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Creating LGBTQ-Inclusive Policies, Curricula, and Environments within Secondary Schools

Creating LGBTQ-Inclusive Policies, Curricula, and Environments within Secondary Schools. A Professional Development Workshop for Secondary School Faculty, Staff, and Administrators Designed by Mark Anthony Switzer (2014). Terminology.

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Creating LGBTQ-Inclusive Policies, Curricula, and Environments within Secondary Schools

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  1. Creating LGBTQ-Inclusive Policies, Curricula, and Environments within Secondary Schools A Professional Development Workshopfor Secondary School Faculty, Staff, and Administrators Designed by Mark Anthony Switzer (2014)

  2. Terminology LGBTQ – Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning. Transgender – Of relating to or being a person who identifies with/expresses a gender identity that differs from their sex at birth. Gender Identity – One’s sense of oneself as male, female, or transgender. Gender Expression – A culturally specific form of communicating gender, occurring through, but not limited to, dress, voice, and/or mannerisms.

  3. Terminology (Continued) School Connectedness – A sense of feeling like a valued and accepted member of a school community. Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN) – A national organization working towards ensuring the equal and fair treatment of all students (grades K – 12)—regardless of their sexual orientation, and/or gender identity/expression. Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) – Student-led organizations that are intended to provide a safe and supportive environment for LGBTQ youth and their allies.

  4. The Problem… • Exclusion and/or victimization of LGBTQ individuals within K – 12 public schools. • Exclusion of the LGBTQ community within K – 12 public schools, in both curriculum and equal protection policies, has far-reaching, negative effects on LGBTQ students’ academic achievement and mental health.

  5. Importance and Rationale • School districts throughout the United States of America are legally obligated to provide all students with safe and supportive learning environments (U.S. Department of Education, 2012). • Only 15 states have enacted anti-bullying policies that fully protect students from discrimination resulting from their sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression. • 8 states have passed local and/or state laws forbidding classroom discussion of gay and transgender issues (GLSEN, 2012). • Survey research shows that educators across the country are failing to appropriately respond to bias incidents involving LGBTQ students (e.g., Diaz, Kosciw, & Greytak, 2010; Espelage, Aragon, Birkett, & Koenig, 2008). • Results reports have linked staff inactivity to an array of detrimental effects on both the mental and physical health of LGBTQ youth. These include, but are not limited to, the following: academic failure, depression, suicidal ideation, drug use, and/or homelessness (Conoley, 2008).

  6. Workshop Objectives • This professional development workshop will… • address the biased and discriminatory practices of K – 12 public schools. • assist faculty and staff throughout their development, as they (and their schools) move towards becoming more accepting and supportive of LGBTQ youth.

  7. Theoretical Context LGBTQ youth victimization is a social phenomenon. Educators become more effective in assisting and/or advocating for this population by acknowledging how LGBTQ identity is shaped—at both the individual and group member level. Ecological Systems Theory Theory of Narrative Identity

  8. Ecological Systems Theory …works to explain the effects of social environments/interactions upon individual development, further illuminating the negative effects of hostile school climates on LGBTQ youth growth and achievement. LGBTQ youth are conceptualized as an “at-risk population” due to the rejection that they experience from their parents, peers, teachers, and/or society in general.

  9. Theory of Narrative Identity …frames LGBTQ identity development as a continuous, life-long process—one occurring throughout an individual’s performance of an assumed social role. Individuals determine their identity based on existing social categories and/or roles—from the types of people visibly existing within society.

  10. Historical Context • GLSEN’S National School Climate Survey (NSCS): • LGBTQ victimization negatively affects students’ self-esteem, levels of school connectedness, and academic achievement (Diaz et al., 2010) • Lowered self-esteem has been linked to a marked increase in anxiety, depression, suicidal feelings, and alcohol and/or marijuana usage (Espelage et al., 2008). • Family Acceptance Project survey: • LGBT school victimization is a major contributing factor to distressing adult mental and physical health. • Young adult LGBT individuals exhibit higher levels of depression and suicidal ideation, in addition to being categorized as being at a higher risk for contracting STDs and HIV (Russell, Ryan, Toomey, Diaz, & Sanchez, 2011).

  11. Existing Research Representation of LGBTQ Population within Schools • LGBTQ literature remains absent from classrooms and/or libraries—depriving all students and educators of valuable, readily accessible resources (Meixner, 2009). • Various local or state education laws either limit or forbid classroom discussions of LGBTQ issues (GLSEN, 2012). • Curricular exclusion additionally manifests as a result of educator incompetency and/or fear of reprimand or termination (Meixner, 2009).

  12. Existing Research Effects of Victimization • LGBTQ students experienced more direct and indirect forms of victimization than their heterosexual peers (e.g., physical assault and property damage, respectively) (Russell, Everett, Rosario, & Birkett, 2014). • LGBTQ students experienced higher rates of both victimization and suicidal ideation than their heterosexual peers. • Less than 1% of heterosexual students expressed suicidal ideation, versus the 5.6% response rate from those identifying as LGBTQ (Robinson & Espelage, 2011).

  13. Existing Research Effects of Victimization (Continued) • LGBTQ individuals living in states that offer few legal protections exhibited a 40% increase in drug/alcohol use, in addition to a nearly 250% increase in generalized anxiety disorders (Hatzenbuehler, Birkett, & Van Wagenen, 2014).

