Equity in Action: Mississippi's Collaborative Approach for a Brighter Future

1. Equity in action: How Mississippi is collaborating to ensure a bright future for every child Debbie Burson, Nichelle Robinson, Vernesia Wilson, Saroja warner

2. Session goals • Develop collaborative partnerships for a common goal • Engage in discussions of equity across states • Embed equity within new and existing initiatives

3. Discussion question What does equity look like in your context?

4. Equity in Mississippi: Access & Opportunity

5. Vision & Mission VISION Mission To create a world-class educational system that gives students the knowledge and skills to be successful in college and the workforce, and to flourish as parents and citizens • To provide leadership through the development of policy and accountability systems so that all students are prepared to compete in the global community

6. MISSISSIPPI STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS MISSISSIPPI STATE BOARD OF EDUCATIONSTRATEGIC PLAN GOALS 4 5 6 3 1 2 All Students Proficient and Showing Growth in All AssessedAreas Every Student Graduates from High School and is Ready for College and Career Every Child Has Accessto a High- Quality Early Childhood Program Every School Has Effective Teachers and Leaders Every Community Effectively Uses a World-Class Data System to Improve Student Outcomes EverySchool and District is Rated “C” or Higher

7. Mississippi equity initiatives • Recruitment & retention focus on diversification • Teacher preparation • Leadership preparation • Curriculum • Data

8. MS GYO Task force report The report • was released in April 2019 • includes recommendations to support implementation of Mississippi’s GYO Teacher initiative • will be shared with legislators, community stakeholders, and educational leaders

9. Male educators of color convening • MDE endeavors to have 32% of the teaching force teachers of color by 2021. Currently, 27.1% of Mississippi’s teachers are teachers of color. What is more, only 6% of Mississippi’s teachers are men of color. We have work to do and it starts with building a space for male educators of color to share, grow, network, and develop. • The convening brings together male educators of color from both K-12 and Higher Education sectors. The full day consists of educational development, self-reflection, cultural competencies, strategies for increasing male educators of color in the field, and establishing relationships. Also, participants are provided with professional learning and leadership strategies to further impact the communities and school districts they serve.

10. Educator preparation • Strengthen Program Review Processes • Redesign Education Leadership Programs • Implement Culturally Responsive Teaching

11. Instructional materials “Most students do what they're asked in school—but still aren’t prepared to meet their goals after graduation because so few of their assignments actually gave students the chance to complete grade-level work.”

12. Data transparency

13. Collaboration to achieve State Vision/Goals • Within and across MDE Departments • With National Centers • CEEDAR • Great Teachers and Leaders • CCSSO • With Educator Preparation Programs • District Partners

14. Discussion Question • What are the major initiatives being worked on across your agency? Are you working with any other agencies? • How do you ensure the lens of equity is a component?

15. A Framework for Enhancing Culturally Responsive Teaching

16. Collaboration • Began as goals for Ole Miss, collaboration with CEEDAR • Transitioned into goals for the state, and scale up of other EPPs.

17. Year 1 goals & objectives

18. Year 1 goals & objectives continued

19. Year 2 goals & objectives

20. Year 2 goals & objectives continued

21. Year 3 objectives & tasks

22. Year 3 objectives & tasks continued

23. Discussion Question.. Where can Culturally Responsive Pedagogy be embedded in your context? How could you begin or what have you accomplished so far?

