Theodore Pikes, Ph.D. Georgia Department of Education Division of Teacher Quality

1. Cultural Responsiveness A Need for Understanding Evidence-Based Practices to Address Challenging Behaviors Vera I. Daniels, Ph.D. Department of Special Education Southern University P. O. Box 9523 Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70813 danielsvi@yahoo.com (225) 771-3950 Theodore Pikes, Ph.D. Georgia Department of Education Division of Teacher Quality 1852 Twin Towers East 205 Jesse Hill Jr. Drive, SE Atlanta, Georgia 30334 TheoPikes@aol.com (404) 463-1410 April 20, 2007 2007 CEC Convention and Expo Louisville, Kentucky

2. Agenda • The Problem • African American Students and School Discipline: A Synopsis of Research Findings • The Debate • Causes of Misbehavior • School Characteristics Associated with Discipline Problems • Limitations of Traditional Approaches for Addressing Challenging Behaviors • Cultural Responsiveness and Culturally Responsive Practices

3. Agenda • The Models • Positive Behavior Support (PBS) • Response to Intervention (RTI) • The Future • Blending PBS and RTI • The Solution • Scientific and Evidence-Based Practices for Addressing Challenging Behaviors • Culturally Responsive Practices

4. African American Students and School Discipline(Synopsis of Research Findings)Carla R. Monroe (2000) • Nationally, African American students are targeted for disciplinary action in the greatest numbers than other students (Johnston 2000) • According to quantitative reports, African American students are statistically two to five times more likely to be suspended than their white counterparts (Irvine 1990) • Qualitative findings simultaneously indicate that teachers confinereprimands and punitive consequences to African American children even when students of other races engage in the same unsanctioned behaviors (McCadden 1998)

5. African American Students and School Discipline(Synopsis of Research Findings)Carla R. Monroe (2000) • Skiba et al.s (2000) research further reveals that African Americans receive harsher punishmentsthan their peers, often for subjectively defined offenses. • Inequities in school discipline are most pronouncedamong boys (Ferguson 2000).

6. The Debate • Do African American students act out more when placed in classrooms with teachers who are not African American? • Do teachers of other racial/ethnic backgrounds judge or rate African American students’ behavior more harshly than do African American teachers? • Do teachers of other racial/ethnic backgrounds interpret African American students’ “cultural style” differently from African American teachers? Big Question: Does racial/ethnic dynamics play a role in teachers’ “responsiveness” to student behavior?

7. Causes of Misbehavior(Popular Theoretical Explanations) • Biomedical / Biophysical / Biogenic • Psychodynamic / Psychoanalytic • Behavioral • Socio-Cultural

8. Biomedical / Biophysical / Biogenic Perspective(Approach to the Problem) • abnormal behavior results from a physiological flaw; an inherited or abnormal biological condition within the body. • Genetic transmission • Brain injury • Neurological dysfunction • Biochemical irregularities • Temperament or inborn behavioral style. • interventions include drug therapy, dietary control, exercise, surgery, biofeedback, alterations in the environment that exacerbate the physiological problem, etc. (Kauffman, 2005; Rosenberg, Wilson, Maheady, & Sindelar , 2004)

9. Psychodynamic / Psychoanalytic Perspective(Approach to the Problem) • seeks to explain the motivation or driving forces behind human behavior and emotion. • abnormal behavior results from a pathological imbalance among the dynamic parts of one’s personality -- id, ego, and superego. EGO Reality ID SUPEREGO Morals Wants / Desires

10. Psychodynamic / Psychoanalytic Perspective(Approach to the Problem) • interventions stress the importance of . . . • individual psychotherapy for the child, and often for the parents as well • a permissive and accepting classroom teacher • understanding the unconscious motivation for the behavior. (Kauffman, 2005; Rosenberg, Wilson, Maheady, & Sindelar , 2004)

11. Behavioral Perspective(Approach to the Problem) • maladaptive behavior results from inappropriate learned responses • interventions should consist of “choosing target responses, measuring their current level, analyzing probable controlling environmental events, and changing antecedent or consequent events until reliable changes are produced.” (Kauffman, 2005, p. 77). • common techniques for strengthening and weakening behaviors include positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, extinction, punishment (Rosenberg, Wilson, Maheady, & Sindelar , 2004).

12. Sociological / Socio-Cultural Perspective(Approach to the Problem) • sociological perspective focuses on how an individual’s behavior is perceived in a particular social context. • provides insight as to how social factors influence the way we think about individuals who are different. • views the distinction between “appropriate” and “inappropriate” behaviors as being rooted in an ever-changing social context. (Rosenberg, Wilson, Maheady, & Sindelar , 2004)

13. School Characteristics AssociatedWith Discipline Problems • Insensitivity to student’s individuality • Inappropriate expectations for students • Inconsistent management of behavior • Instruction in nonfunctional and irrelevant skills • Destructive contingencies of reinforcement • Undesirable models of school conduct Kauffman, J. M. (2005). Characteristics of emotional and behavioral disorders of children and youth, 8th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson / Merrill Prentice Hall, p. 216.

