Thursday, September 13, 2018
The Department of Public Instruction and Regional Educational Laboratory Midwest (REL Midwest) brought together education researchers, policy-makers, and practitioners from the Midwest Achievement Gap Research Alliance to conduct a research review of evidence-supported practices to improve academic outcomes for black students. A new video called “Supporting Black Students’ Excellence: Connecting Research to Practice,” featuring two schools from the Racine Unified School District (RUSD), provides an in-depth look into some of these practices.
In the video, stakeholders discuss the steps taken within the district as part of an ongoing, intricate, and imperative process taking shape based on their mission, “educate every student to succeed.”
Dr. Eric Gallien, RUSD Superintendent expands on their mission. “As a district, we are really focused on developing entire child which includes social and emotional learning, academics, and workplace readiness,” he said. As a district, they are well aware of what the data shows regarding outcomes for African American students. “Data is telling us about certain subgroups—over and over—African American males overrepresented,” Gallien said.
“We’ve learned that there’s a strong correlation to the relationships that those students have with their teachers and administrators,” he said. They have also found the importance of “being able to put staff members, youth advocates, teachers, administrators who look like and understand those children, and build strong professional learning opportunities for staff to better understand those students.”
The video showcases those opportunities taking place with students and educators while unpacking the research that supports this work. Enacting the research-supported practices requires ongoing planning, support, and love. From district offices to children’s homes, everyone in RUSD is involved.
Dr. Chrishirella Sutton, manager of the RUSD Office of Family and Community Engagement, helps facilitate participation through fostering partnerships between families and the schools, while helping coordinate meaningful professional learning opportunities for new staff. The main focus is building positive relationships with students and families and “getting out of your box and being able to have that outward perspective of how you can support someone else,” she said.
Supporting others is reflected in the practices outlined in the video, which include communicating high expectations for students, building strong student-teacher relationships, and mentoring with a focus on cultural strengths.
Many of these strategies are examined in the video through the work being done within Natural Circles of Support (NCoS). This approach provides support to students who are historically marginalized and facing challenges in schools by tapping into their assets. The goal is to create relationships among peers, with youth advocates who facilitate NCoS, and classroom teachers, for stronger connections to families, communities, and schools. Oftentimes, NCoS work within structures that already exist in schools, making the approach doable in any setting.
“Every school is its own sort of community. Both the challenges and assets are unique to each school,” said Dr. Jeffrey Lewis, co-developer of Natural Circles of Support. His work, along with project manager of Natural Circles of Support for RUSD, Jeremiah Jackson, is a capacity-building approach that allows youth advocates to “spend time exploring what’s really at play—not just jumping into a complex situation with a quick fix,” he said.
As a catalyst for change, NCoS bring out what kids already know, validating and affirming who they are, and building upon that understanding among adults within the schools and communities.
This approach begins with a deep analysis of what the situation is and how to assess capacity for the necessary work. “We want to better understand the situation and immediate context about both what is contributing to these challenges, but also the opportunities—what are we missing—that shift of culture and practice that diminishes that challenge. One of our principles: those who we work closest to have to be part of the solution to improve the situation,” Lewis said. Everyone must come to a deep and shared understanding at all levels.
Jackson agrees. “We have to include those most affected as well with a seat at the table throughout all levels of the process. Not just bring community in when we need to decide what’s going to happen,” he said.
Maurice Horton, youth advocate and Natural Circles of Support Facilitator at Mitchell Middle and Elementary School in Racine, does this work every day. As a trusted expert and leader in the community, Horton has made connections with kids that last well beyond their elementary and middle school years. “I focus mostly on second chances and redemption,” he said. He works with students in myriad ways, including one-on-one conversations with the boys and small group interactions during NCoS with the girls.
Horton spends much of his time talking to students, teachers, and administrators. “I always try to convince them to build relationships. Spend time with them,” he said of the teachers in his building. “Connecting is the key.”
Building relationships between educators, students, and their families benefits the school as a whole. As Dr. Lewis said, “in any form of change, people have to work well across difference. There is not one solution to complex social problems.” Relationships are integral to establishing the understanding needed to create change, and the RUSD is capitalizing on the positive relationships created.
For a brief overview of the research review process and a list of policies, practices, and programs associated with increased academic outcomes for Black students, see the REL Midwest Promising Practices to Increase the Academic Success of Black Students.
For the full report, see the REL Midwest Evidence-supported Interventions Associated with Black Students’ Educational Outcomes: Findings from a Systematic Review of Research.