24. Addressing teacher shortages & educator effectiveness in MS

25. MS Equity Plan Attract, recruit, and retain high quality teachers by: • Increasing and strengthening pre-service recruitment • Establishing a grow your own program • Promoting the teaching profession

26. Data: by the numbers teacher shortages

27. facts

28. State response: teacher shortages in MS

29. Current statewide strategies • Teacher Mentoring and Induction + Principals Academy/Mentoring • Classroom Management Strategies Workshop • Pilots: • Performance-Based Licensure • Teacher Residencies (400+ applicants) • MS Educator and Administrator Professional Growth System • Equity Coordinator / Talent for Turnaround (critical teacher shortage districts) • Regional Teacher Recruiters (four congressional districts) • Mississippi Teacher Leadership Initiative • Grow Your Own Initiative • Regional PRAXIS Workshops (CORE and Specialty) • Teacher Working Conditions Trainings/Workshops for Administrators* *extension of Equity Lab activities; in conjunction with SECC & AIR

30. Educator effectiveness: Where we are?

31. 2017-2018 PGS Submission results

32. Educator effectiveness: Where we are headed?

33. MS educator & Administrator professional growth system Developed via partnership with SREB

34. MS educator & administrator professional growth system.. Developed via partnership with SREB

35. Collaboration for Mitigating shortages • Collaborating • within MDE departments • With partnering EPPs • With local districts • National organizations

36. discussion What external and internal factors contribute to teacher shortages and/or a lack in educator effectiveness? How might equity issues play a role? Determine Root Causes: Employ “5 Whys Methodology” (Serrat, 2009)

37. Race and Culture Matter: Advancing Educational Equity for ALL Students by Investing in Teachers National Collaboration

38. Robin DiAngelo, White Fragility “I was co-leading a workshop with an African American man. A white participant said to him, "I don't see race; I don't see you as black." My co-trainer's response was, "Then how will you see racism?" He then explained to her that he was black, he was confident that she could see this, and that his race meant that he had a very different experience in life than she did. If she were ever going to understand or challenge racism, she would need to acknowledge this difference. Pretending that she did not noticed that he was black was not helpful to him in any way, as it denied his reality - indeed, it refused his reality - and kept hers insular and unchallenged. This pretense that she did not notice his race assumed that he was "just like her," and in so doing, she projected her reality onto him. For example, I feel welcome at work so you must too; I have never felt that my race mattered, so you must feel that yours doesn't either. But of course, we do see the race of other people, and race holds deep social meaning for us.” ― Robin DiAngelo, White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism

39. Research suggests . . . • All students benefit from being educated by teachers from a variety of different backgrounds, races, and ethnic groups. • Studentsof color experience particular benefits from seeing teachers from their own racial and ethnic group. • Positive exposure to individuals from a variety of races and ethnic groups can help to break stereotypes, increase comfort with differences, reduce implicit biases, and lead to innovation and greater social cohesion. • Culturally responsive teaching is linked to positive student behavioral and academic outcomes. “The key to moving forward is what we do with our discomfort. We can use it as a door out—blame the messenger and disregard the message. Or we can use it as a door in by asking, Why does this unsettle me? What would it mean for me if this were true?” ― Robin DiAngelo, White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism

40. Resources & Tools

41. Discussion questions • Consider the guidance paper and partnership rubric to support your discussion. • Given the session theme about importance of partnerships with and across agencies, what will it take in your state and who do you need to partner with to advance these equity goals?

42. Closing connections • Take 5 minutes and write down, what is important to share with my team that helps my context, lessons learned or things to avoid? • 5 minutes and think about networking. Who should I connect with later/ when and what should I follow up?

43. partners Nichelle Robinson, EdD ncboyd@go.olemiss.edu School of Education Diversity Officer & Associate Professor Department of Teacher Education The University of Mississippi Debra Burson, PhD dburson@mdek12.org Mississippi Department of Education Office of Teaching and Leading Division of Educator Preparation Vernesia Wilson, PhD Office of Teaching and Leading Associate Director, Educator Effectiveness vwilson@mdek12.org Saroja R. Warner, NBCT, Ph.D. Co-Director, MACC@WestEd

44. DISCLAIMER This content was produced under U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, Award No. H325A120003. Bonnie Jones and David Guardino serve as the project officers. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the positions or polices of the U.S. Department of Education. No official endorsement by the U.S. Department of Education of any product, commodity, service, or enterprise mentioned in this website is intended or should be inferred.