Washoe County School District January 14, 2011

1. Washoe County School DistrictJanuary 14, 2011 Superintendent’s Administrators and Supervisory Meeting

2. Outcomes By the end of the session, participants will have: • Reflected on one’s own racial and cultural identity as it influences professional practice. • Discussed the research related to racial and cultural identity on professional practice. • Identified actions to enhance one’s own racial and cultural identity as a critical component for leading equitable schools.

3. Ground Rules Be willing to think about situations and issues with a new or expanded perspective Listen to hear, not respond Be mindful that your truth can be different from others Take responsibility for your own learning Maintain confidentiality

4. Who Am I? Directions: Complete the sentence, “I am……” using as many descriptors as you can think of in sixty seconds. I am ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________

5. FACTORS OF DIVERSITY • GENDER • RELIGION • REGION • AGE • RACE • ETHNICITY • LANGUAGE • SOCIO-ECONOMIC CLASS

6. “Not learning tends to take place when someone has to deal with unavoidable challenges to her or his personal and family loyalties, integrity, and identity. In such situations there are forced choices and no apparent middle ground. To agree to learn from a stranger who does not respect your integrity causes a major loss of self. The only alternative is to not-learn and reject the stranger’s world.” Herb Kohl I Won’t Learn From You! The Role of Assent in Education

7. Delayed ResponseAn active listening strategy • The first person to share will be chosen at random. • After the first person shares, group members will pause for 5 seconds of private reflective time – there is NO discussion. • Proceed in this manner, repeating the process, until everyone has shared. • 4. You have ___ minutes.

8. Debriefing Delayed Response Ensure equitable participation!

10. fine arts drama literature music VISIBLE SURFACE CULTURE (Explicit Culture) folk dancing cookingdress notions of modesty conception of beauty body language ideals governing child raising ordering of time patterns of superior/subordinate relationship approaches to problem-solving conception of “self” conversational patterns in various social contexts preference for competition or cooperation social interaction rate patterns of handling emotions AND MUCH, MUCH MORE... DEEP CULTURE (Implicit Culture) INVISIBLE What other aspects of invisible culture impact leadership, teaching and learning? How are U.S. normed values, those that institutionally shape expectations, beliefs, behaviors in our society, reflected in our schools?

11. Essential Question 1 How do awareness, knowledge, and understanding of one’s racial and cultural identity promote effective leadership for effective learning and teaching?

12. Institutional Racism “Differential access to goods, services, and opportunities of society by race. Institutionalized racism is normative, sometimes legalized, and often manifests as inherited disadvantage. It is structural, having been codified in our institutions of custom, practice, and law, so there need not be a perpetrator. It often evidenced as inaction in the face of need.” Camara Phyllis Jones Levels of Racism: A Theoretic Framework and a Gardener’s Tale.

13. Barriers • Systems of oppression • Presumptions of entitlement • Lack of awareness

14. A Common Theme “Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it!”

15. Making Connections Beliefs Expectations Equitable Practices

16. Read and Respond According to these experts, why will strategies alone NOT eliminate the racial disparities? Belinda Williams Geneva Gay Gary R. Howard Lisa Delpit Beverly Daniel Tatum

17. Triads Discuss According to the experts, why will strategies alone NOT eliminate the racial disparities?

18. Engaging in Conversation

19. How does “breathing in the smog” influence attitudes, beliefs, assumptions and practices about race?

20. Debriefing Numbered Heads Together Ensure equitable participation!

21. When students are successful in achieving intended goals, that success is often attributed to one of the following. Which do you believe is the most powerful determinant of success? • Student home background • Student intellectual ability • Student perseverance • Teacher attention to student interest & abilities • Teacher enthusiasm and perseverance

22. When students fail to achieve intended school goals, the failure is often attributed to one of the following. Which do you believe is the most powerful determinant of school failure? • Student home background • Student intellectual ability • Student perseverance • Teacher attention to student interest & abilities • Teacher enthusiasm and perseverance

23. Teacher Efficacy Dimensions of Teacher Efficacy: • Outcome expectancy – reflects the belief that effort expended will result in the wanted outcome • Efficacy expectancy – extent to which an individual feels capable of influencing outcomes in the desired direction

24. Research Findings • Language of praise • Assignment of class work • Attitudes toward students • Student sense of confidence and self-determination

25. High Expectations + High Efficacy • Greater range and variety of instruction • Holding self accountable for learning of students • Greater participation in planning and professional development • Choice of more challenging activities for students • Engrossed in the work

26. What can leaders do, deliberately or purposefully, to promote high expectations and efficacy among the educators with whom they work?

27. Answering the First Essential Question • Pay attention to our own behavior • Listen to hear, not respond • Identify beliefs • Examine resistance • Invite feedback • Share struggles

28. Answering the First Essential Question • Be aware of language • Focus on strengths • Rethink our frames of thinking Subgroup Underachieving At-risk

29. Answering the Essential Question • Examine data from an equity lens • How is direct instruction of positive school behaviors handled without “putting down” home/community norms? • How is reteaching of appropriate school behaviors as needed accomplished? • How is the local community involved in disciplinary policy and practice? • To what extent is school staff knowledgeable about cultural norms and expectations of students and families? • To what extent does staff recognize how mainstream cultural expectations result in misinterpretation of the behaviors of students from other cultural groups? National Center for Culturally Responsive Educational Systems

30. Answering the Essential Question • Speak up • Ask a Question • Appeal to Empathy • Interrupt and Redirect • Make It Individual/Personal • Felt – Learned - Feel

31. Possible Next Steps What are the ways I can continue the work to build my efficacy and staff efficacy to promote equity?

32. Debriefing Give One Get One Move On Ensure equitable participation!

33. Summarize I feel __________ about race and equity. Whip around your table and share… no discussion!