  14. Testimonial 1 – “Victim”

  15. Testimonial 2 – “Mother”

  16. 4 Ways to Better Support Your LGBTQ Students Transforming your school into a safe, inclusive space for LGBTQ youth.

  17. 1. Advocate! • Intervene on the behalf of/protect victimized LGBTQ students! • GLSEN’S National School Climate Survey (NSCS): • 5,487 students were surveyed about their interactions with peers and staff at school: • 73.6% of students routinely heard homophobic remarks at school with less than one-fifth reporting that school officials actually intervened in the verbal assault.

  18. 2. Create “Safe Spaces!” Support the organization of a gay-straight alliance (GSA), or an after school student club. Display supportive posters and resource fliers around school (Graybill, Varias, Meyers, & Watson, 2009).

  19. 3. Change Your Policies! • Increase a student’s sense of connectedness and safety by adopting fully enumerated anti-bullying policies—ones that explicitly prohibit discrimination and/or victimization resulting from sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression (Robinson & Espelage, 2011). • Protective school climates have a positive effect upon LGBTQ student development (Hatzenbuehler et al., 2014). • “[LGBTQ] youths who report greater school connectedness and school safety also report lower suicidal ideation and fewer suicide attempts” (Hatzenbuehler et al., 2014, p. 279).

  20. 4. Change Your Curriculum! • Increase the quantityand quality of LGBTQ literature! • Provide teachers and students with a rich, complex understanding of the LGBTQ community • Creates healthy inter- and intrapersonal relationships among the school’s population (Crisp & Knezek, 2010). • Inclusive instruction combats homophobia while providing LGBTQ students with a valuable resource for use during their identity development (Rosenfeld Halverson, 2010).

  21. Curriculum Reform – Examples Recognize the following throughout the year: • 1. LGBT History Month (October) • 2. National Coming Out Day (October 11th) • 3. International Transgender Day of Visibility (March 31st) • 4. The Day of Silence (April) Use the following PSAs during classroom lessons/presentations!

  22. PSA 1 – “Triangle”

  23. PSA 2 – “Transgender”

  24. PSA 3 – “Safety”

  25. PSA 4 – “Hate Crimes”

  26. Additional Resources • http://markswitzermed.weebly.com/ • The web component created for this P.D. • http://www.glsen.org/ • GLSEN • http://www.tolerance.org/ • Teaching Tolerance

  27. References Conoley, J. (2008). Sticks and stones can break my bones and words can really hurt me. School Psychology Review, 37(2), 217-220. Crisp, T., & Knezek, S. M. (2010). "I just don't see myself here": Challenging conversations about LGBTQ adolescent literature. English Journal, High school edition, 99(3), 76-79. Retrieved February 22, 2014, from ProQuest (237323015). Diaz, E. M., Kosciw, J. G., & Greytak, E. A. (2010). School connectedness for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth: In-school victimization and institutional supports. Prevention Researcher, 17(3), 15-17. Espelage, D. L., Aragon, S. R., Birkett, M., & Koenig, B. W. (2008). Homophobic teasing, psychological outcomes, and sexual orientation among high school students: What influence do parents and schools have? School Psychology Review, 37(2), 202-216.

  28. References (Continued) GLSEN. (2012). The 2011 National School Climate Survey. In Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network. Retrieved November 20, 2013, from http://glsen.org/sites/default/files/2011%20National%20School%20Climate%20Survey%20Full%20Report.pdf GLSEN. (2012). "No promo homo" laws. Retrieved February 24, 2014, from http://glsen.org/learn/policy/issues/nopromohomo Graybill, E. C., Varjas, K., Meyers, J., & Watson, L. B. (2009). Content-specific strategies to advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth: An exploratory study. School Psychology Review, 38(4), 570-584. Hatzenbuehler, M. L., Birkett, M., Van Wagenen, A., & Meyer, I. H. (2014, February). Protective school climates and reduced risk for suicidal ideation in sexual minority youths. American Journal of Public Health, 104(2), 279-286. Retrieved February 22, 2014, from ProQuest (1499845761).

  29. References (Continued) Meixner, E. S. (2009). "Would you want to read that?": Using book passes to open up secondary classrooms to LGBTQ young adult literature. ALAN Review, 36(3), 92-98. Retrieved February 22, 2014, from ProQuest (212246021). Robinson, J. P., & Espelage, D. L. (2011, October). Inequities in educational and psychological outcomes between LGBT and straight students in middle and high school. Educational Researcher, 40(7), 315-330. doi:10.3102/0013189X11422112 Rosenfeld Halverson, E. (2010, September). The dramaturgical process as a mechanism for identity development of LGBTQ youth and its relationship to detypification. Journal of Adolescent Research, 25(5), 635-668. doi:10.1177/0743558409357237

  30. References (Continued) Russell, S. T., Everett, B. G., Rosario, M., & Birkett, M. (2014, February). Indicators of victimization and sexual orientation among adolescents: Analyses from youth risk behavior surveys. American Journal of Public Health, 104(2), 255-261. Retrieved February 22, 2014, from ProQuest (1499845526). Russell, S. T., Ryan, C., Toomey, R. B., Diaz, R. M., & Sanchez, J. (2011). Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender adolescent school victimization: Implications for young adult health and adjustment. Journal of School Health, 81(5), 223-230. doi:10.1111/j.1746-1561.2011.00583.x U.S. Department of Education. (2012). Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools. In OSDFS. Retrieved November 20, 2013, from http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osdfs/index.html

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