The empathic-mindset intervention is an online exercise to refocus middle school teachers on understanding and valuing the perspectives of students and on sustaining positive relationships even when students misbehave. This intervention reduced suspension rates especially for Black and Hispanic students, reduced the racial disparity over the school year by 45%. Significant reductions were also observed students with disabilities and for students with one previous suspension. These reductions persisted through the next year when students interacted with different teachers, suggesting that empathic treatment with even one teacher in a critical period can improve students’ trajectories through school.
Okonofua, Jason, J. Parker Goyer, Constance Lindsay, Johnetta Haugabrook, and Gregory Walton. 2022. “A scalable empathic-mindset intervention reduces group disparities in school suspensions.” Science Advances 8, no. 12, https://www.science.org/doi/epdf/10.1126/sciadv.abj0691 (accessed January 30, 2023).
This paper reports on a blended professional learning model of online and in-person meetings during which 40 teachers in 8 school districts in the US learned about the new brain science, challenging the “math person” myth, as well as effective mathematics teaching methods. The article refers to the combination as a Mathematical Mindset Approach. Using mixed methods, they conducted a one-year study to investigate teacher and student learning in a Mathematical Mindset network. They collected data on teacher and student beliefs, teacher instructional practice, and student learning gains on state achievement tests. The results from their quantitative analyses found statistically significant positive improvements in student beliefs, teacher’s instructional practice, and on students’ math test scores. The mindset approach particularly raised the achievement of girls, English learners, and economically disadvantaged students. Based on their qualitative analysis, they propose that the success of the intervention rests upon two central factors: (1) The different forms of PD served to eradicate the learning myths that had held up teachers and learners; and that (2) Teachers had space for identity work as mathematical learners.
Anderson, Robin Keturah, Boaler, Jo, and Dieckmann, Jack A. 2018. Achieving Elusive Teacher Change through Challenging Myths about Learning: A Blended Approach. Education Sciences 8(3), 98, pgs 1-33.
https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci8030098
The article critically engages with the assumptions embedded in RtI. It argues that while the policy may appear to be a comprehensive intervention system it does not directly engage with structural and contextual inequities in school districts. It is an important article for practitioners because it provides a critical lens to understand how policy alone cannot assure equitable outcomes.
Artiles, A. J., Bal, A., and King-Thorius, K. “Back to the Future: A Critique of Response to Intervention’s Social Justice Views.” Theory Into Practice, 49, 2010: 250–257.
This webinar focuses on how to implement evidence-based instructional practices comprising the BEST in CLASS intervention program. The BEST in CLASS intervention targets young children (ages 3-5 years old) with challenging behavior and has found to be effective for use in early childhood settings to prevent and ameliorate young children’s challenging behaviors, promote positive teacher-child interactions, and increase child engagement and learning.
This exploratory study occurred in Title 1 schools located within a large urban area. The sample included 23 general educators and 551 students in second through fifth grade, with 57 students identified as at risk for an emotional or behavioral disorder. The purpose of this study was to determine (a) to what extent general education teachers used evidence-based practices—specifically, opportunities to respond, positive specific feedback, and precorrections—during classroom instruction, and (b) if those practices occurred at different rates across demographic groups (i.e., race and disability risk). The results indicated that teachers used higher rates of opportunities to respond and positive specific feedback with students not at risk compared with at-risk students. We did not find main effects of race or race-by-disability risk interaction effects. These findings support the need to continue examining teachers’ differing uses of evidence-based practices.
Green, A. L., Lewis, T. J., & Olsen, A. A. (2020). General Education Teachers’ Use of Evidence-Based Practices: Examining the Role of Student Race and Risk Status. Behavioral Disorders, 45(3), 183–192
This article discusses how school psychologists can adopt and promote evidenced based math practices and it specifically focuses on social responsibility of effective mathematics practices to ensure access, opportunity, and inclusion for all learners.
Hollins-Sims, N. Y., Codding, R. S., & VanDerHeyden, A. M. (2022). The Science of Math: Inclusion, Opportunity, and Social Responsibility. Communique, 50(6), 1–31
This document provides suggestions for use of Coordinated Early Intervening Services funds to address issues of equity in school discipline. Suggestions included multi-tiered systems of support, disaggregating data for decision-making, equity-focused professional development, coaching of teachers, and partnering with families.
Austin, Sean, Heidi Von Ravensberg, and Kent McIntosh. 2022. Wise Use of Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS) to Achieve Equity in School Discipline. Eugene, OR: Center on PBIS, https://assets-global.website-files.com/5d3725188825e071f1670246/629fbbf38f28899469117353_Wise%20Use%20of%20Coordinated%20Early%20Intervening%20Services%20(CEIS)%20to%20Achieve%20Equity%20in%20School%20Discipline.pdf (accessed January 30, 2023).
