DMC: National PerspectivesDeAngela Milligan
2
What is DMC?
Disproportionate Minority Contact refers to “the disproportionate number of juvenile members of minority groups who come into contact with the juvenile justice system”
Disproportionate Minority Contact Technical Assistance Manual Fourth Edition, July 2009. U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
Contact Points
3
Title I, Part D funds can be used to serve children and youth who are “most at-risk” of failing (Title I, Part D Statute, Subpart 1, Section 1415(2)(B)(i)) and who have “the greatest need” (Title I, Part D Nonregulatory Guidance, Subpart 1, Section H-1)
Minority youth are typically the most at-risk of failing academically and for involvement with the juvenile justice system
Black students are disproportionality represented in the Title I, Part D program in both Subpart 1 (44%) and Subpart 2 (35%), while White students represent 34% of the Subpart 1enrollment and 35% of the Subpart 2 enrollment
DMC and Title I, Part D
For more information about Title I, Part D, see http://www.neglected-delinquent.org/nd/aboutus/background.asp.
4Relationship Between Schools and DMC Poor academic outcomes, and other factors that contribute to
those outcomes (e.g., learning disabilities) can lead to minority youth involvement with the justice system
Punitive and inequitable school disciplinary practices can push youth of color out of school and into the justice system
To learn more…about the relationship between education and delinquency read the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform’s “Addressing the Unmet Educational Needs of Children and Youth in the Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Systems”. Available at http://cjjr.georgetown.edu/pdfs/ed/edpaper.pdf.
5Contributing Factors
Aud, S., Fox, M., and KewalRamani, A. (2010). Status and Trends in the Education of Racial and Ethnic Groups (NCES 2010-015). U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
Leone, P., & Weinberg, L. (2010). Addressing the unmet educational needs of children and youth in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems . Center for Juvenile Justice Reform, Georgetown University.
6
Academic Outcomes
Reading Achievement Percentage
Math Achievement Percentage
4th Grade 8th Grade 12th Grade
4th Grade 8th Grade 12th Grade
White 43 40 43 51 44 29
Black 14 13 16 16 12 6
Hispanic 17 15 20 22 17 8
Asian/Pacific Islander
46 41 36 60 54 36
American Indian/Alaska Native
18 18 26* 21 18 6*
Data Sources: 1) U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2005 and 2007 Reading Assessment, NAEP Data Explorer. 2) U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2005 and 2009 Mathematics Assessment, NAEP Data Explorer.
7
School Disciplinary Practices
Public School Enrollment Suspension Rate Expulsion Rate
White 55.8% 15.6% 1.0%Black 17% 42.8% 12.8%
Hispanic 21.2% 21.9% 3.0%
Asian/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
4.8% (Asian/Pacific Islander)
10.8%* (Asian only) __
American Indian/Alaska Native
1.2% 14.2%* __
* Interpret with cautionData Source: Public School Enrollment, and Suspension and Expulsion Rate are from: Aud, S., Fox, M., and KewalRamani, A.
(2010). Status and Trends in the Education of Racial and Ethnic Groups (NCES 2010-015). U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office
8Phase One of the DMC Reduction: Identification1. Determine the extent to which DMC occurs in your
State/district/school
Sample data to collect: Total youth population in State/district by race/ethnicity Total percentage of the youth in State’s/district’s juvenile
justice system by race/ethnicity
For the purposes of this presentation NDTAC has revised the DMC reduction steps and some of the strategies provided in the OJJDP DMC TA Manual to make them applicable to schools. Also see Milligan, D. (2007). Disproportionality in the Juvenile Justice System. The National Evaluation and Technical Assistance Center for the Education of Children and Youth Who Are Neglected, Delinquent, or At-Risk. Available at http://www.neglected-delinquent.org/nd/events/2007sep/presentations/poster/juvenile_justice.pdf.