14. Traditional Methods of Addressing Challenging Behaviors • Views individual as “the problem” • Attempts to “fix” individual • Relies on “quick fix” for a single behaivor • Sanctions aversive actions • Use of inflexible systems (lack of cultural responsiveness)

15. Cultural Responsiveness and Culturally Responsive Practices

16. Culturally Responsive Practices(A Brief Overview) • Use of the cultural knowledge , prior experiences frame of reference, and performance styles of ethnically diverse students to make learning experiences encounters more relevant and effective for students • Acknowledge the legitimacy of cultural heritages of different ethnic groups • Build bridges of meaningfulness between home and school experiences and between academic abstractions and lived sociocultural realities

17. Culturally Responsive Practices(A Brief Overview) • Use of a wide variety of instructional strategies that are connected to different learning styles • Teach students to know and praise their own and each others’ cultural heritages • Incorporate multicultural information, resources, and materials in all the subjects and skills routinely taught in schools (Gay 2000)

18. Positive Behavior Support (PBS)

19. Positive Behavior Support(Understanding the Concept) • What is Positive Behavior Support (PBS)? A process for : • understanding why the child engages in problem behavior • developing strategies for preventing the occurrence of the behavior while teaching the child new skills • offering a holistic approach that considers all factors that impact thechild and child’s behavior (Retrieved on April 16, 2007 from http://challengingbehavior.fmhi.usf.edu/pbs.html)

20. Process of Positive Behavior Support(Defining Features) • Essential Steps to the Process of PBS • Building a Behavior Support Team (identification of goals) • Person –Centered Planning (identification of goals) • Functional Behavioral Assessment (data collection and analysis) • Hypothesis Development (summary statements) • Behavior Support Plan Development (multi-element plans) • Monitoring Outcomes (monitoring system)

21. Response to Intervention

22. Response to Intervention (RTI)(Where Does Support for RTI Come From?) • Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA 2004) Regulations • authorizes local education agencies to use Response to Intervention (RTI) models. • IDEA 2004 states, “In determining whether a child has a specific learning disability, a local educational agency may use a process that determines if the child responds to scientific, research-based intervention…” (Section 1414(b)(6)(B)).

23. Response to Intervention (RTI)(Where Does Support for RTI Come From?) • No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) • requires states to improve the academic achievement of every student; • requires states to improve teacher quality • mandates increased accountability • requires students to takestate-wide assessments that are aligned with curriculumaccountability standards; and requires students to make adequateyearly progress in the areas that are tested. • puts reading first; andensures that every student can read by third grade. The Reading First (RF) initiative supports scientifically basedreading instruction programs.

24. Response to Intervention (RTI)(Understanding the Concept) • noformal definition • considered as an individualized, comprehensive assessment and intervention process. • well established and widely endorsed by researchers and educators. • utilizes a problem-solving framework to identify and address student academic difficulties using effective, efficient, research-based instruction. • allows for multiple attempts to provide assistance to studentsbefore identifying them as having a disability

25. Response to Intervention(Definition) Response to Intervention is the practice of (1) providing high-quality instruction/intervention matched to student needs and (2) using learning rate over time and level of performance to (3) make important educational decisions. (NASDSE, 2005, p. 7)

26. Response to Intervention (RTI)(Potential Benefits) • emphasizes teachers use of research-validated instruction and interventions. • increases accountability for allstudents in the general education classroom. • helps ensure that students’ poor academic performance is not related to or a result of poor instruction. • provides support to students as soon as they show signs that they are having difficulty learning, regardless of whether or not they have a disability.

27. Response to Intervention (RTI)(Potential Benefits) • students no longer have to “wait to fail” to receive help • can prevent the over-identification of minority students for special education Responsiveness to Intervention and Learning Disabilities. A Report Prepared by the National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities (June 2005).Retrieved April 15, 2007 from http://www.ldanatl.org/pdf/rti2005.pdf. Response-to-Intervention --The Promise and the Peril. Retrieved April 15, 2007 from http://www.cec.sped.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=7617

28. Response to Intervention (RTI)(Major Issues) • much about RTI is murky; research is limited • RTI is still being researched, and is still in the early stages of development • most research has focused on students in elementary grades in reading, with some additional research on RTI and early math and behavior. • confusion exists as to what RTI is, and whether schools are required to use it • the biggest issue is who accepts responsibility for RTI.

