Bridging the-gap-presentation-for-baltimore-county-plubic-school-principals

A Conversation About What we
Must Do to Enhance African
American Male Students’
Achievement

Baltimore County Public Schools
December 15, 2010

• Describe the context (using data) of the state of
African American male students’ (AAMS)
achievement

• Describe the implications of AAMS
underachievement

• Share information on best practices (locally and
nationally) for improving AAMS

 “Oneever feels his twoness - an
American, a Negro, two souls, two
thoughts, two unreconciled strivings, two
warring ideals in one dark body, whose
dogged strength alone keeps it from
being torn asunder.”

• W.E.B. DuBois

 Do not have the same  Are less likely to
opportunities as their participate in early
male or female childcare programs
counterparts  Are less likely to be
 Have higher infant raised in a household
mortality rates with a fully employed
 Have limited access to adult
health care  Are more likely to live in
 Are more likely to live in poverty
single-parent homes  Are less likely than their
Council on Great Schools, 2010 peers to be employed

 The achievement gap and the economy

 “We would recover what we lost
during this economic recession if we
effectively addressed the achievement
gap”
 The Lumina Foundation, National College Access Conference,
2010

Mr. Joshua Parker
Windsor Mills Middle School

New York 25%

Florida 37%

South Carolina 39%

11

Maine 98%

North Dakota 93%

New Hampshire 83%

Maryland 55%

12

Newark, NJ 75%

Fort Bend, IN 68%

Baltimore County, MD 67%

13

Men Women
20
18
Percentage

16
14

12
10
8
6

4
2
0
White Black Hispanic AA-PI NA-AN

Source: Devoe, NCES, 2008

Percentage of Male Inmates in State or Federal Prisons and
L ocal Jails, by Race, Hispanic Origin, and A ge: June 30, 2006

Total includes American Indians, Alaska
Natives, Asians, Native Hawaiians, and
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, other Pacific Islanders.
Prison and Jail Inmates at Midyear 2006

In Maryland, 10% of AA males
are proficient or advanced in
literacy on NAEP

BCPS Grade 4 AA Md. Grade 8 AA BCPS
students at or below students at or below AA Students
Basic Basic

81% 90% 86%

% Pass HSA AMO % Pass HSA AMO
English (first Algebra (first
try) try)

61% 72.7% 68% 71.7%

 AA student participation - 7%

 AA student composition of BCPS - 42%

 AA students earning 3 or higher on AP
tests
• English 67%
• Math 72%

 Mean Writing

Avg. score- 498 out of 800

Apathetic
toward
education Overly
aggressive

Menacing Athletic

Curriculum Instruction School
Support

The Counter-Narrative Culturally Responsive Relationships
Instruction

Mr. Robert Murphy
Maryland State Department of Education

 Nationally, AfricanAmerican Males
having a 47% graduation rate.

 Lowest among any student group.

 BCPS Graduation Rate is 67%- Schott
Report, 2010.

 It’s
important to remember we are only
45 yrs from the original Voting Rights Act
(VRA) of 1965
 Gave African American’s the right to vote.

 VRA has been renewed 4 times since 1965.

 Most recently authorized by President George Bush
for another 25 yrs of the act.

 ManyAfrican Americans’ development of
peoplehood/ community was in direct
opposition to white social identity.
 Thus various boundaries and boundary maintaining
behaviors developed.
 Because of rejection of the larger society through
segregation, lack of enforcement of laws, and
violence blacks created coping strategies to survive.
Ogbu, 2003

 Management in the instructional
process

 Capitalizing in instructional process

What the Alternative Culture
looks like in the schooling
process

 Class clown

 Aggressive “hard” character

 Athletic character

 Invisible character

 The blend character

 Wants attention

 Often just likes to make people happy

 Doesn’t have bad intentions

 “Clowning” behavior is engaged in for
fun or status

 Feels isolated

 Has been hurt

 Efforts
come from a defensive, self-
protective posture

 Sometimes can’t turn off the character

 Gifted athletically

 Oftenwill coast through school
(particularly football or basketball)

