Annual Evaluation of the Region II Equity
Assistance Center
2006-2007
CENTER FOR RESEARCH ON TEACHING AND LEARNING
Department of Teaching and Learning
82 Washington Square East, Suite 700
New York, NY 10003 | 212 998 5872 | 212 995 3636 fax
www.steinhardt.nyu.edu/teachlearn/crtl
Region II EAC Evaluation Report 2006-07
Annual Evaluation of the Region II Equity Assistance
Center
2006-2007
Robert Tobias, Director
Tarika Barrett, Research Assistant
Janna Robin, Research Assistant
CRTL External Evaluation Report Series
EE-0907-01
September 2007
Center for Research on Teaching and Learning
Department of Teaching and Learning
Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development
New York University
© Copyright 2007 by the Center for Research on Teaching and Learning
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Region II EAC Evaluation Report 2006-07
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Center for Research on Teaching and Learning of New York
University’s Steinhardt School of Education is conducting a third-party evaluation
of the Region II EAC project. The evaluation spans the three-year duration of the
project and documents progress toward attaining the project’s goals and
objectives. The second year of the evaluation focused on providing continuing
formative feedback designed to inform ongoing improvements in project
activities.
Description of the Region II EAC
The New York University Equity Assistance Center (EAC) for Region II
(New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, and USVI) is designed to address school
and school district issues that pertain to race, gender, national origin and poverty
by working with the U.S. Department of Education and other Technical
Assistance providers through quality technical assistance to school districts school
boards, states and other governmental agencies in Region II. The Equity
Assistance Center at New York University has been committed to placing a
greater emphasis on (1) alignment of its technical assistance with the USDOE’s
strategic goals and objectives, (2) supporting New York, New Jersey, Puerto
Rico, and the USVI in fulfilling their state and federally approved plans for
equity, and (3) developing long-term technical assistance plans with school
districts.
Project Objectives
In the second year, the evaluation assessed the Region II EAC’s progress toward
attaining the following four project objectives: The Region II EAC will:
1. help state education departments, school districts, and schools to link federal education
funding to accountability for results.
2. encourage districts and schools to use scientifically-based methods for federal
education programs.
3. provide professional development opportunities to the entire region in an effort to
improve teacher and principal quality; and
4. work with school districts to eliminate ability grouping or tracking that isolates
students based upon race, sex, or national origin.
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Evaluation Methods
In order to review and assess the implementation and quality of the
proposed activities during the second year, evaluators reviewed staff logs,
workshop agendas, attendance sheets, attended meetings and workshops,
interviewed EAC project leaders, and inspected products and materials used in
Technical Assistance sessions.
Findings and Conclusions
The evaluation found that, during the 2006-07 project year, the Region II EAC
fully met two of its project objectives and made progress on the other two. Given
the project’s broad scope of proposed activities and performance measures, this is
a substantial record of accomplishment for the project’s second year. A detailed
analysis of the project’s performance measures showed that the Region II EAC
worked with a diverse set of customers on a variety of initiatives designed to help
them develop, implement or improve their equity policies and practices. The
activities included assisting customers with the development of products and the
implementation of processes designed to address their individual needs and
contexts. The following is a summary of findings with respect to the extent to
which EAC attained its proposed objectives for the 2006-07 project year.
•
The Region II EAC was successful in its goal to help state education departments,
school districts, and schools to link federal education funding to accountability for
results. Specifically, EAC met its goal targeting and helping five districts, which
include Ithaca, Scarsdale, Newburgh, Ithaca again, and East Ramapo, to
implement, or improve their policies and practices ensuring that students of
different race, sex, and national origin have equitable opportunity for high-quality
instruction. While EAC has not yet created and disseminated an ELL best
practices publication, it has identified and conducted research at Port Chester’s
Edison Elementary School. Research was focused on the school’s partnership
with Manhattanville College and on capturing its model for Professional
Development of teachers from pre-service thru induction to in-service to ensure
continuous professional growth, with a focus on minority youths and English
Language Learners.
•
The Region II EAC made substantial progress toward its goal of encouraging
districts and schools to use scientifically-based methods for federal education
programs. Additional progress has been made with the website since last year.
Portions of the website have been revised and edited and updated to include
additional resources. EAC has begun to assess the degree of dissemination of
information on scientifically based practices through the installation of a website
counter. Since its inception approximately 4,000 users have accessed information
on the site. Further work will focus on improving the accuracy and quality of
results that counter provides.
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•
The project needs to strengthen its efforts towards its goal of providing
professional development opportunities to Region II in an effort to improve
teacher and principal quality. This year EAC conducted professional development
conferences in the fall and summer. Although the summer conference had an
attendance of 221, exceeding its goal of 100, the fall conference fell short of the
goal attracting 61 attendees. In addition, a Charter School Symposium was
proposed, but postponed due to low enrollment. It is recommended that EAC
devotes additional attention to outreach and to assessing the needs and interests of
targeted customers.
•
The project made progress toward its goal of working with school districts to
eliminate ability grouping or tracking that isolates students based upon race, sex,
or national origin. The project’s efforts in this area were focused on the New
York City Department of Education’s Region III. Throughout the year, EAC held
a series of conferences addressing issues of disproportionality in the region. EAC
met its target of providing six training sessions on disproportionality on special
education for District 28 in Region III in 2006-2007. While EAC has provided
the district with important skills and tools towards reducing racial/ethnic
overrepresentation in special education, direct assistance with the formulation of
policies and practices are logical next steps.
The evaluation report offers a number of specific recommendations aimed at
extending the project’s second-year successes, many of which focus on the enhanced
collection and use of outcome data for project planning and reflection.
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CONTENTS
Executive Summary.......................................................................................................... ii
List of Tables.................................................................................................................... vi
Introduction....................................................................................................................... 1
Project Objectives.............................................................................................................. 2
Project Objective 1............................................................................................................. 2
Project Objective 2.............................................................................................................32
Project Objective 3.............................................................................................................34
Project Objective 4.............................................................................................................39
Summary and Conclusions............................................................................................... 47
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LIST OF TABLES
TABLE 1. Targeted Customers and Types of Activities for Project Objective 1
Performance Measures………………………………………………….…………………3
TABLE 2. Attendee Feedback on the “Multicultural Teaching: Beginning the
Conversation” Teacher Workshop ...…………………………………………………... 7
TABLE 3. Attendee Feedback on the “The Role of Guidance Counselors in Ensuring
Equitable Educational Outcomes for all Students” Workshop ……………………...….16
TABLE 4. Attendee Feedback on the “Core Equity Issues in Education” Workshop for
Parent Coordinators…………………………………………………………………...…27
TABLE 5. Targeted Customers and Types of Activities for Project Objective 1
Performance Measures……..……………………………….……………………………32
TABLE 6. Targeted Customers and Types of Activities for the Performance Measures of
Project Objective 3……………………………………….………………………………34
TABLE 7. Attendee Feedback on the Two-Day Conference “Gaining Tools for Addressing
Racial/Ethnic Disproportionality in Special Education and Discipline”……...…………36
TABLE 8. Targeted Customers and Types of Activities for the Performance Measures of
Project Objective 4……………………………………….………………………………40
TABLE 9. Attendee Feedback on the “Understanding Disproportionality and District
Data Summary” Training …………………………….…………………………………41
TABLE 10. Attendee Feedback on the Module B and C Data Examination and Application
Workshop………………………………………………………………………………..43
TABLE 11. Attendee Feedback on the Module D “Getting to Know the Root Cause”
Workshop ……………………………………………………………………………… 45
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INTRODUCTION
The New York University Equity Assistance Center (EAC) for Region II
(New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, and USVI) is designed to address school
and school district issues that are occasioned by race, gender, national origin and
poverty by working with the U.S. Department of Education and other Technical
Assistance providers through quality technical assistance to school districts school
boards, states and other governmental agencies in Region II. The Equity
Assistance Center at New York University has been committed to placing a
greater emphasis on (1) alignment of it’s technical assistance with the USDOE’s
strategic goals and objectives, (2) supporting New York, New Jersey, Puerto
Rico, and the USVI in fulfilling their state and federally approved plans for
equity, and (3) developing long-term technical assistance plans with school
districts.
The Center for Research on Teaching and Learning (CRTL) of New York
University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development is
conducting a third-party evaluation of the EAC project. The evaluation spans the
three-year duration of the project and documents progress toward attaining the
project’s goals and objectives. The second year of the evaluation focused on
continuing to provide formative feedback designed to inform ongoing
improvements in project activities
This evaluation report presents the findings from CRTL’s assessment of
the Region II EAC’s second year of work on the three-year project, and describes
EAC’s progress toward attaining its goals and objectives. The report contains a
detailed explanation of Region II EAC’s progress as it relates to specific
performance measures within larger project objectives. It also offers information
about the evaluation methods used by the evaluation team, as well as
recommendations for Region II EAC’s continued work. The findings from this
evaluation were included incorporated in the Annual Performance Report for the
project’s second year. For consistency, this report largely follows the
organization of the annual report.
Following the statement of the project objectives, the report is organized
into sections based on the objectives articulated by the Region II EAC. For each
objective, there is an accompanying list of performance measures that we outline
and evaluate. Within each section, we describe the specific evaluation methods
used to gather data on the performance measures, assess the findings concerning
progress toward the attainment of the specific performance measures, and offer
recommendations aimed at enhancing program effectiveness. The last section
presents a summary and conclusions for the first year evaluation.
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PROJECT OBJECTIVES
In the second year, the evaluation assessed the Region II EAC’s progress toward
attaining the following four project objectives: The Region II EAC will:
1. help state education departments, school districts, and schools to link federal education
funding to accountability for results;
2. encourage districts and schools to use scientifically-based methods for federal
education programs;
3. provide professional development opportunities to the entire region in an effort to
improve teacher and principal quality; and
4. work with school districts to eliminate ability grouping or tracking that isolates
students based upon race, sex, or national origin.
