Dissonant Harmony:

1. Dissonant Harmony: A Conversation About What we Must Do to Enhance African American Male Students’ Achievement Baltimore County Public Schools December 15, 2010

2. The purposes of this series of workshops…

3. Purpose of this workshop is to: • Describe the context (using data) of the state of African American male students’ (AAMS) achievement • Describe the implications of AAMS underachievement • Share information on best practices (locally and nationally) for improving AAMS

4. A unique set of circumstances >  

5. “One ever feels his twoness - an American, a Negro, two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings, two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder.” • W.E.B. DuBois

6. Sobering Findings, African American Males: • Do not have the same opportunities as their male or female counterparts • Have higher infant mortality rates • Have limited access to health care • Are more likely to live in single-parent homes • Are less likely to participate in early childcare programs • Are less likely to be raised in a household with a fully employed adult • Are more likely to live in poverty • Are less likely than their peers to be employed Council on Great Schools, 2010

7. The Urgency of Now

8. The Urgency of Now • The achievement gap and the economy • “We would recover what we lost during this economic recession if we effectively addressed the achievement gap” • The Lumina Foundation, National College Access Conference, 2010

9. The National Context Mr. Joshua Parker Windsor Mills Middle School

10. The The Schott Report

11. Lowest 3 States– Graduation Rate New York 25% Florida 37% South Carolina 39% 11

12. Top 3 States– Graduation Rate Maine 98% North Dakota 93% New Hampshire 83% Maryland 55% 12

13. Top 3 Large Districts– Graduation Rate Newark, NJ 75% Fort Bend, IN 68% Baltimore County, MD 67% 13

14. The Educational Crisis Facing Young Men of Color The College Board

15. Public School Suspensions, K-12, by Race/ Ethnicity and Gender, 2004 20 18 16 14 12 Percentage 10 8 6 4 2 0 White Black Hispanic AA-PI NA-AN Source: Devoe, NCES, 2008 Men Women

16. Percentage of Male Inmates in State or Federal Prisons and Local Jails, by Race, Hispanic Origin, and Age: June 30, 2006 Total includes American Indians, Alaska Natives, Asians, Native Hawaiians, and other Pacific Islanders. Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Prison and Jail Inmates at Midyear 2006

17. 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Performance In Maryland, 10% of AA males are proficient or advanced in literacy on NAEP

18. 2009 NAEP Performance

19. BCPS DATA

20. BCPS AP Participation Data • AA student participation - 7% • AA student composition of BCPS - 42% • AA students earning 3 or higher on AP tests • English 67% • Math 72%

21. BCPS SAT Data • Mean Writing Avg. score- 498 out of 800

22. From your observations of your school community, are there achievement struggles for your AA male students? If so, what are these struggles?

23. The Narrative in Media Apathetic toward education Overly aggressive Athletic Menacing

24. The Narrative in Homes

25. The Narrative in Peer Relations

26. What impact do these stereotypic narratives have in the schoolhouse?

27. Direct Deliberation in Mediating These Factors

28. Implications of the unique set of circumstances impacting African American Males Mr. Robert Murphy Maryland State Department of Education

29. Implications Nationally, African American Males having a 47% graduation rate. Lowest among any student group. BCPS Graduation Rate is 67%- Schott Report, 2010.

30. What about the 30% who don’t??

31. Historical Experience • It’s important to remember we are only 45 yrs from the original Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965 • Gave African American’s the right to vote. • VRA has been renewed 4 times since 1965. • Most recently authorized by President George Bush for another 25 yrs of the act.

32. Development of the Alternative Culture • Many African Americans’ development of peoplehood/ community was in direct opposition to white social identity. • Thus various boundaries and boundary maintaining behaviors developed. • Because of rejection of the larger society through segregation, lack of enforcement of laws, and violence blacks created coping strategies to survive. Ogbu, 2003

33. Alternative Culture Development Managementin the instructional process Capitalizing in instructional process

34. Whatthe Alternative Culture looks like in the schooling process

35. Implications Class clown Aggressive “hard” character Athletic character Invisible character The blend character

36. Class Clown • Wants attention • Often just likes to make people happy • Doesn’t have bad intentions • “Clowning” behavior is engaged in for fun or status

37. Aggressive/ Hard Feels isolated Has been hurt Efforts come from a defensive, self-protective posture Sometimes can’t turn off the character

38. Athletic • Gifted athletically • Often will coast through school (particularly football or basketball) • Gets connection needs met through athletic prowess

39. Invisible Unless something happens you won’t know he exists Survival skills Typically those who perform reasonably well academically but not up to their potential

40. “The Blend” Exhibits characteristics of the athletic and invisible Survival skills Performs reasonably well academically Perceived well by his peers and his teachers Understands DuBois’ concept of duality

41. The Importance of Developing the Counter- Narrative

42. Implications of Disciplinary Practices

43. Is Disciplinary Removal Effective? • 30-50% of students suspended are repeat offenders • “Suspension functions as a reinforcer...rather than as a punisher” (Tobin, Sugai & Colvin,1996) • Use of suspension correlates with • School dropout (school level) (Raffaele-Mendez; Ekstrom, 1986) • Juvenile incarceration (state level) (Skiba et al)

44. Alternative Explanations of Disciplinary Disproportionality • Do black students misbehave more? • No supporting evidence • May in fact be treated more severely for same offenses

45. What Behaviors are Students Referred For? By Race • White students referred more for: • Smoking • Vandalism • Leaving w/o permission • Obscene Language • Black students referred more for: • Disrespect • Excessive Noise • Threat • Loitering Of 32 infractions, only 8 significant differences:

46. What Else Might Be Causing Disciplinary Disparities? • Classroom Management • “Violations of implicit interactional codes” (Vavrus & Coles, 2002) • Interactions of some teachers/some students? • Cultural Disparities • Cultural misinterpretations • Lower or different expectations • Influence of stereotypes • How are African American boys perceived? • Different standards of “boys will be boys” • Differential standards for “respect”, “loitering”, “threat”

47. Developing Healthy and supportive relationships Source: ayiak, LLC

48. Strategies and Models Dr. Michial Gill

49. Seven Effective Practices • Build relationships

50. Seven Effective Practices Know and access available resources