 Getsconnection needs met through
athletic prowess

 Unless
something happens you won’t
know he exists

 Survival skills

 Typicallythose who perform reasonably
well academically but not up to their
potential

 Exhibits characteristics of
the athletic and invisible
 Survival skills
 Performs reasonably well
academically
 Perceived well by his peers and his
teachers
 Understands DuBois’ concept of duality

 30-50% of students suspended are
repeat offenders
◦ “Suspension functions as a reinforcer...rather
than as a punisher” (Tobin, Sugai & Colvin,1996)
 Use of suspension correlates with
◦ School dropout (school level) (Raffaele-Mendez;
Ekstrom, 1986)
◦ Juvenile incarceration (state level) (Skiba et al)

 Do black students misbehave more?
◦ No supporting evidence
◦ May in fact be treated more
severely for same offenses

Of 32 infractions, only 8 significant differences:
 White students  Black students
referred more for: referred more for:
Smoking Disrespect
Vandalism Excessive Noise
Leaving w/o Threat
permission Loitering
Obscene Language

 Classroom Management
◦ “Violations of implicit interactional codes”
(Vavrus & Coles, 2002)
◦ Interactions of some teachers/some students?
 Cultural Disparities
◦ Cultural misinterpretations
◦ Lower or different expectations
 Influence of stereotypes
◦ How are African American boys perceived?
◦ Different standards of “boys will be boys”
◦ Differential standards for “respect”, “loitering”,
“threat”

 Know and access available resources

 Acknowledge the difference that
differences make

 Utilize meaningful/relevant curriculum

 Build cultural competency

Mentoring
Partnerships
Single-GenderSchooling
Male Role Models
Wraparound Services

Mr. James Martin
Program Coordinator

Why this can’t wait

Woodlawn High School’s AAMI

2400 Total Possible SAT score
 1707: Students who had taken  1421: Students who did not take
relevant AP or honors courses
 1702 : Students reporting family PSAT/NMSQT
incomes of more than $200,000 a
 1416: Students who did not take
year core curriculum
 1623: Asians  1414: Students who did not take
 1581: Whites relevant AP or honors courses
 1551: Students who took core  1364: Latinos (excluding
curriculum Mexicans, Mexican-Americans
 1542: Students who previously took and Puerto Ricans)
PSAT/NMSQT  1362: Mexicans and Mexican
 1523: Boys Americans
 1509: National average  1345: Puerto Ricans
 1506: Students reporting family  1321: Students reporting family
incomes of $60,000 to $80,000 incomes of less than $20,000 a
 1496: Girls year
 1448: American Indian or Alaskan  1276: Blacks
natives

 Key principles of the program
• Relationships
• Learning what is relevant
• Building students’ ownership in learning
• Culturally relevant field trips and speakers
• Taking time to point out student
accomplishments

Support Systems
 African American male AVID teacher:
academic coach and mentor
 College tutors
 College visits
 Parent meetings
 Business and community speakers and role
models

Vocabulary is the number ONE
predictor of school success

 Improving writing skills

 Improving time management skills

 Improving organizational skills

 Improving study skills

 Improving speaking skills

WHAT COURAGEOUS
CONVERSATIONS DOES YOUR
SCHOOL NEED TO HAVE??

 Dr. Kendra Johnson, Office of Title I
 Mr. Joshua Parker, Department Chair, Windsor Mill
Middle
 Mr. Robert Murphy, Drop Out Prevention Specialist,
MSDE
 Dr. Michial Gill, Deputy Director for Governmental
Relations and Minority Achievement Specialist
 Mr. James Martin, Program Coordinator, Woodlawn
High School’s AAMI
 Dr. Lisa Williams, Office of Equity and Assurance

Bridging the-gap-presentation-for-baltimore-county-plubic-school-principals

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