PROJECT OBJECTIVE 1. LINKING FEDERAL
EDUCATION FUNDING TO ACCOUNTABILITY FOR
RESULTS
Description of Objective
During the 2006-2007 project year, the Region II EAC worked with a diverse set
of customers on a variety of initiatives designed to help them develop, implement or
improve their equity policies and practices. The activities included assisting customers
with the development of products and the implementation of processes designed to
address their individual needs and contexts. The targeted customers and specific types of
technical assistance EAC proposed to provide these customers are documented in Table
1.
Evaluation Methods
In order to review and assess the implementation and quality of the proposed
activities during the second year, evaluators reviewed staff logs, workshop agendas and
attendance sheets, attended meetings and workshops, interviewed EAC project leaders,
and inspected products and materials used in Technical Assistance sessions. In
quantitatively analyzing the extent to which the project met performance measure 1a
(GPRA), data for the customers in the above table were aggregated. (See Region II TAC
Annual Performance Report for 2005 – 2006, filed with USDOE in July 2006.)
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Table 1
Targeted Customers and Types of Activities for Project Objective 1 Performance
Measures
Performance
Measure
Targeted
Customer
Activity
Purpose
1a.1
Region II
Develop Equity School
Improvement Toolkit
To help school districts to
effectively address equity
issues
1a.2
At least two school
districts
1b.1
Port Chester
To help districts assess
and address issues of
equity in their schools
To help districts improve
educational programs for
ELLs
1b.2
Region II
1b.3
Region II
Assist districts in
conducting an equity gap
analysis
To conduct research for a
written and online
publication on best practices
for educating English
Language Learners (ELLs)
Provide districts in the
region with a fact sheet on
the social and academic
needs of Black and Latino
males
Disseminate information on
equity issues throughout the
region
To help districts assess
and address issues of
equity in their schools
To help districts assess
and address issues of
equity in their schools
Findings
1a. 1
Development of the Equity School Improvement Toolkit
EAC’s goal was to develop an Equity Toolkit to use in Technical Assistance
Activities. This tool is intended to serve as a means by which a district can measure its
school climate. While extensive past research into school climates informed the product,
the survey also was developed to represent specific district needs, ascertained by climate
issues identified during the course of research in a given district. The EAC team met
monthly in order to develop, review and test three surveys, each geared toward a
particular audience: students, parents, and teachers. According to project timelines, the
first part of the academic year was devoted to identifying school climate items
appropriate for the surveys. In the second part of the year, EAC identified Ithaca as the
target district.
Once Ithaca was identified, the EAC team pulled from the survey items they had
based on national surveys and scales, and equity school indicators, in order to address
climate issues. The survey created for use in Ithaca focused heavily on issues of social
interaction between students; this emphasis stems from work EAC is doing with the
district regarding its Black and Latino male student population, as well as broader issues
of equity. This summer the survey is being field-tested and results will be analyzed to
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Region II EAC Evaluation Report 2006-07
inform ongoing project efforts in the general field of equity and work with Ithaca
specifically.
1a.2
Assisting Districts in Conducting an Equity Gap Analysis
Review of the evidence indicates that EAC’s approach to equity gap reduction
was situated in the context of each district’s specific needs. This determination is based
on a consideration of multiple data sources: interviews, meeting minutes, and
presentation materials from work with schools in Scarsdale, Newburgh and Ithaca.
Scarsdale
Region II EAC began its work with the Scarsdale Public Schools at the request of
the Assistant Superintendent for Personnel and Administrative Services. The Assistant
Superintendent sent a letter in April 2006 to an EAC project director, expressing concerns
raised by minority parents regarding “subtle discriminatory practices that have affected
their children in school” and the district’s desire to have EAC’s help in addressing these
concerns. In addition to soliciting EAC’s assistance regarding the parents’ concerns, the
district established the Scarsdale Equity and Access Committee (SEAC) to address the
issue.
A May 8, 2007 interview with project associates provided details about EAC’s
work with the Scarsdale Union School District. Since September 2006, EAC has
functioned primarily in a facilitative capacity, working with school leaders and members
of SEAC to achieve four goals: 1) build SEAC’s capacity to address issues of equity and
access; 2) develop a framework to institutionalize its work; 3) share its work with the
Scarsdale Union School District and larger community; and 4) build the capacity of the
entire district’s staff regarding issues of equity and access.
Toward the first goal, SEAC meeting minutes document that EAC project
associates met with either school leaders or SEAC members at least once a month (except
in April) from September of 2006 through May of 2007. These meetings featured
numerous activities including establishing a schedule and identifying SEAC goals and
activities for the upcoming year. In order to provide the most appropriate technical
assistance to meet the district’s needs, EAC project associates devoted substantial time
listening to the needs and concerns of SEAC members.
To further build SEAC’s capacity to address issues of equity and access, EAC has
provided specific technical assistance. On October, 13, 2006, EAC presented the district
with an analysis of racial /ethnic group distributions for their schools and economic status
breakdowns for the Town or Village of Scarsdale. This analysis provided SEAC with
specific data on the performance of elementary and high school students compared to
students in similar school districts, performance statistics for Black elementary and high
school students in the district, and a breakdown of student enrollment and student
classification for special education services by race. Accompanying these data were
questions and comments for the district to consider including how students are being
classified in the elementary grades, issues of race and gender and classification for
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Region II EAC Evaluation Report 2006-07
special education services, the breakdown of school suspensions by race, and access to
Honors and Advanced Placement courses for students of color.
In terms of the second goal, institutionalizing SEAC’s work, EAC project
associates devoted significant time to working with members of SEAC to carefully
document their past efforts. This process, which spanned several meetings, allowed
SEAC to reflect upon and document previous efforts to build their capacity to address
issues of student equity and access. What was documented included EAC’s work with
SEAC to solicit the input of staff, students, parents and community members and build
the membership of its committee; past work to review policies, practices and data related
to issues of equity and access; and SEAC’s review of pertinent literature addressing the
experiences of African-American males, and other relevant topics.
Another important aspect of EAC’s work in Scarsdale involved preparing SEAC
to disseminate information to the larger school district and surrounding community.
Toward this third goal, EAC helped SEAC craft its presentation to the Scarsdale Village
Council on Race and Ethnicity on January 18th. This presentation involved SEAC giving
a portraiture of its work: sharing the rationale for its existence, the nature of its past work,
SEAC’s goals, and the expectations for its upcoming work. In addition, SEAC and an
EAC project associate shared with members of the Scarsdale Village Council on Race
and Ethnicity the data on student performance throughout the district, and discussed ways
the two groups could collaborate in the future to address issues of equity and access in the
Scarsdale schools.
EAC also worked with SEAC to share its ongoing work at the district-wide
Superintendent’s Day Conference held on May 11, 2007. The conference was organized
to have teachers across grade levels in the district discuss issues of student equity and
access. Specifically, EAC facilitated SEAC’s discussion of how to develop a conference
dedicated to addressing issues of equity and access, and EAC project associates were
present at planning meetings and served as advisors as SEAC members crafted their
opening remarks for the conference.
A CRTL evaluator attended the conference and had the opportunity to listen to
presentations and group discussions, and to speak with members of the Scarsdale Public
Schools. The Assistant Superintendent for Personnel and Administrative Services
described EAC’s work as “invaluable.” In a discussion of EAC’s work with the district,
a teacher member of SEAC stated, “NYU has been very helpful in framing the
discussion.” An analysis of the 58 responses from the Discussion Feedback forms
disseminated among participants provided evidence that the Superintendent’s Conference
Day was of benefit to those who attended. The Discussion Feedback form asked
respondents 3 questions: 1) What was useful? 2) What was frustrating? and 3) What
should happen? Respondents pointed to several aspects of the conference they found
useful, many noting the increased level of awareness the conference raised. One
respondent wrote, “Keeping us reflecting on the continual concerns of bias and equity in
our community is always necessary!” Participants also found the keynote address
engaging and thought-provoking. Among the frustrations respondents shared were not
having sufficient time with which to fully explore the issues raised, and to discuss them
with their colleagues.
Toward the final goal of building the capacity of the entire district’s staff, EAC
project associates held a conference entitled Multicultural Teaching: Beginning the
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Region II EAC Evaluation Report 2006-07
Conversation for 40 new teachers in the Scarsdale Union Free School District. This
conference took place on February 28, 2007 and featured several activities geared toward
having teachers consider ways to approach multicultural teaching in their classrooms.
EAC project associates facilitated discussions where teachers were asked to consider
cultures separate from their own. EAC staff also provided specific suggestions regarding
broad themes teachers could use to incorporate literature and material from other cultures
in their teaching.
A review of the 21 evaluation forms collected from participants revealed that
most found the conference beneficial. Evaluation forms asked participants to rate
Workshop Content and Activities and Workshop Delivery and Structure. The results, as
summarized in the table below, indicate that both categories surveyed, between 90% and
100% of the participants rated the activities either “Very” helpful or useful and/or
accessible or “Somewhat” helpful or useful and/or accessible.
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Table 2
Attendee Feedback on the “Multicultural Teaching: Beginning the Conversation”
Teacher Workshop
Topic
Rating
Percent of
participants
who responded
Number (of 21)
Workshop Content and Activities
What is multicultural
instruction?
Purpose for
implementing
multicultural
instruction?
How to begin
implementation?