9Phase Two of the DMC Reduction: Assessment/Diagnosis2. Assess the possible explanations and factors that contribute to
the issue
Sample data to collect: Total school enrollment in State/district by race/ethnicity Student achievement scores by race/ethnicity Rate of offense, referral to the principals office,
detention, suspension (in school and out of school), expulsion, referral to police, and arrest rate by race/ethnicity
10Phase Three of the DMC Reduction: Interventions/Strategies3. Devise a plan and implement interventions strategies
Sample data to collect: Research what reduction initiatives currently being
done in your State or district Promising and evidence-based reduction strategies Assess community/school readiness (e.g., funds) to
carryout the reduction initiative
11Phase Four of the DMC Reduction: Monitoring/Evaluation4. Monitor intervention strategies and assess performance
(formative and summative)
Sample data to collect: Measurement/evaluation data (e.g., rate of DMC reduction) If DMC has not been reduced or if it has been reduced collect
additional data to find out why
12DMC Reduction Strategies for Schools: Types of Strategies
Direct Services - address the requirements of youth;
Training and Technical Assistance - focus primarily on the needs of teachers and school personnel; and
System Change - involves altering aspects of the educational system that may contribute to DMC.
13Direct Services: Prevention and Early Intervention Family therapy Parent training and support Cognitive behavioral treatment Mentoring Academic skills enhancement Afterschool recreation Vocational/job training Wraparound services Character development School-based gang reduction initiatives
14Direct Services: Diversion and Alternatives to Secure Confinement Community service (can be in school) Informal peer panels/hearings Family group conferences Victim-offender mediation Mentoring (peer and adult) Restitution In school detention and suspension Intensive in-school supervision Alternative dispute/conflict resolution Counseling/therapy for students and parents
15
Direct Services: Advocacy
Educational advocates
Community advocates
Peer advocates and school social groups
16
Training and TA
Cultural competency training for school staff
Classroom behavior management training
Culturally appropriate services and supports
17
System Change
Structured and data driven decision making Less punitive and more equitable practices Youth/family informed and focused policies and practices Cross departmental/agency collaboration and partnerships Financial incentives Top-down, bottom-up commitment
18Federal Reform Opportunities:Current House and Senate Bills
Bills supporting a particular approach to improving school
discipline:
Bills proposing implementation of best
practices in school discipline to address particular issues:
• S.3733: Achievement through Prevention Act (Bennet, CO)
• H.R. 2597: Positive Behavior for Safe & Effective Schools Act (Hare, IL)
• H.R. 4223: Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning Act (Kildee, MI)
• H.R. 4286: Restorative Justice in Schools Act (Cohen, TN)
• H.R. 5628: Ending Corporal Punishment in Schools Act (McCarthy, NY)
• H.R. 4247: Keeping All Students Safe Act (Miller, CA)
• S. 2860: Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in Schools (Dodd, CT)
Cregor, M. (September 2010). Legislative Reform At the Federal and State Levels. Presented at the Civil Rights And School Discipline:Addressing Disparities To Ensure Equal Educational Opportunity Conference. For more information about the above bills visit http://www.opencongress.org/bill/all
19
Sample Reduction Initiatives
Tallulah Prison-to-School Conversion Campaign MS Coalition for the Prevention of Schoolhouse 2 Jailhouse Denver Public Schools Promoting Academics and Character Education (P.A.C.E)
Program Harlem Children’s Zone Promise Academy Charter Schools Providing Support for State-Level Advocates to Challenge the School-to-Prison
Pipeline Dignity in Schools Campaign (DSC) Orange County, CA Early Intervention Program New York City Department of Education’s Impact Schools Policy Municipal Juvenile Diversion Program in Denver's Municipal Juvenile Court Challenging Discipline Policies and Practices in Florida Public Schools Tulsa County DMC Reduction Initiative Memphis City Schools School House Adjustment Program Enterprise
(S.H.A.P.E.)