The California Association of African-American Superintendents and Administrators (CAAASA) and the University of California Los Angeles Center for the Transformation of Schools (CTS) have collaborated to offer this free online series, which provides families and educators with the tools and strategies they need to ensure greater equity for students who continue to be impacted by the COVID-19 school closures. With support from the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE), they are inviting educators and equity leaders to make use of this video archive, and to discover new practices and approaches that will ensure their students continue to learn and thrive, even as their schools remain closed. There are a total of 30 presentations that include achieved resources and presentations.
California Association of African American Superintendents and Administrators (CAAASA), California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE), UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools, Working by Design. 2020. Advancing Equity in an Era of Crisis: Conversations for administrators, teachers, parents, and para-educators about ways to best serve every student during the COVID-19 pandemic. California Association of African American Superintendents and Administrators (CAAASA), California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE), UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools, Working by Designhttps://www.caaasa.org/advancing-equity-in-crisis
Students of color, especially Black males identified as having emotional behavior disorders (EBD), are overrepresented in exclusionary practices. Exclusionary practices, such as in-school suspension, out-of-school suspension, and expulsion, negatively impact academic and social–emotional–behavioral outcomes for all students, especially students with EBD. This article identifies the overlapping principles of culturally responsive teaching and culturally responsive pedagogy as theorized by Gay and Ladson-Billings so that teachers of students of color identified with EBD can better support the specific learning needs of their students. These principles are explicitly applied to behavior-specific praise and error corrections, two evidence-based classroom behavioral management practices.
Power, M. E., Kelley, M. H., Selders, K. J., & Green, A. L. (2023). Culturally Responsive Evidence-Based Practices for Black Males with Emotional Behavioral Disorders. Intervention in School and Clinic, 0(0
Students of color, English learners, and those from non-dominant cultures often face disproportionate identification and placement in special education, along with related disciplinary disparities. While special education services are crucial for students with actual disabilities, many students are wrongly referred to special education due to struggles stemming from inadequate education policies and classroom practices that fail to meet their needs. Pedagogical practices based on the dominant culture often lack culturally responsive elements, leading to classrooms that do not reflect or value the sociocultural contexts of these students. This disconnect can impede learning and result in teachers mistakenly perceiving these students as having learning or behavioral issues, prompting inappropriate special education referrals.
This brief suggests that district leaders tackle this critical issue by focusing on four key areas:
Implementing culturally responsive and sustaining policies and practices across all educational settings.
Enhancing the special education identification process.
Integrating culturally responsive and sustaining policies and practices specifically in behavior management efforts.
Developing culturally responsive data literacy among district staff at all levels.
Citation: Harvey, A. 2023. “Research-Based Strategies for Addressing Disproportionality in Special Education.” Western Educational Equity Assistance Center at WestEd. https://weeac.wested.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Addressing-Disproportionality-in-Special-Education.pdf (accessed, June 14, 2024).