Presenters
Presenters’ knowledge
of subject matter
Workshop structure
Workshop materials
Very Helpful
76%
Somewhat Helpful
19%
Not helpful at all
5%
Did not attend
0%
Very Helpful
95%
Somewhat Helpful
0%
Not helpful at all
5%
Did not attend
0%
Very Helpful
62%
Somewhat Helpful
33%
Not helpful at all
5%
Did not attend
0%
Workshop Delivery and Structure
Very useful and/or
76%
accessible
Somewhat useful and/or 14%
accessible
Not useful and/or
5%
accessible
Very useful and/or
90%
accessible
Somewhat useful and/or 10%
accessible
Not useful and/or
0%
accessible
Very useful and/or
81%
accessible
Somewhat useful and/or 10%
accessible
Not useful and/or
5%
accessible
Very useful and/or
86%
accessible
Somewhat useful and/or 10%
accessible
Not useful and/or
0%
accessible
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4
1
0
20
0
1
0
13
7
1
0
16
3
1
19
2
0
17
2
1
18
2
0
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Region II EAC Evaluation Report 2006-07
A content-analysis of open-ended responses from the evaluation forms revealed further
evidence the workshop was helpful to the teachers in attendance. In response to an
evaluation item asking for “any new learnings” that were acquired as a result of the
presentation, one teacher stated, “Ideas of how to incorporate more multiculturalism
(tactics, resources, activities) into my overall school year. Another wrote, “Better
understanding of the Scarsdale population and their need for this type of instruction.”
Another evaluation question asked participants to write about how the new
understandings they gained would be useful in their work. Generally, teachers wrote
about the value of new understandings in shaping how they plan their curriculum and
class activities to be more multicultural, and how to engage their students in
conversations that may lead to a greater awareness, or as one teacher stated, “…to try to
help children understand what it’s like to be in someone else’s shoes (race, religion, class,
etc.).”
EAC took other steps to build the capacity of the entire district staff to better
address issues of equity and access. EAC project associates solicited the participation of
SEAC members in EAC’s November 1, 2006 conference Creating School Climates to
Support Diverse Learners. Three members of SEAC attended this conference.
Additionally, EAC project associates developed prototype racially-aware curricula that
may be offered to teachers through the Scarsdale Teachers’ Institute. One course EAC
developed is entitled “Viewing New York and United States history through the lens of
Black Americans.” This course, and another in development, is slated to be offered to
Scarsdale teachers next year.
EAC has taken steps to evaluate its own work in the Scarsdale School District.
To this end, EAC has disseminated a questionnaire to members of SEAC asking specific
questions about the usefulness of technical assistance EAC has provided. At the time of
this evaluation 4 questionnaires had been submitted. The responses were
overwhelmingly positive, with respondents citing EAC’s positive influence in the
district’s ability to successfully address issues of equity and access. One section of the
questionnaire asked SEAC members to provide qualitative responses to a question about
new insights gained from the technical assistance EAC provided. A respondent wrote,
“Outstanding technical assistance with no suggestions for improvement.” Another
respondent stated, “I found the conversations about issues of race in the school system to
be informative and real. I learned important lessons about language and the complexities
of racial issues in school districts.”
In terms of future work with Scarsdale, EAC plans to assist SEAC in
institutionalizing its work in order to maintain and sustain its efforts to promote equity
and access in the district. On July 8, 2007, an EAC project associate and the Assistant
Superintendent for Personnel and Administrative Services drafted a work plan to guide
SEAC’s 2007-2008 work.
Newburgh
On October 4, 2006, the Region II EAC conducted a presentation for the
Newburgh School District Administrative Council Meeting. There were 56 principals
present.
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The presentation, entitled “Race, Gender, and National Origin Dimensions of
Achievement Gap”, provided an overview of the race, gender, and national origin
dimensions of the achievement gap, and featured a discussion of district policies and
practices implicated in achievement issues. Specific topics covered in EAC’s
presentation included racial/ethnic disproportionality in Special Education and the
national and New York State trends, national academic performance data across race and
ethnic dimensions, the access gap facing minority students, data about immigrant and
ELL children in the nation’s schools, and the influence of “summer learning loss” on the
achievement gap. The presentation ended with an explanation of the importance of
recognizing that district policy and practices are important factors in reducing the
achievement and access gap for students. Specific attention was given to what teachers
need to build their capacity to work with low-achieving students, and what organizational
capacity must be built in order for schools to be successful in helping students in need.
The EAC presentation also provided participants with a Fact Sheet on GapClosing Schools. This handout gave school leaders specific information about what
successful schools do to “close the gap.” Topics covered included improving school
climate/culture, using achievement data to help low-achieving students, the role of school
leadership in gap reduction, out-of-school factors that may help students, and curriculum
and core content areas as places to improve student outcomes.
In a letter dated October 9, 2006, a Newburgh representative described the EAC
presentation as “marvelous,” and stated, “Everyone including me was impressed with the
quality of your talk and the information you provided so much so they would like to have
you back later in the year.”
Ithaca
Region II EAC began its work with the Ithaca City School District (ICSD) at the
request of the Superintendent of Schools. The Superintendent engaged the Region II
EAC in June of 2006, requesting EAC’s assistance in the district’s implementation of its
Elements of a Strategic Action Plan to Promote Equity (Equity Plan).
EAC’s initial steps in the district focused on gaining an accurate sense of the
district’s needs in order to effectively develop a plan to offer technical assistance. An
EAC project associate attended multiple meetings in June 2006 to hear the insights and
concerns of community members, parents, staff and faculty, and participated in the larger
discussion of the district’s Equity Plan. This plan has the expressed goal to “eliminate
race and class as predictors of student success.” Further efforts to plan effective technical
assistance to the district involved EAC project associates attending additional meetings in
July 2006 to gather information from Ithaca Board of Education members, teachers,
paraprofessionals, and Central Office Leadership Team members about the kinds of
assistance they would like EAC to provide.
EAC’s work to devise a technical assistance plan for the district also involved
prioritizing the district’s equity initiatives. Toward this effort, an EAC project associate
also attended several meetings in August 2006 with the Superintendent and Assistant
Superintendent of the Ithaca City School District to discuss the work happening in the
district in terms of the Elements of a Strategic Action Plan to Promote Equity. Through
their discussion of the latest developments in the district around the Plan, the EAC
project associate was able to gain a better understanding of the kind of technical
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assistance best suited to the district’s unique needs. Additionally, an EAC project
associate attended a staff development and planning meeting at Beverly J. Martin
Elementary School in August, and visited five different schools during the district-wide
professional development day on October 6, 2006. Both sets of activities offered the
EAC project associate an opportunity to observe what was taking place in the district
around issues of equity. The EAC project associate also used these visits to meet with
members of the district’s leadership to discuss ways that issues of equity may be better
addressed through professional development efforts.
Toward the Ithaca School District’s goal of implementing its Equity Plan, EAC
provided specific technical assistance in the district in November 2006. On November
13th, EAC project associates met with the district’s Superintendent, and the director of
staff and professional development. At this meeting EAC project associates presented
the analysis EAC conducted regarding the district’s achievement and placement data.
The presentation of these data allowed for a detailed discussion of the specific equity
issues the district faces and how EAC’s work would address these concerns.
Further efforts to assist the district in the implementation of its Equity Plan saw
EAC conducting numerous site visits to schools in the district and being present at district
Board of Education meetings. On November 14, 2006, an EAC project associate met
with leaders at DeWitt Middle School, Belle Sherman School and Boynton School, and
on November 15th, the EAC project associate visited an Advancement Via Individual
Determination (AVID) classroom at Ithaca High School. The EAC project associate did
several things at these meetings: 1) introduced the work EAC would be carrying out in
the district; 2) discussed how schools are working to address equity issues, and 3) made
recommendations regarding how the schools could organize and carry out their work to
promote equity at the school level. These visits also provided an opportunity for the EAC
representative to speak directly with students, teachers and school leadership about the
work being carried out in the district around issues of equity and access.
EAC’s work with the Ithaca School District also sought to involve the larger
community in addressing issues of equity. In November, an EAC project associate met
with members of Village at Ithaca, a community organization formed to promote equity
and diversity, and discussed possible collaborative work. An EAC project associate also
met with the district Superintendent and suggested that the district’s Equity Plan be
disseminated to all district stakeholders.
On December 9, 2006 EAC conducted a training workshop on equity issues for
the Ithaca School District. This workshop gave the 20 participating teachers and
administrators information about how to cultivate classrooms that are truly inclusive, and
how to engage in practices that are culturally responsive.
EAC’s efforts to build the knowledge base of school staff also included its
participation in the district’s Superintendent’s Day on March 23, 2007. This
Superintendent’s Day was a part of the 3rd Annual Professional Development Day
sponsored by Cornell University, Ithaca City School District, and the Tompkins, Seneca
and Tioga BOCES. An EAC project associate gave the keynote address entitled “Race
and Class as Factors in the Achievement Gap.” This presentation sought to give
participants a better sense of how their policies, practices and knowledge of research
impact the learning experiences of every child. Participants were given achievement data
for students across grades in New York, and engaged in a targeted discussion of students
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Region II EAC Evaluation Report 2006-07
of color and their access to educational opportunities that influence their long-term
learning trajectories. The presentation ended with a discussion of Ithaca’s Equity Plan
and the steps needed to infuse the goals of this plan into the culture of schools in the
district.
EAC representatives offered several other sets of workshops during the March
23rd Superintendent’s Day. These workshops were: 1) a. Reaching Out to African
American and Latino Males and b. Multicultural Perspectives: Creating spaces for
diversity in our classroom; 2) a. Designing and Implementing an Effective Tutoring
Program, and b. Differentiating Instruction Through Learning Centers; and 3) a.
Culturally Relevant Teaching and African American Students and b. A Historical
Overview of IDEA. Over 400 teachers and administrators participated in these
workshops.
Region II EAC participated in a 3-day Leadership Retreat (June 25-27, 2007)
sponsored by the Ithaca City School District. In order to build the knowledge base of
parents and the community regarding achievement gap research and practice, the Region
II EAC met with the Superintendent and parents on June 25, 2007 at the Southside
Community Center. There were 23 parents and community members present and this
forum allowed them to discuss their insights and questions regarding issues children
encounter within the district. Participants also received Community Feedback forms,
providing a way for them to ask questions and make recommendations to be shared with
the district Superintendent regarding issues of Equity.
On June 26, 2007 the Region II EAC conducted a workshop entitled “The Role of
Guidance Counselors in Ensuring Equitable Educational Outcomes for all Students.”
