Using middle school survey data, the authors of this paper determined that the self-described school experience of Black and Latino students in California is not where educators would like it to be. As compared with White students, Black and Latino youth have less positive feelings of safety, connectedness, and opportunity. Within the context of school climate, such results indicate a need for individual and systems-wide change.
Voight, Adam, Hanson, Thomas, O’Malley, Meagan, Adekanye, Latifah. 2015. “The Racial School Climate Gap: Within-School Disparities in Students’ Experiences of Safety, Support, and Connectedness.” American Journal of Community Psychology. 56 (3-4): 252-267.
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).
The authors posit that in order to transform education schools need to take a student centered approach streesing student voice, agency and co-creating decision making.
Elevating Student Voice, Agency, and Co-Creation. (2022). In WestEd. WestEd.
This article details results of a qualitative research study completed with black and mixed-race students from a large urban middle school in the Southeast United States. It is unique in that it is one of few studies that allows first person student voice and perspective in the discussion of disproportionate disciplinary procedures. Educators may wish to use this article to reflect on students’ perceptions of exclusionary discipline to compare and contrast them with their own.
Kennedy-Lewis, Brianna L, and Murphy, Amy S. 2016. “Listening to “Frequent Flyers”: What Persistently Disciplined Students Have to Say About Being Labeled as “Bad.” Teachers College Record 1(18).
Valenzuela includes student voice in this text documenting the need for kindness and caring for youth of color in secondary schools
Valenzuela, Angela. 1999. Subtractive Schooling: U.S.-Mexican Youth and the Politics of Caring.
Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.
Valenzuela, Angela. 1999. Subtractive Schooling: U.S.-Mexican Youth and the Politics of Caring.
Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.
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