29. Response to Intervention (RTI)(Major Issues) • RTI is a special education initiative, for it to workgeneral education must take the lead in providing evidence-based instruction to all students as well as research-based interventions to struggling learners. • Number of unknowns about RTI implementation -- one is the cut off score for not responding Response-to-Intervention --The Promise and the Peril. Retrieved April 15, 2007 from http://www.cec.sped.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=7617

30. Response to Intervention (RTI)(Core Principles / Core Features) 1. High quality classroom instruction • emphasis is on quality instruction that must occur in the general education setting before students are singled out for specific assistance 2. Research—based instruction • involves the use of curriculum and instructional approaches that have a high probability of success for the majority of students 3. Classroom Performance • involves the assessment of student progress in the general education curriculum against grade level standards.

31. Response to Intervention (RTI)(Core Principles / Core Features) 4. Universal Screening • emphasis is on specific criteria for judging the learning and achievement of all students not only in core academic areas but also in related behaviors (e.g., class attendance, tardiness, truancy, suspensions, and disciplinary actions). 5. Continuous progress monitoring • involves the continuous monitoring of students’ classroom progress to quickly identify learners who are not meeting the benchmarks and other expected standard. 6. Research-based interventions • involves 8 -12 weeks of intense instruction; implemented as soon as it has been determined that a student has a deficit (based on continuous progress monitoring).

32. Response to Intervention (RTI)(Core Principles / Core Features) 7. Progress monitoring during intervention • provides a cumulative record of the learner’s response to intervention; data obtained is used to determine the interventions’ effectiveness and to make modifications, when needed. 8. Fidelity measures • focus on the individuals who provide the instruction and interventions; fidelity measures provide information on whether the intervention was implemented as intended and with consistency; these measures are usually in the form of an observational checklist of critical teaching behaviors. Mellard, D. (2004). Understanding responsiveness to intervention in learning disability determination. Retrieved April 15, 2007 from http://www.nrcld.org/publications/papers/ mellard.pdf

33. Behavioral Systems Academic Systems Tier 3: Intensive, Individual Interventions Individual Students Assessment-based Intense, durable procedures Tier 3: Intensive, Individual Interventions Individual Students Assessment-based High Intensity Of longer duration 1-5% 1-5% Tier 2: Targeted Group Interventions Some students (at-risk) High efficiency Rapid response 5-10% Tier 2: Targeted Group Interventions Some students (at-risk) High efficiency Rapid response 5-10% Students Tier 1: Universal Interventions All settings, all students Preventive, proactive 80-90% Tier 1: Universal Interventions All students Preventive, proactive 80-90% Response to Intervention (RTI)(Three-Tier Model of School Supports) Batsche, G. M. (2005). Implementing the Problem-Solving/Response to Intervention Protocols: Implications for School Social Workers. Keynote Address at the FASSW Annual Conference.

34. In a Snapshot Response to Intervention represents . . . • a changing landscape in education in terms of how teachers teach and how students learn. • an alternative approach to the assessment before classification model • a marriage (partnership) between policy, legislation, and scientifically-based practices.

35. Blending RTI and PBS

36. Rationale for Blending PBS and RTI • Research Perspectives • Policy and Legal Reasons • Implementation Reasons • Potential Outcomes (Cultural Responsiveness)

37. Blending PBS and RTI in Culturally Responsive Practices for African American Students Dimensions of African American Culture • Spirituality • Harmony • Movement • Verve • Affect

38. Blending PBS and RTI in Culturally Responsive Practices for African American Students Dimensions of African American Culture • Communalism • Expressive Individualism • Oral Tradition • Social Time Perspective (Boykin 1983).

39. References • Boykin, A.W.(1983). The academic performance of Afro-American children. In J. Spence (Ed.), Achievement and achievement motives (pp. 324-371), San Francisco, California: W.H. Freeman and Company. • Center for Evidence-Based Practice: Young children with challenging behavior: http://challengingbehavior.fmhi.usf.edu/pbs.html • Gay, G. (2000). Culturally Responsive Teaching. New York, NY: Teachers College Press. • Kauffman, J. M. (2005). Characteristics of emotional and behavioral disorders of children and youth, 8th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson / Merrill Prentice Hall. • Mellard, D. (2004). Understanding responsiveness to intervention in learning disability determination. Retrieved April 15, 2007 from http://www.nrcld.org/publications/papers/mellard.pdf

40. References • Monroe, C. M. (2005). Why are “bad boys” always Black? Causes of disproportionality in school discipline and recommendations for change. Clearing House, 79(1), 45-50). • Response-to-Intervention --The Promise and the Peril. Retrieved April 15, 2007 from http://www.cec.sped.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=7617 • Rosenberg, M. S., Wilson, R., Maheady, L., & Sindelar, P. T. (2004). Educating students with behavior disorders, 3rd ed., Boston: Pearson / Allyn & Bacon. • Webb-Johnson G., & Carter, N. P. (2007, Summer). Culturally Responsive Urban School Leadership: Partnering to Improve Outcomes for African American Learners. The National Journal of Urban Education & Practice, 1(1), 77-98.