This workshop provided a forum for school guidance counselors to discuss the challenges
they encounter in meeting the needs of students and what challenges these students face
in terms of equity and access. This discussion was central to the individual session
entitled Exploring the Experiences of Guidance Counselors in ICSD. In addition,
participants engaged in a session Self-Assessing Culturally Responsive Policies, Practices
& Beliefs. Conference participants considered several aspects of the social and academic
lives of students as they thought about cultural responsiveness including school
governance and organization, school climate, family involvement, curriculum
development, teaching and learning, classroom assessment and behavior management.
Ten guidance counselors attended the workshop, and completed evaluation forms
assessing its content, activities, delivery and structure. 100% of respondents indicated
that Workshop Content and Activities were “Very” helpful or “Somewhat” helpful.
100% of the guidance counselor respondents rated Workshop Delivery and Structure
“Very” useful and/or “Very” accessible. An analysis of the open-ended responses
obtained from the evaluations revealed that participants found the workshop beneficial.
One respondent wrote, “The presenters were extremely helpful in providing focused
development in examining race, gender and social class particularly as the role of a
school counselor.” Participants also completed feedback forms that asked for questions
and recommendations that would be shared with the district Superintendent regarding
issues of equity.
Further efforts to build the knowledge base of school staff saw EAC project
associates conducting workshops on June 27, 2006. Twenty-five (25) principals and
assistant principals were in attendance, and participated in three workshops: 1) Culturally
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Responsive Classrooms & School Environments, 2) Reaching and Teaching African
American and Latino Males, and 3) Self-Assessing Culturally Responsive Policies,
Practices and Beliefs. An analysis of the responses from the evaluation forms collected
from participants revealed that respondents felt they had gained important insights from
their participation in the workshops. The results, as summarized in the table below,
indicate that 100% of respondents stated Workshop Content and Activities and Delivery
and Structure were either very helpful or Very Useful and/or Accessible.
A content-analysis of open-ended responses from the evaluation forms revealed further
evidence the workshop was helpful to the teachers in attendance. In response to an
evaluation item asking for “any new learnings” that were acquired as a result of the
presentation, one teacher stated, “Ideas of how to incorporate more multiculturalism
(tactics, resources, activities) into my overall school year. Another wrote, “Better
understanding of the Scarsdale population and their need for this type of instruction.”
Another evaluation question asked participants to write about how the new
understandings they gained would be useful in their work. Generally, teachers wrote
about the value of new understandings in shaping how they plan their curriculum and
class activities to be more multicultural, and how to engage their students in
conversations that may lead to a greater awareness, or as one teacher stated, “…to try to
help children understand what it’s like to be in someone else’s shoes (race, religion, class,
etc.).”
EAC took other steps to build the capacity of the entire district staff to better
address issues of equity and access. EAC project associates solicited the participation of
SEAC members in EAC’s November 1, 2006 conference Creating School Climates to
Support Diverse Learners. Three members of SEAC attended this conference.
Additionally, EAC project associates developed prototype racially-aware curricula that
may be offered to teachers through the Scarsdale Teachers’ Institute. One course EAC
developed is entitled “Viewing New York and United States history through the lens of
Black Americans.” This course, and another in development, is slated to be offered to
Scarsdale teachers next year.
EAC has taken steps to evaluate its own work in the Scarsdale School District.
To this end, EAC has disseminated a questionnaire to members of SEAC asking specific
questions about the usefulness of technical assistance EAC has provided. At the time of
this evaluation 4 questionnaires had been submitted. The responses were
overwhelmingly positive, with respondents citing EAC’s positive influence in the
district’s ability to successfully address issues of equity and access. One section of the
questionnaire asked SEAC members to provide qualitative responses to a question about
new insights gained from the technical assistance EAC provided. A respondent wrote,
“Outstanding technical assistance with no suggestions for improvement.” Another
respondent stated, “I found the conversations about issues of race in the school system to
be informative and real. I learned important lessons about language and the complexities
of racial issues in school districts.”
In terms of future work with Scarsdale, EAC plans to assist SEAC in
institutionalizing its work in order to maintain and sustain its efforts to promote equity
and access in the district. On July 8, 2007, an EAC project associate and the Assistant
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Region II EAC Evaluation Report 2006-07
Superintendent for Personnel and Administrative Services drafted a work plan to guide
SEAC’s 2007-2008 work.
Newburgh
On October 4, 2006, the Region II EAC conducted a presentation for the
Newburgh School District Administrative Council Meeting. There were 56 principals
present.
The presentation, entitled “Race, Gender, and National Origin Dimensions of
Achievement Gap”, provided an overview of the race, gender, and national origin
dimensions of the achievement gap, and featured a discussion of district policies and
practices implicated in achievement issues. Specific topics covered in EAC’s
presentation included racial/ethnic disproportionality in Special Education and the
national and New York State trends, national academic performance data across race and
ethnic dimensions, the access gap facing minority students, data about immigrant and
ELL children in the nation’s schools, and the influence of “summer learning loss” on the
achievement gap. The presentation ended with an explanation of the importance of
recognizing that district policy and practices are important factors in reducing the
achievement and access gap for students. Specific attention was given to what teachers
need to build their capacity to work with low-achieving students, and what organizational
capacity must be built in order for schools to be successful in helping students in need.
The EAC presentation also provided participants with a Fact Sheet on GapClosing Schools. This handout gave school leaders specific information about what
successful schools do to “close the gap.” Topics covered included improving school
climate/culture, using achievement data to help low-achieving students, the role of school
leadership in gap reduction, out-of-school factors that may help students, and curriculum
and core content areas as places to improve student outcomes.
In a letter dated October 9, 2006, a Newburgh representative described the EAC
presentation as “marvelous,” and stated, “Everyone including me was impressed with the
quality of your talk and the information you provided so much so they would like to have
you back later in the year.”
Ithaca
Region II EAC began its work with the Ithaca City School District (ICSD) at the
request of the Superintendent of Schools. The Superintendent engaged the Region II
EAC in June of 2006, requesting EAC’s assistance in the district’s implementation of its
Elements of a Strategic Action Plan to Promote Equity (Equity Plan).
EAC’s initial steps in the district focused on gaining an accurate sense of the
district’s needs in order to effectively develop a plan to offer technical assistance. An
EAC project associate attended multiple meetings in June 2006 to hear the insights and
concerns of community members, parents, staff and faculty, and participated in the larger
discussion of the district’s Equity Plan. This plan has the expressed goal to “eliminate
race and class as predictors of student success.” Further efforts to plan effective technical
assistance to the district involved EAC project associates attending additional meetings in
July 2006 to gather information from Ithaca Board of Education members, teachers,
paraprofessionals, and Central Office Leadership Team members about the kinds of
assistance they would like EAC to provide.
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EAC’s work to devise a technical assistance plan for the district also involved
prioritizing the district’s equity initiatives. Toward this effort, an EAC project associate
also attended several meetings in August 2006 with the Superintendent and Assistant
Superintendent of the Ithaca City School District to discuss the work happening in the
district in terms of the Elements of a Strategic Action Plan to Promote Equity. Through
their discussion of the latest developments in the district around the Plan, the EAC
project associate was able to gain a better understanding of the kind of technical
assistance best suited to the district’s unique needs. Additionally, an EAC project
associate attended a staff development and planning meeting at Beverly J. Martin
Elementary School in August, and visited five different schools during the district-wide
professional development day on October 6, 2006. Both sets of activities offered the
EAC project associate an opportunity to observe what was taking place in the district
around issues of equity. The EAC project associate also used these visits to meet with
members of the district’s leadership to discuss ways that issues of equity may be better
addressed through professional development efforts.
Toward the Ithaca School District’s goal of implementing its Equity Plan, EAC
provided specific technical assistance in the district in November 2006. On November
13th, EAC project associates met with the district’s Superintendent, and the director of
staff and professional development. At this meeting EAC project associates presented
the analysis EAC conducted regarding the district’s achievement and placement data.
The presentation of these data allowed for a detailed discussion of the specific equity
issues the district faces and how EAC’s work would address these concerns.
Further efforts to assist the district in the implementation of its Equity Plan saw
EAC conducting numerous site visits to schools in the district and being present at district
Board of Education meetings. On November 14, 2006, an EAC project associate met
with leaders at DeWitt Middle School, Belle Sherman School and Boynton School, and
on November 15th, the EAC project associate visited an Advancement Via Individual
Determination (AVID) classroom at Ithaca High School. The EAC project associate did
several things at these meetings: 1) introduced the work EAC would be carrying out in
the district; 2) discussed how schools are working to address equity issues, and 3) made
recommendations regarding how the schools could organize and carry out their work to
promote equity at the school level. These visits also provided an opportunity for the EAC
representative to speak directly with students, teachers and school leadership about the
work being carried out in the district around issues of equity and access.
EAC’s work with the Ithaca School District also sought to involve the larger
community in addressing issues of equity. In November, an EAC project associate met
with members of Village at Ithaca, a community organization formed to promote equity
and diversity, and discussed possible collaborative work. An EAC project associate also
met with the district Superintendent and suggested that the district’s Equity Plan be
disseminated to all district stakeholders.
On December 9, 2006 EAC conducted a training workshop on equity issues for
the Ithaca School District. This workshop gave the 20 participating teachers and
administrators information about how to cultivate classrooms that are truly inclusive, and
how to engage in practices that are culturally responsive.
EAC’s efforts to build the knowledge base of school staff also included its
participation in the district’s Superintendent’s Day on March 23, 2007. This
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Region II EAC Evaluation Report 2006-07
Superintendent’s Day was a part of the 3rd Annual Professional Development Day
sponsored by Cornell University, Ithaca City School District, and the Tompkins, Seneca
and Tioga BOCES. An EAC project associate gave the keynote address entitled “Race
and Class as Factors in the Achievement Gap.” This presentation sought to give
participants a better sense of how their policies, practices and knowledge of research
impact the learning experiences of every child. Participants were given achievement data
for students across grades in New York, and engaged in a targeted discussion of students
of color and their access to educational opportunities that influence their long-term
learning trajectories. The presentation ended with a discussion of Ithaca’s Equity Plan
and the steps needed to infuse the goals of this plan into the culture of schools in the
district.
