Disproportionality and the Disproportionality and the Family-School ConnectionFamily-School Connection

Barbara Leach, Family Support Network of North CarolinaBarbara Leach, Family Support Network of North Carolina

Teresa Dais, Ph.D., NC Department of Public InstructionTeresa Dais, Ph.D., NC Department of Public Instruction

Not everything Not everything that is faced can that is faced can be changed, but be changed, but

nothing will nothing will change until it is change until it is

faced.faced.James BaldwinJames Baldwin

Schools and families cannot work Schools and families cannot work in isolation if we are truly in isolation if we are truly

committed to embarking on a committed to embarking on a journeyjourney toward improving toward improving

educational outcomes for educational outcomes for allall students.students.

Schools, families, communities…Schools, families, communities…we are in this we are in this togethertogether..

Disproportionality Defined Disproportionality Defined

Disproportionate Representation (or Disproportionate Representation (or disproportionality) includes both disproportionality) includes both over and under representation of over and under representation of minorities in special education and minorities in special education and programs for students who are programs for students who are academically or intellectually gifted.academically or intellectually gifted.

Disproportionality DefinedDisproportionality Defined

•The number of students in a particular The number of students in a particular racial/ethnic category identified for racial/ethnic category identified for special education is disproportionate to special education is disproportionate to the number of that group in the school the number of that group in the school population.population.

•Membership in a given group affects Membership in a given group affects the probability of being placed in a the probability of being placed in a specific special education disability specific special education disability category.category.

Why Partner with Why Partner with Parents?Parents?

• They are their children’s first They are their children’s first teachersteachers

• They have critical information that They have critical information that inform the assessment/placement inform the assessment/placement processprocess

• They help create culturally They help create culturally responsive learning environmentsresponsive learning environments

• They promote culturally competent They promote culturally competent practices by both staff and systempractices by both staff and system

Partnering with Families Partnering with Families to Address to Address

DisproportionalityDisproportionality• What is currently happening in What is currently happening in

NC Public School Systems to NC Public School Systems to Partner with Families? Partner with Families? LegislationLegislation

• No Child Left BehindNo Child Left Behind• Title I Title I • Special Education/IDEASpecial Education/IDEA• Other State and Federal PoliciesOther State and Federal Policies

Raising Achievement/Closing GapsRaising Achievement/Closing Gaps

Parent Involvement Parent Involvement DefinitionDefinition

• Active support and participation of Active support and participation of parents in activities at home and/or parents in activities at home and/or school to promote a child’s academic school to promote a child’s academic successsuccess

• Home-based ActivitiesHome-based Activities EncouragementEncouragement Homework assistanceHomework assistance

• School-based ActivitiesSchool-based Activities Board and Committee MembershipsBoard and Committee Memberships Volunteers Volunteers

Examples of Parent Examples of Parent InvolvementInvolvement

• Being supportive to your childrenBeing supportive to your children• Communicating with teachersCommunicating with teachers• Attending teacher conferencesAttending teacher conferences• Supporting teachersSupporting teachers• Keeping parent/teacher lines of Keeping parent/teacher lines of

communication opencommunication open• Attending after-school functionsAttending after-school functions• Asking and showing interest in what your Asking and showing interest in what your

child learnedchild learned• Participating in parent groups and Participating in parent groups and

councilscouncils• VolunteeringVolunteering• AdvocatingAdvocating

Parent InvolvementParent Involvement

Relationships are the KeyRelationships are the Key

Barriers to Parent Barriers to Parent InvolvementInvolvement

• JobJob• TransportationTransportation• Language BarriersLanguage Barriers• Teacher/Parent IntimidationTeacher/Parent Intimidation• Unwelcome ClassroomsUnwelcome Classrooms• Not Comfortable with TeacherNot Comfortable with Teacher• Lack of CommunicationLack of Communication

Strategies that Increased Strategies that Increased Parent Involvement in NCParent Involvement in NC

• Recognition by School PersonnelRecognition by School Personnel• Friendly Encouragement and Assistance Friendly Encouragement and Assistance

from Schoolfrom School• Advanced Notice of Upcoming EventsAdvanced Notice of Upcoming Events• School Activities that Promote Cultural School Activities that Promote Cultural

AwarenessAwareness• Activities Scheduled to Accommodate Activities Scheduled to Accommodate

Varied Work Hours of ParentsVaried Work Hours of Parents

Family Involvement Efforts in Family Involvement Efforts in North CarolinaNorth Carolina

