Equity Skills Dr. Kathryn McKenzie Texas A&M University
Dec 12, 2015
Equity Skills
Dr. Kathryn McKenzieTexas A&M University
Outcomes
• At the end of this session you should– Understand the traps that keep us from being
equitable with all students– Understand the skills that can free us from
these traps– Have strategies to:
• Assess teacher equity consciousness• Assess teaching skills• Determine active cognitive engagement• Determine the “zone of self-efficacy”
– Know how to conduct “teaching and learning tours”
Obstacles to Success
• Individually, on post it notes, write down 4 or more obstacles you believe your teachers would say prevent them from being successful with ALL students. IMPORTANT!!! Put one obstacle per post it note.
Obstacles to Success
• As a group, allowing each person to share one obstacle before moving on, share your obstacles and then categorize them. Write the categories on chart tablets with marker and place the post its that exemplify that category below it.
• Choose a spokesperson.
Equity Traps and Equity Skills
AchievementEquity
Seeing only Deficits
Norming The
Negative
Erasing Race
and Culture
Rationalizingbad behavior
and unsuccessful
practices
Equity Consciousness
Federal Mandate
District Goal
Rationale
Traps
Goal
Seeing &Respecting
Race and Culture
Creating Transparency
Seeing Assets in
ALL students
Skills
Reflecting on behavior and
practices
Strategies
The Goal
Equitable and Excellent Schools
Teacher QualityProgrammatic
EquityAchievement
Equity
Skrla, McKenzie, Scheurich (2008,2009)
Focus of Our Work
Teacher Quality
Equity Consciousness + High Quality Teaching Skills
• Equity Consciousness• High-Quality Teaching Skills• Two things to look for in assessing equity
consciousness and high quality teaching: Active, Cognitive Engagement (ACE) and Zone of Self-Efficacy
Successful Teachers Have
Equity Consciousness
High Quality Teaching
Skills
Teacher in a Traditional School
Teacher
Skill
SkillSkill
Teacher in a Culturally Responsive High Achieving School
Teacher
Skill
Skill
Skill
SkillSkill
Skill
Skill
Equity Consciousness
Tenets of Equity Consciousness
Tenet One
A belief that all children (except only a small percentage with profound disabilities) are capable of high levels of academic success
Tenets of Equity Consciousness
Tenet Two
A belief that academic success is possible regardless of students’ race, class, gender, culture, or religion
(McKenzie, Skrla, Scheurich, 2006)
Tenets of Equity Consciousness
Tenet Three
A belief that the adults in schools are primarily responsible for seeing that all children reach success
(McKenzie, Skrla, Scheurich, 2006)
Tenets of Equity Consciousness
Tenet Four
An understanding that traditional school practices have resulted in inequity for individuals and groups of students and that these practices must change to ensure the success of all students
(McKenzie, Skrla, Scheurich, 2006)
One strategy for moving out of Equity Traps to Equity Skills is through awareness brought about through self-reflection, which then leads to changing practices. A change in practice often brings about a change in attitude.
The zone of self-efficacy is a strategy that helps educators change practices and then attitudes.
Strategies
• As a principal I never talked anyone into changing attitudes about students.
• I did change practices through strategies like the “zone of self-efficacy” that brought about a level of awareness that resulted in a change in practice.
Self-Reflection
Awareness
Change in Practice
Change in Attitudes
Activity
• Write down the characteristics of a student you think teachers would find easy to teach
• “I love to teach students who…”
Note: When working with teachers we have them write down
the names of the students in their classes they love to teach
• Write down the characteristics of the student that you think teachers would find difficult to teach
• “It is hard to teach students who…”
Note: For teachers we have them write down the names of the
students in their classes they find difficult or hard to teach.
• Draw a large circle on a piece of paper.
• Inside the circle write the characteristics of students who are easy to teach.
• Outside the circle write the characteristics of students that are hard to teach.
Note: For teachers we have them look at the students who are both easy and hard to teach and look for common characteristics, including gender, race, learning style, etc.
Efficacy
• capacity or power to produce a desired effect
Self Efficacy
• Belief one has that she has the capacity or power to produce a desired effect
Classroom Zone of Self-Efficacy
Zone of Self-Efficacy
cv
School Zone of Self Efficacy
c
c
District Zone of Self Efficacy
High Quality Teaching Skills
High Quality Teaching Skills1. Putting in place consistent and reliable classroom procedures and routines
2. Clearly communicating classroom expectations for learning3. Challenging students with high-level and complex tasks, a rigorous
curriculum4. Engaging all students, all the time, in learning activities that are active
instead of passive5. Extending student learning through teacher-to-student and student-to-
student discussions6. Frequently assessing individual student learning7. Differentiating instruction to meet individual student needs and capitalize
on individual assets8. Embedding cultural connections in instructions9. Demonstrating respect and care in all interactions with all students and
their families
(McKenzie, Skrla, Scheurich, 2006)
Active Cognitive Engagement -ACE• Active Cognitive Engagement
• Define together
Teaching and Learning Tour
• What is it?– A professional development strategy– A strategy focused on
• continual improvement• reflective practice• collaboration
Teaching and Learning Tours• Focus: Active Cognitive Engagement; Zone of Self-Efficacy
• Reminder: This is NOT about the person being observed. It IS about using your colleague’s classroom as a lab for you to engage in reflective practice—that is thinking about your practice.
• If this was your classroom, what would you be proud of? What is positive in this classroom?
• What is the objective being taught?
• Based on this objective, what is the percentage of children who are actively cognitively engaged?
• Are there any students out of the zone? If so, why do you think this is the case?
• If this was your classroom, what could you do to “ratchet up” the active cognitive engagement or ensure that all students are in the “zone”?
• ___________________________________________________________________________________
• Your observer will give you feedback on the strategies you want to try in classroom. • Which strategy or strategies do you want feedback on?
• Teacher name:___________________________________________
Copyrighted: Do not copy or distribute without written permission from the authors.
Skrla, McKenzie, & Scheurich (2009)
Let’s take a Tour
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfliX02MlZY
Example of Strategies to Increase Active Cognitive Engagement• Teacher guided small groups instead of teacher moving from individual student to
individual student• Use of white boards for student responses• Use of timer to move students through transitions and guide individual, small group,
and whole class responses• Assign cooperative jobs for small groups• Use instruction cards for centers• Utilize co-teachers for guiding groups• Individual student response cards (for example A, B, C, D or yes/no or
agree/disagree)• Use butcher paper in corners of room and have students respond on the paper• Use butcher paper on the floor and have students respond on the paper• Use sponge activities when waiting on restroom etc to maximize learning time• Games that require individual response, then small group, then whole class• Wait time• Think, Pair, Share• Flexible grouping by student need• Preteach• Use of timer or watch for teacher to check ACE and Zone• Keep it calm, neat and organized• Use of manipulative and graphic organizers
Handouts available at: see “other docs”http://directory.cehd.tamu.edu/view.epl?nid=kmckenzie