EAC representatives offered several other sets of workshops during the March
rd
23 Superintendent’s Day. These workshops were: 1) a. Reaching Out to African
American and Latino Males and b. Multicultural Perspectives: Creating spaces for
diversity in our classroom; 2) a. Designing and Implementing an Effective Tutoring
Program, and b. Differentiating Instruction Through Learning Centers; and 3) a.
Culturally Relevant Teaching and African American Students and b. A Historical
Overview of IDEA. Over 400 teachers and administrators participated in these
workshops.
Region II EAC participated in a 3-day Leadership Retreat (June 25-27, 2007)
sponsored by the Ithaca City School District. In order to build the knowledge base of
parents and the community regarding achievement gap research and practice, the Region
II EAC met with the Superintendent and parents on June 25, 2007 at the Southside
Community Center. There were 23 parents and community members present and this
forum allowed them to discuss their insights and questions regarding issues children
encounter within the district. Participants also received Community Feedback forms,
providing a way for them to ask questions and make recommendations to be shared with
the district Superintendent regarding issues of Equity.
On June 26, 2007 the Region II EAC conducted a workshop entitled “The Role of
Guidance Counselors in Ensuring Equitable Educational Outcomes for all Students.”
This workshop provided a forum for school guidance counselors to discuss the challenges
they encounter in meeting the needs of students and what challenges these students face
in terms of equity and access. This discussion was central to the individual session
entitled Exploring the Experiences of Guidance Counselors in ICSD. In addition,
participants engaged in a session Self-Assessing Culturally Responsive Policies, Practices
& Beliefs. Conference participants considered several aspects of the social and academic
lives of students as they thought about cultural responsiveness including school
governance and organization, school climate, family involvement, curriculum
development, teaching and learning, classroom assessment and behavior management.
Ten guidance counselors attended the workshop, and completed evaluation forms
assessing its content, activities, delivery and structure. 100% of respondents indicated
that Workshop Content and Activities were “Very” helpful or “Somewhat” helpful.
100% of the guidance counselor respondents rated Workshop Delivery and Structure
“Very” useful and/or “Very” accessible. An analysis of the open-ended responses
obtained from the evaluations revealed that participants found the workshop beneficial.
One respondent wrote, “The presenters were extremely helpful in providing focused
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Region II EAC Evaluation Report 2006-07
development in examining race, gender and social class particularly as the role of a
school counselor.” Participants also completed feedback forms that asked for questions
and recommendations that would be shared with the district Superintendent regarding
issues of equity.
Further efforts to build the knowledge base of school staff saw EAC project
associates conducting workshops on June 27, 2006. Twenty-five (25) principals and
assistant principals were in attendance, and participated in three workshops: 1) Culturally
Responsive Classrooms & School Environments, 2) Reaching and Teaching African
American and Latino Males, and 3) Self-Assessing Culturally Responsive Policies,
Practices and Beliefs. An analysis of the responses from the evaluation forms collected
from participants revealed that respondents felt they had gained important insights from
their participation in the workshops. The results, as summarized in the table below,
indicate that 100% of respondents stated Workshop Content and Activities and Delivery
and Structure were either very helpful or Very Useful and/or Accessible.
Table 3
Attendee Feedback on the “The Role of Guidance Counselors in Ensuring Equitable
Educational Outcomes for all Students” Workshop
Topic
Rating
Percent of
participants
who responded
Number (of 23)
Workshop Content and Activities
Culturally Responsive
Classrooms &
Environments
Reaching and Teaching
African American &
Latino Males
Self-Assessing
Culturally Responsive
Policies, Practices &
Beliefs
Very Helpful
Somewhat Helpful
Not helpful at all
Did not attend
Very Helpful
Somewhat Helpful
Not helpful at all
Did not attend
Very Helpful
Somewhat Helpful
Not helpful at all
Did not attend
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74%
23%
0%
0%
91%
9%
0%
0%
65%
30%
0%
0%
17
5
0
0
21
2
0
0
15
7
0
0
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Region II EAC Evaluation Report 2006-07
Topic
Presenter(s)
Presenter(s)’ knowledge
of subject matter
Workshop structure
Workshop materials
Rating
Percent of
participants
who responded
Workshop Delivery and Structure
Very useful and/or
91%
accessible
Somewhat useful and/or 9%
accessible
Not useful and/or
0%
accessible
Very useful and/or
87%
accessible
Somewhat useful and/or 13%
accessible
Not useful and/or
0%
accessible
Very useful and/or
77%
accessible
Somewhat useful and/or 23%
accessible
Not useful and/or
0%
accessible
Very useful and/or
77%
accessible
Somewhat useful and/or 23%
accessible
Not useful and/or
0%
accessible
Number (of 23)
21
2
0
20
3
0
18
5
0
18
5
0
In terms of future work with Ithaca, EAC plans to continue to assist the district in the
implementation and eventual monitoring of its equity initiatives. EAC has a work plan to
guide its ongoing work with the district.
East Ramapo Central School District
EAC has carried out targeted work with the East Ramapo Central School District
to develop the district’s knowledge base around single gender schools and classrooms
within the construct of Title 9. Specifically, EAC has been aiding the district in its effort
to create a separate single-sex 9th Grade Academy for boys within its existing Freshman
Center.
Evaluators reviewed project materials, including meeting agendas and
presentation resources, and determined that EAC staff held several meetings with the 9th
Grade Academy steering committee and core members. On November 29, 2006, EAC
project associates held a meeting with members of the East Ramapo School District.
This meeting had several objectives: 1) to gain a sense of the district’s current efforts to
focus on the academic needs of boys; 2) to learn about the development of the steering
committee and the nature of resources devoted to this work; 3) to ascertain the
professional development needs of teachers and other staff working on this issue; and 4)
to determine the specific guidance EAC may provide to guide their efforts. This meeting
was followed by a December 14, 2006 presentation by EAC project associates entitled
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Region II EAC Evaluation Report 2006-07
“Focus on Boys.” This presentation was given at the East Ramapo Freshman Center and
covered several important issues. First, EAC project associates introduced the work they
hoped to accomplish in the district—investigating what is known about the effectiveness
of single-sex versus co-educational schools in meeting the academic and social needs of
low-income, Black and Latino male students. Next, EAC project associates provided an
extensive presentation on the current state of knowledge regarding Black and Latino
males’ in-school and out-of-school lives. The presentation also included facts about
single-sex schools and specific achievement data from the East Ramapo School District.
The meeting ended with the EAC presenters engaging members of the steering committee
around questions pertaining to their future work.
On January 18, 2007, EAC held another meeting, “Focus on Boys Session 2.” At
this meeting, also held at the East Ramapo Freshman Center, EAC project associates
discussed several key issues with members of the district. The meeting focused on
defining the roles of the steering committee, and included several group activities geared
toward structuring the Academy for Boys. Meeting participants engaged in a discussion
of what they knew about African American males, the best practices and strategies of
working groups, and what form their future efforts would take.
In the next session, “Focus on Boys” Session 3, EAC led district representatives
in a discussion of the accomplishments of the previous meeting and explored how the
group would take steps to establish a foundation for future work. Among the topics
covered in this meeting were gender learning differences, making high schools work for
African American students, teaching Black males, and the difficulties facing boys in
schools.
Session 4 in the “Focus on Boys” series was held on March 15, 2007 at the East
Ramapo Freshman Center. This meeting, entitled “Laying the Foundation for Success,”
This session was devoted to strategic planning, and participants discussed goals and
objectives for their work with Black and Latino boys at the Freshman Center. The
meeting also allowed participants to discuss what strategies in their practice seemed to be
effective in their efforts to reach Black and Latino males academically and socially, and
participants also reviewed what they have learned about this targeted population and how
this knowledge equips them to move forward as their efforts grow. EAC also directed
participants to consider strategies the district will employ to work with Black and Latino
boys, what they will need to have in place in the early days of the Freshman Center and
beyond, and how they may develop effective systems of communication and lay the
foundation for adaptation as changes arise.
On May 17, 2007, EAC project associates held Session 5 of the “Focus on Boys”
series. This session was entitled “Creating Culturally Responsive Classrooms for Boys,”
and like previous sessions, allowed participants to review past work and previous
understandings. Also discussed were new strategies, how “success” would be defined as
they undertake the challenge of connecting with Black and Latino males academically
and socially, and the work that needs to be accomplished to prepare for the first weeks of
school. This meeting featured a special presentation entitled “Creating Culturally
Responsive Classroom for Boys” during which participants engaged in several activities:
1) describing how one’s individual culture is present in one’s classroom; 2) applying the
principles of Culturally Responsive Teaching to improve the cultural responsiveness of
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Region II EAC Evaluation Report 2006-07
one’s classroom; and 3) engaging in an extensive take-away activity assessing the degree
to which one’s school environment is culturally responsive.
The “Focus on Boys” Session 6 took place on May 24, 2007 at the East Ramapo
Freshman Center. This meeting featured an in-depth discussion, led by EAC project
associates, of what was taking place at the George Jackson Academy School, a single-sex
school. Participants talked about the information EAC gained while touring the school,
visiting classrooms, and dialoging with staff members.
Conclusions for Performance Measure 1a
Based on the above-documented evidence of EAC activities for 2006-2007, the
Region II EAC met the criterion for performance measure 1a. EAC targeted five districts
(Ithaca, Scarsdale, Newburgh, Ithaca again, and East Ramapo) for work aimed at
developing, implementing, or improving their policies and practices to ensure that
students of different race, sex, and national origin have equitable opportunity for high
quality instruction. Interviews with district staff, written surveys, observation of
workshops, and review of project records demonstrate meaningful project impact on the
policies, practices, and cultures of all five districts.