• NC State Improvement PlansNC State Improvement Plans• LEA Continuous Improvement LEA Continuous Improvement

Performance PlansPerformance Plans• Communities in Schools ProgramsCommunities in Schools Programs• Parent Liaisons with specific school Parent Liaisons with specific school

systemssystems• NC Disproportionality Task ForceNC Disproportionality Task Force• Family Support Network of NC and Family Support Network of NC and

Other Family Advocacy OrganizationsOther Family Advocacy Organizations

The NC Disproportionality Task The NC Disproportionality Task ForceForce

• State Level Collaborative TeamState Level Collaborative Team• Partnership with NCCREStPartnership with NCCRESt

— National Center for Culturally Responsive Educational National Center for Culturally Responsive Educational SystemsSystems

— www.www.nccrestnccrest.org.org

• Assist State in making parents and Assist State in making parents and communities aware of NC State communities aware of NC State Performance Plan Indicators 9 & 10 Performance Plan Indicators 9 & 10 (IDEA) (IDEA)

• Provide guidance and information to Provide guidance and information to school systems’ Collaborative Teamschool systems’ Collaborative Team

State Performance Plan/Annual State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR)Performance Report (SPP/APR)

States are required to examine inappropriate identification of racial and ethnic groups in special education.

States and school districts are required to develop a plan to correct the areas of concern.

Significant Disproportionality

•Any level of disproportionality is a red flag and will be addressed;

•In North Carolina, interventions will be determined based on the severity of disproportionality in each school district.

RISK

RATIO

LEVELS OF SIGNIFICANCE

< 1Letter

1 to < 3Desk Audit

≥ 3Focused Record Review

Professional DevelopmentTechnical Assistance

State, Regional & Local

Monitoring Staff SEA Staff

LEA-Level DisproportionalityTask ForceContinuous Improvement Performance Plan

Associate Superintendent Curriculum and School Reform Services

North Carolina’s GoalNorth Carolina’s Goal

All school systems will have All school systems will have 0 percent0 percent disproportionate representation of racial and ethnic disproportionate representation of racial and ethnic groups in special education and related services that is the result of groups in special education and related services that is the result of inappropriate identificationinappropriate identification. . (Federal Requirement)(Federal Requirement)

• Utilize Partnership with NCCREStUtilize Partnership with NCCRESt

• Provide NC Disproportionality Task Force Provide NC Disproportionality Task Force with Professional Development and with Professional Development and Technical Assistance to help raise awareness Technical Assistance to help raise awareness across the Stateacross the State

• Provide LEA Collaborative Teams with Provide LEA Collaborative Teams with Professional Development and Technical Professional Development and Technical Assistance to help raise awareness in Assistance to help raise awareness in schoolsschools

• Ensure NC Disproportionality Task Force and Ensure NC Disproportionality Task Force and LEA Collaborative Teams are aware of LEA Collaborative Teams are aware of NCDPI’s Promising PracticesNCDPI’s Promising Practices

What can NCDPI do?What can NCDPI do?

•Positive Behavior SupportPositive Behavior Support•Instructional ConsultationInstructional Consultation•Response to Intervention/ Problem Response to Intervention/ Problem Solving Solving •Model Model •Reading/Writing & Math Best Practice Reading/Writing & Math Best Practice Sites Sites •Early Literacy Best Practice Sites Early Literacy Best Practice Sites •Project Bright Idea (AIG)Project Bright Idea (AIG)

NCDPI Promising PracticesNCDPI Promising Practices

What Can Families Do?What Can Families Do?

• Be better informedBe better informed• Get more involvedGet more involved• Continue to volunteerContinue to volunteer• Inquire about the schools’ Inquire about the schools’

disproportionality data and its plan for disproportionality data and its plan for improvementimprovement

• Participate in school activitiesParticipate in school activities• Support your children Support your children • Participate in all meetings regarding Participate in all meetings regarding

your children your children • Ask for assistance & guidanceAsk for assistance & guidance• Never give up!Never give up!

What can Businesses and What can Businesses and Communities Do?Communities Do?

• Be better informedBe better informed• Get more involvedGet more involved• Continue to volunteerContinue to volunteer• Inquire about the school Inquire about the school

district’s disproportionality data district’s disproportionality data and its plan for improvementand its plan for improvement

Children who are Children who are treated as if they are treated as if they are uneducableuneducable almost almost invariably become invariably become

uneducableuneducable..

Kenneth B. Clark

Dark Ghetto, 1965