are clearly articulated and actively reinforced  Character development viewed as central to school mission  Attempt is made to ascertain and address causes of behavior problems  Interventions and punishments are designed to reinforce ethical behavior and reconnect students to learning

12. Discipline must be integral to the academic mission  Need to help students set goals for the future early  Need to help students see the relevance and applicability of what they learn to “real life” concerns - career academies  Student success more likely when:  S tudents are challenged and engage in deeper learning  Receive guidance and have access to support  Can explore interests and identity within a supportive structure  Extra curricular activities can help

13. Students in control of learning at Hollenbeck Middle School, LA

14. Design systems to monitor the effectiveness of discipline strategies  Examine patterns  Who is being disciplined? (race, gender, academic profile, year in school, homeless, foster care, etc.)  Do disciplinary practices serve as an effective deterrent? How many repeat offenders?  Which teachers/administrators give most referrals? For what reasons?

15. Get creative: Utilize alternative discipline strategies  Effective deterrence – Include students in the process of developing rules and consequences  Extra work - in-school suspension, Saturday school  Community service  Restorative justice - making amends with victims, including compensation  Denial of privileges – lunch with friends, prom, etc.  Counseling – drugs and mental health may be an issue  Parental involvement in discipline process  Support from community agencies – probation department, law enforcement, community mentors, mental health

16. Safe Schools are Nurturing Communities  Parents work as partners with school personnel  Students have a clear sense of purpose and their future  Teachers have moral authority and close connection to kids  Kids feel accountable and responsible for their behavior  School culture affirms values and norms that promote civility, compassion and community

17. Brockton scholarship winners 2015

18. Bronx Academy of Language and Technology

19. Challenge the normalization of failure: Demographics should not predict achievement.  School/district vision must combine equity and excellence  Challenge low expectations and complacency  Mutual accountability among all stakeholders  Data reveals if race, class, gender and language are predictors of achievement

20. WHEN POVERTY IS IGNORED IT CAN BE DISABLING Poverty is not a learning disability, but…