1b. 1
Best Practices Immigrant Youth: Port Chester
Since 2006, EAC has been working with Port Chester-Rye school district as its
site for a best practices publication. This year EAC was involved with both research and
co-planning at the Edison Community School. EAC’s publication of the data collected
throughout the year is due in draft-form at the end of July, 2007. When it goes to print in
the fall, EAC will have completely met its project measure for this client. Several strands
of evidence inform the evaluators’ assessment of what EAC has done to understand fully
and prepare to disseminate Edison Community School’s best practices related to
immigrant youth.
In September, EAC staff met with Edison school administrators and determined
that research would focus on the school’s partnership with Manhattanville College and on
capturing its model for Professional Development of teachers from pre-service to
induction to in-service to ensure continuous professional growth, with a focus on
minority youths and English Language Learners. EAC would also be involved in
planning the year-long anniversary celebration of the district’s commitment to excellence
in diversity education. Part of this included EAC sponsoring, and sometimes presenting
or key-note speaking at workshops oriented to different members of the community
throughout the year. Two examples of these presentations were “Mapping Child
Development and Student Achievement to a School Environment in a Full Service
Community School,” featuring a local Congresswoman, and “Family and Community
Engagement: The Power of Partnership in a Full-service Community School.”
In order to find out more about the Edison’s approach to Professional
Development and ensuring its quality implementation, EAC also conducted extensive
interviews with the university partnering with Edison Community. As a result of the
partnership’s collaborative approach to teacher education and professional development,
Edison Community is a professional development school in the sense that the university’s
fieldwork component takes place there, as do methods courses.
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Evaluators also had access to transcripts of a focus group with Edison teachers
around the work, practices, and structures they use to promote equity and student
achievement. Materials from the development of the Professional Development Logic
Model and an outline of the “Port Chester Article Writing Plan” add to the evidence EAC
is preparing to publish and disseminate a well-informed and complete representation of a
best-practices model.
1b.2 Assist in the dissemination of information on the social and academic status
of Black and Latino Males in Region II (Fact Sheet)
EAC has worked with several schools in Region II in an effort to improve the
academic outcomes for Black and Latino boys. This work is a part of a larger,
nationwide effort to study the effectiveness of single-sex schools for Black and Latino
males. Through an interview with an EAC project associate and a review of staff logs,
evaluators learned that EAC participated in various school meetings, and created a draft
Black and Latino Males fact sheet to achieve the aforementioned objective.
Region II EAC has created a draft document entitled Black and Latino Males:
Education and Social Outcomes Fact Sheet. This fact sheet was developed in June 2007
with the goal of providing regional and national figures for Black and Latino males along
several key indicators such as education, health, incarceration, and mental health. This
fact sheet will be disseminated to schools throughout Region II in the fall in order to aid
schools in their efforts to address issues of equity and access for Black and Latino males
and to improve the academic outcomes of these students.
In a review of the draft Fact Sheet, the evaluators found extensive data and
resources regarding the social and academic status of Black and Latino males.
Particularly noteworthy were the many web-related resources listed for readers.
1b.3
Assist in the dissemination of information on Equity issues in Region II
NYS Equity Alliance
EAC’s work with Equity Alliance has sought to assist the group in the
dissemination of equity information related to New York State in order to help build the
state’s capacity to address issues of equity and access.
The Region II EAC director has been a member of Equity Alliance, a
subcommittee of the New York State Education Department’s (NYSED) Professional
Development Initiative (PDI). Equity Alliance has aimed to define the parameters of
how the Regional Technical Assistance Providers (RTAPs) for the Office of School
Improvement (OSI) and Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals for
Disabilities (VESID) need to think about the issue of equity.
From June to July 2006, Equity Alliance focused its efforts on planning its
“Undoing Racism” training for RTAPs in each region. This conference, led by The
People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond, had the goal of providing the several hundred
participants across the five regions the opportunity to explore how racism shapes
American institutions and how they can work toward eliminating the achievement gap
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Region II EAC Evaluation Report 2006-07
and other disparities in educational outcomes between White students and students of
color. The “Undoing Racism” training spanned two days, and was followed by a one-day
strategic planning session where participants devised ways of integrating equity into
ongoing school activities and initiatives.
Evaluators note that EAC prepared an August 2006 evaluation report assessing
participants’ impressions of the “Undoing Racism” workshops. EAC’s evaluation report
showed that an overwhelming percentage of respondents indicated that the workshops: 1)
increased awareness and understanding of issues of institutional racism, 2) presented
concepts and skills that were relevant to their work, 3) had clear personal and
professional benefits, 4) featured content and activities that were well organized, 5) were
nested in a comfortable environment in which questions and concerns could be addressed
freely, 6) featured workshop presenters who were knowledgeable, and 7) took place in a
physically comfortable environment that was conducive to learning. Further indication
that the conference addressed an important need was seen in the nature of qualitative
responses from participants. When asked about the strengths of the workshops offered,
one respondent noted on the evaluation form, “Powerful, honest, courageous
conversation.” Others expressed their appreciation for chance to engage with others on
an important issue, writing, “Opportunity to learn and talk about an important topic
critical to all of us,” and noting the value of “Bringing educators and community
organizers together for shared listening.”
The Region II EAC director facilitated the convening of the conference call where
Equity Alliance members discussed their plans for the conference. In October 2006, the
Equity Alliance held a follow-up meeting of the New York City Equity subgroup to
discuss issues that arose from their previous “Undoing Racism” training held last June.
At this meeting, Equity Alliance members also discussed ways equity issues may be
successfully embedded in educational settings across regions.
Through an interview with the Region II EAC director, the evaluators learned that
Equity Alliance did not conduct its monthly conference call for a 3-month period due to
the departure of a key facilitator in the group. Equity Alliance resumed regular
conference calls in January 2007. During the January meeting, Equity Alliance members
discussed the changes that have emerged with the designation of new regional groups
throughout the state. Since the NYSED has developed new regional groups in each
region, members who attended the “Undoing Racism” trainings are convening in each
region of the state around issues of equity. In March 2007, Equity Alliance distributed its
second newsletter. The Region II EAC director took on the responsibility of
disseminating this newsletter throughout Region II. This Spring 2007 newsletter
provided readers with a summary of Equity Alliance activities in various regions
throughout the state, told readers of upcoming events and provided reviews of many
resources RTAPs could use in their efforts to promote equity.
SPAN Conference
On July 11, 2006, Region II EAC presented a workshop at the Statewide Parent
Advocacy Network (SPAN) Annual Regional Conference for Northeast Parent Centers.
This conference, entitled “Taking Charge in Changing Times: Managing Through
Leadership and Commitment,” took place July 10-12, 2006 in Burlington, Vermont.
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Region II EAC Evaluation Report 2006-07
The conference featured several workshops, including one conducted by a Region
II EAC representative entitled “Organizing Parents to Address Disproportionality.”
According to an interview with the EAC representative, this workshop had the goal of
providing parent leaders with a framework for understanding trends in disproportionality
in their state, understanding the relationship between race/ethnicity and
disproportionality, and the role that parent centers can play in changing academic
outcomes for low-achieving students. Specifically, the EAC presentation defined
disproportionality and how it is measured, presented data regarding national
disproportionality trends, discussed the achievement gap and access gap through an
analysis of student performance data across grade levels, provided information about the
concept of “summer learning loss” and its relationship to the achievement gap and what
practices, and facilitated a dialog about what policies and practices should be enacted to
combat low achievement among students.
The EAC representative disseminated additional information to participants at the
workshop. These materials included a Calculating Disproportionality Training Manual,
and several handouts: 1) IDEA—Reauthorized Statute, Disproportionality and
Overidentification; 2) Racial/Ethnic Disproportionality Rates: 2004-2005, Risk Ratio of
one group versus other groups; 3) Compounding Factors Involved in Disproportionality;
and 4) a Practitioner Brief Series entitled Disproportionate Representation of Culturally
and Linguistically Diverse Students in Special Education: Measuring the Problem.
Through a review of the conference materials and attendance sheets, CRTL
evaluators determined that 11 parent center staff members attended the EAC workshop.
Based on an analysis of the six evaluation forms that were collected from participants,
evaluators determined that the workshop was beneficial to those who attended.
Evaluation forms asked participants to rate Workshop Content and Activities and
Workshop Delivery and Structure. 100% of the participants rated the activities either
very helpful or useful and/or accessible or somewhat helpful or useful and/or accessible.
A content analysis of the open-ended responses from the evaluation forms revealed that
respondents felt they had gained important insights from their participation in the
workshop. Several respondents wrote about the workshop’s impact on their
understandings around the beliefs held by individuals in schools play an important role in
the larger discussion of disproportionality. One respondent wrote, “A good discussion of
how school practices and policies reflect embedded beliefs that promote
disproportionality in our schools.” Another respondent wrote the following about “new
learnings” acquired: “Helped me to look through a different lens…will continue to work
with families to help them see beyond the lens that others are looking
through…ultimately creating system change!”
Parent Coordinator Training
On April 4, 2007, the Region II EAC provided an equity gap analysis training at
the NYC Department of Education Parent Coordinator Professional Development Day.
The training, entitled “Core Equity Issues in Education,” gave the 48 parent coordinator
participants valuable information about several key equity issues: 1) the achievement gap
and the performance of 4th and 8th graders and high schoolers across race and ethnicity; 2)
the access gap and how students of color are less likely to have access to the kinds of
classes and teaching expertise that will lead to future success; 3) English Language
CRTL Report Series EE-0907-01
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Region II EAC Evaluation Report 2006-07
Learners (ELLs) and the demographics and achievement concerns of this population, and
what schools and parent coordinators can do to help these students; 4) racial/ethnic
disproportionality in Special Education—its definition, how it occurs, how it is measured,
who among the student population is being classified as Special Education, what is
causing an over-classification of children of color, the root causes of disproportionality,
and how the phenomenon may be remedied; 5) middle school reform, why issues of
equity are particularly salient for middle school students, and how parent coordinators
can help support students in need; 6) high school reform and issues of equity; and 7) how
parents can be informed of equity issues.
Parent coordinators at the training also engaged in exercises to help them attune to
issues of equity and access in their schools. Training materials asked participants to
consider achievement and other student outcomes, and whether these outcomes are
comparable for diverse learners in their schools. For example, parent coordinators were
asked if outcomes such as high literacy, school completion, and citizenship development
were comparable for all learners. Attendees at the training were also asked to consider
issues of equitable access and inclusion. Parent coordinators discussed issues of
language access, course selection and placement, instructional engagement, teacher and
administrator expectations of students, and the kinds of assessments given to students,
among others. Another topic at the training addressed equitable resources for diverse
learners. In this discussion, parent coordinators considered several ideas including the
allocation of resources across the district, how to make this distribution equitable, how to
think about “equitable” funding versus “equal” funding, and the kinds of decisions made
about staff assignments and levels of expertise. Finally, parent coordinators were asked
to critically evaluate the degree to which parents were involved in their schools. EAC
disseminated a Parent Involvement Survey featuring a list of 16 activities in which
parents may be involved. Respondents were asked to indicate whether parents in their
schools engaged in these activities Always, Sometimes, and Never. This survey, along
with other activities during the training, provided parent coordinators with important
tools to address issues of equity and access for students.
An analysis of the responses from the 42 evaluation forms that were collected
from participants provided further evidence that the training was of benefit to those who
attended. The results, as summarized in the table below, indicate that 100% of
respondents rated presentation content, delivery and materials Somewhat or Very
Helpful.
1b.2 Assist in the dissemination of information on the social and academic status
of Black and Latino Males in Region II (Fact Sheet)
EAC has worked with several schools in Region II in an effort to improve the
academic outcomes for Black and Latino boys. This work is a part of a larger,
nationwide effort to study the effectiveness of single-sex schools for Black and Latino
males. Through an interview with an EAC project associate and a review of staff logs,
evaluators learned that EAC participated in various school meetings, and created a draft
Black and Latino Males fact sheet to achieve the aforementioned objective.
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Region II EAC Evaluation Report 2006-07
Region II EAC has created a draft document entitled Black and Latino Males:
Education and Social Outcomes Fact Sheet1. This fact sheet was developed in June 2007
with the goal of providing regional and national figures for Black and Latino males along
several key indicators such as education, health, incarceration, and mental health. This
fact sheet will be disseminated to schools throughout Region II in the fall in order to aid
schools in their efforts to address issues of equity and access for Black and Latino males
and to improve the academic outcomes of these students.
In a review of the draft Fact Sheet, the evaluators found extensive data and
resources regarding the social and academic status of Black and Latino males.
Particularly noteworthy were the many web-related resources listed for readers.
1b.3
Assist in the dissemination of information on Equity issues in Region II
NYS Equity Alliance
EAC’s work with Equity Alliance has sought to assist the group in the
dissemination of equity information related to New York State in order to help build the
state’s capacity to address issues of equity and access.
The Region II EAC director has been a member of Equity Alliance, a
subcommittee of the New York State Education Department’s (NYSED) Professional
Development Initiative (PDI). Equity Alliance has aimed to define the parameters of
how the Regional Technical Assistance Providers (RTAPs) for the Office of School
Improvement (OSI) and Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals for
Disabilities (VESID) need to think about the issue of equity.
From June to July 2006, Equity Alliance focused its efforts on planning its
“Undoing Racism” training for RTAPs in each region. This conference, led by The
People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond, had the goal of providing the several hundred
participants across the five regions the opportunity to explore how racism shapes
American institutions and how they can work toward eliminating the achievement gap
and other disparities in educational outcomes between White students and students of
color. The “Undoing Racism” training spanned two days, and was followed by a one-day
strategic planning session where participants devised ways of integrating equity into
ongoing school activities and initiatives.
Evaluators note that EAC prepared an August 2006 evaluation report assessing
participants’ impressions of the “Undoing Racism” workshops. EAC’s evaluation report
showed that an overwhelming percentage of respondents indicated that the workshops: 1)
increased awareness and understanding of issues of institutional racism, 2) presented
concepts and skills that were relevant to their work, 3) had clear personal and
professional benefits, 4) featured content and activities that were well organized, 5) were
nested in a comfortable environment in which questions and concerns could be addressed
freely, 6) featured workshop presenters who were knowledgeable, and 7) took place in a
physically comfortable environment that was conducive to learning. Further indication
that the conference addressed an important need was seen in the nature of qualitative
responses from participants. When asked about the strengths of the workshops offered,
one respondent noted on the evaluation form, “Powerful, honest, courageous
1
See Appendix for copy of Fact Sheet
CRTL Report Series EE-0907-01
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Region II EAC Evaluation Report 2006-07
conversation.” Others expressed their appreciation for chance to engage with others on
an important issue, writing, “Opportunity to learn and talk about an important topic
critical to all of us,” and noting the value of “Bringing educators and community
organizers together for shared listening.”
The Region II EAC director facilitated the convening of the conference call where
Equity Alliance members discussed their plans for the conference. In October 2006, the
Equity Alliance held a follow-up meeting of the New York City Equity subgroup to
discuss issues that arose from their previous “Undoing Racism” training held last June.
At this meeting, Equity Alliance members also discussed ways equity issues may be
successfully embedded in educational settings across regions.
Through an interview with the Region II EAC director, the evaluators learned that
Equity Alliance did not conduct its monthly conference call for a 3-month period due to
the departure of a key facilitator in the group. Equity Alliance resumed regular
conference calls in January 2007. During the January meeting, Equity Alliance members
discussed the changes that have emerged with the designation of new regional groups
throughout the state. Since the NYSED has developed new regional groups in each
region, members who attended the “Undoing Racism” trainings are convening in each
region of the state around issues of equity. In March 2007, Equity Alliance distributed its
second newsletter. The Region II EAC director took on the responsibility of
disseminating this newsletter throughout Region II. This Spring 2007 newsletter
provided readers with a summary of Equity Alliance activities in various regions
throughout the state, told readers of upcoming events and provided reviews of many
resources RTAPs could use in their efforts to promote equity.
SPAN Conference
On July 11, 2006, Region II EAC presented a workshop at the Statewide Parent
Advocacy Network (SPAN) Annual Regional Conference for Northeast Parent Centers.
This conference, entitled “Taking Charge in Changing Times: Managing Through
Leadership and Commitment,” took place July 10-12, 2006 in Burlington, Vermont.
The conference featured several workshops, including one conducted by a Region
II EAC representative entitled “Organizing Parents to Address Disproportionality.”
According to an interview with the EAC representative, this workshop had the goal of
providing parent leaders with a framework for understanding trends in disproportionality
in their state, understanding the relationship between race/ethnicity and
disproportionality, and the role that parent centers can play in changing academic
outcomes for low-achieving students. Specifically, the EAC presentation defined
disproportionality and how it is measured, presented data regarding national
disproportionality trends, discussed the achievement gap and access gap through an
analysis of student performance data across grade levels, provided information about the
concept of “summer learning loss” and its relationship to the achievement gap and what
practices, and facilitated a dialog about what policies and practices should be enacted to
combat low achievement among students.
The EAC representative disseminated additional information to participants at the
workshop. These materials included a Calculating Disproportionality Training Manual,
and several handouts: 1) IDEA—Reauthorized Statute, Disproportionality and
CRTL Report Series EE-0907-01
25
Region II EAC Evaluation Report 2006-07
Overidentification; 2) Racial/Ethnic Disproportionality Rates: 2004-2005, Risk Ratio of
one group versus other groups; 3) Compounding Factors Involved in Disproportionality;
and 4) a Practitioner Brief Series entitled Disproportionate Representation of Culturally
and Linguistically Diverse Students in Special Education: Measuring the Problem.
Through a review of the conference materials and attendance sheets, CRTL
evaluators determined that 11 parent center staff members attended the EAC workshop.
Based on an analysis of the six evaluation forms that were collected from participants,
evaluators determined that the workshop was beneficial to those who attended.
Evaluation forms asked participants to rate Workshop Content and Activities and
Workshop Delivery and Structure. 100% of the participants rated the activities either
very helpful or useful and/or accessible or somewhat helpful or useful and/or accessible.
A content analysis of the open-ended responses from the evaluation forms revealed that
respondents felt they had gained important insights from their participation in the
workshop. Several respondents wrote about the workshop’s impact on their
understandings around the beliefs held by individuals in schools play an important role in
the larger discussion of disproportionality. One respondent wrote, “A good discussion of
how school practices and policies reflect embedded beliefs that promote
disproportionality in our schools.” Another respondent wrote the following about “new
learnings” acquired: “Helped me to look through a different lens…will continue to work
with families to help them see beyond the lens that others are looking
through…ultimately creating system change!”
Parent Coordinator Training
On April 4, 2007, the Region II EAC provided an equity gap analysis training at
the NYC Department of Education Parent Coordinator Professional Development Day.
The training, entitled “Core Equity Issues in Education,” gave the 48 parent coordinator
participants valuable information about several key equity issues: 1) the achievement gap
and the performance of 4th and 8th graders and high schoolers across race and ethnicity; 2)
the access gap and how students of color are less likely to have access to the kinds of
classes and teaching expertise that will lead to future success; 3) English Language
Learners (ELLs) and the demographics and achievement concerns of this population, and
what schools and parent coordinators can do to help these students; 4) racial/ethnic
disproportionality in Special Education—its definition, how it occurs, how it is measured,
who among the student population is being classified as Special Education, what is
causing an over-classification of children of color, the root causes of disproportionality,
and how the phenomenon may be remedied; 5) middle school reform, why issues of
equity are particularly salient for middle school students, and how parent coordinators
can help support students in need; 6) high school reform and issues of equity; and 7) how
parents can be informed of equity issues.
Parent coordinators at the training also engaged in exercises to help them attune to
issues of equity and access in their schools. Training materials asked participants to
consider achievement and other student outcomes, and whether these outcomes are
comparable for diverse learners in their schools. For example, parent coordinators were
asked if outcomes such as high literacy, school completion, and citizenship development
were comparable for all learners. Attendees at the training were also asked to consider
CRTL Report Series EE-0907-01
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Region II EAC Evaluation Report 2006-07
issues of equitable access and inclusion. Parent coordinators discussed issues of
language access, course selection and placement, instructional engagement, teacher and
administrator expectations of students, and the kinds of assessments given to students,
among others. Another topic at the training addressed equitable resources for diverse
learners. In this discussion, parent coordinators considered several ideas including the
allocation of resources across the district, how to make this distribution equitable, how to
think about “equitable” funding versus “equal” funding, and the kinds of decisions made
about staff assignments and levels of expertise. Finally, parent coordinators were asked
to critically evaluate the degree to which parents were involved in their schools. EAC
disseminated a Parent Involvement Survey featuring a list of 16 activities in which
parents may be involved. Respondents were asked to indicate whether parents in their
schools engaged in these activities Always, Sometimes, and Never. This survey, along
with other activities during the training, provided parent coordinators with important
tools to address issues of equity and access for students.
An analysis of the responses from the 42 evaluation forms that were collected
from participants provided further evidence that the training was of benefit to those who
attended. The results, as summarized in the table below, indicate that 100% of
respondents rated presentation content, delivery and materials Somewhat or Very
Helpful.
Table 4
Attendee Feedback on the “Core Equity Issues in Education” Workshop for Parent
Coordinators
Topic
Presentation Content
Presentation Delivery
Presentation Materials
Requests for additional
information or services
Rating
Percent of
participants
who responded
Number (of 42)
Very Helpful
Somewhat Helpful
Not Helpful
Very Helpful
Somewhat Helpful
Not Helpful
Very Helpful
Somewhat Helpful
Not Helpful
Yes
86%
14%
0%
93%
7%
0%
93%
7%
0%
55%
36
6
0
39
3
0
39
3
0
23
No
45%
19
A content analysis of the open-ended responses from the evaluation forms revealed that
respondents felt they had gained important insights from their participation in the
training. Specifically, parent coordinators said they valued the new understandings they
gained from the presentation on disproportionality in special education. Several noted
their appreciation for access to statistical data they did not have prior to the training, and
recommended that a similar training be offered to principals and other school staff.
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Respondents indicated that they gained an increased sense of the importance of parents in
the process of Special Education classification. In response to an evaluation prompt
asking for any recommendations for a future training, one parent coordinator wrote, “We
should have parents/PTA attend. Excellent!!”
Cheektowaga
Evaluators reviewed conference materials for this January 2007 workshop offered
in collaboration with the Technical Assistance Center on Disproportionality’s
Cheektowaga CSD Membership Team. The conference was entitled Self Assessing
Culturally Responsive Policies, Practices, Beliefs and was held at Cheektowaga High
School in Cheektowaga, NY. An assessment called “Equity in Special Education
Placement: A School Self-Assessment Guide for Culturally Responsive Practice” guided
the content of the workshop.
Agenda items detail ways in which culturally responsive practice was explored:
through general project updates (New York State NCLB reauthorization and
recommendations), presentation of research “What It Takes To Make a Student” (an
article by Paul Tough from The New York Times November 26, 2006) and project
updates specific to the Cheektowaga project. This section of the day-long session was
referential to an ongoing relationship between EAC and the district: it addressed updates
in Root Cause Results that had occurred since the previous June, and focused on
Superintendent Day Conference Feedback from the October 27, 2006 session. Thirdly,
the Cheektowaga Project Updates portion of the agenda addressed District Initiatives. A
two hour session entitled “Self-Assessing Culturally Responsive Policies, Practices, and
Belief Training” was the afternoon’s program.
Attendance sheets indicate twenty-three professionals representing Cheektowaga
Middle and High Schools, Erie BOCES, and Cheektowaga Central School District were
at the training. Despite the large number of attendees, only six evaluations were
completed, most of which did not have answers to the Likert-type items (though the
ratings were high). The open-ended responses yielded valuable insight, however. Every
person who filled out the Training Evaluation indicated new learning they acquired as a
result of the training. Comments included “wonderful discussion,” “NCLB is succeeding
and failing,” and “helpful to have information about many new things.” They also
indicated that new information and data are helpful to back up what work is being done,
and referenced articles they were looking forward to reading.
EAC also conducted a workshop on Equity and Student Engagement for
Cheektowaga’s Superintendent’s Day on March 30, 2007. A central question framed the
day: “when you think of your school (in its ideal form), what do you see and what do you
feel?” From this prompt came strategic planning sessions, discussion of evidence, sharing
the Top Ten Strategies for Teaching Black Boys, and processing the Rituals for Process
in terms of handling accountability. The workshop concluded with individual reflections
and an emphasis on next steps.
Albany
EAC, in collaboration with the NYU Technical Assistance Center on
Disproportionality, conducted Eastern Regional Team Training on Tuesday, March 6,
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Region II EAC Evaluation Report 2006-07
2007 at the Greater Capital Region Teacher Center in Castleton, NY. The day’s agenda
included sessions on Classroom Management and Self Assessing Culturally Responsive
Policies (NCCREST evaluation) guided by the document “Self-Assessing Culturally
Responsive Policies, Practices, and Belief Training.” Evaluators ascertained that nine
attendees completed Training Evaluation Forms, and eight of those gave the workshop’s
content an overall rating of “Very helpful.” All those who completed the evaluation form
gave high ratings to Presenter, Presenters’ Knowledge, Workshop structure, and
Workshop packet. Comments indicated that the NCCREST assessment tool is useful,
relevant, and applicable. Respondents remarked they looked forward to continued
training, follow-up conversations, and remaining in the research loop.
Hudson
EAC conducted Hudson City School District’s March 16th full day professional
development workshop. The morning was dedicated, according to the agenda, to
“Reaching out to African American and Latino Males.” The PowerPoint workshop was
intended to assist educators in acquiring a fuller view of how African American and
Latino young men experience school, home, and community. The second half of the day
was geared at “Effective Home/School Connection,” and aimed to provide participants
with lenses for understanding and fostering effective home/school connections.
Long Island Regional Planning Meeting on Disproportionality
EAC, in collaboration with the NYU Technical Assistance Center on
Disproportionality, facilitated this March 27, 2007 meeting for eight administrators at the
Western Suffolk BOCES facility in Dix Hills, NY. Agenda items indicate a review of the
research on Creating Inclusive and Culturally Responsive Classrooms, beginning with an
activity adapted from Diversity Resource Collaborative material. Following this
introduction was a PowerPoint featuring strategies, tools, and resources around this issue.
In reviewing materials from this meeting, evaluators also saw packets of information
Metro Center had developed that were geared at creating culturally responsive and
inclusive classrooms, and distributed two related articles as part of the review of the
research.
Each conference attendee completed an evaluation form and indicated that both
the workshop content and activities and its delivery and structure were either very or
somewhat helpful and/or accessible. Comments indicated the importance of considering
parental involvement, the different levels of conversation that are possible around the
topic of disproportionality, and the challenge of practical and relevant implementation of
ideas.
On May 3, 2007, EAC held another training session at the Western Suffolk
BOCES administration building. The PowerPoint module presented in this workshop was
entitled “Self-Assessing Culturally Responsive Policies, Practices, and Beliefs” and
focused on creating positive school culture and climate through self-assessments and
surveys. Evaluators noted that evidence worksheets were developed for school
governance and organization, curriculum, family involvement, behavior management,
achievement and assessment, teaching and learning, pre-referral procedures, and
assessment and intervention. Literature at the conference included “Equity in Special
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Region II EAC Evaluation Report 2006-07
Education Placement: A School Self-Assessment Guide for Culturally Responsive
Practice (November, 2005, Version 1) as well as pertinent articles by scholars in the field.
Sign in sheets and completed evaluations indicate that there were ten conference
attendees, each of whom regarded the content and the presentation as “very helpful” and
“very useable.” Comments point to the importance of conversations around cultural
stereotypes and the benefit of being able to focus on the specific implications for one’s
own district.
NYS Council of School Superintendents
On May 18, 2007, EAC representatives conducted a workshop for the NYS
Council of School Superintendents entitled “Understanding Racial/Ethnic
Disproportionality.” The workshop had four objectives: 1) outlining a common
definition of disproportionality; 2) understanding national and state performance trends;
3) outlining a mechanism of interpreting district data summary reports; and 4) comparing
disproportionality data district achievement data. The workshop was interactive and also
featured a section that asked participants to engage in a discussion of how race and
culture are relevant to the larger discussion of disproportionality, and what practices and
policies must be in place to address what students need.
In terms of technical assistance, the EAC workshop also provided school leaders
with specific tools to understand disproportionality issues in their districts. EAC
representatives gave participants a Racial/Ethnic Disproportionality in Special Education:
Data Analysis Training Manual. This manual served as an important tool for participants
to gain a sense of the disproportionality issues their schools or districts may be facing.
Information in the manual included a brief overview of disproportionality, the school and
district data required to calculate rates of disproportionality, and how to analyze and
interpret the data after collection.
Response to Intervention (RTI) Conference
On November 17, 2006, an EAC project associate chaired a panel discussion
entitled “The Relevance of Race and Culture in Implementing RTI.” This panel
discussion was one of three Breakout Sessions of the larger conference Response to
Intervention: What, Why, and How Valid Is It? The conference was sponsored by New
York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development and
the Department of Teaching and Learning.
The EAC-led panel discussion sought to accomplish several things: 1) provide
participants with an understanding of the potential benefits of RTI; 2) discuss the sociocultural context of districts and schools that allow RTI to be effective; 3) provide an
overview of disproportionality—its definition, how it is measured, national and NYS
trends in disproportionality, contributing factors to disproportionality; and 4) engage in a
dialog about the cultural considerations in an RTI Model. The panel discussion
concluded with an interactive discussion of how to implement RTI using a case study of a
New York City school district engaging disproportionality.
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Delaware Valley
On December 5, 2006 and January 17, 2007, a Region II EAC representative
conducted two interactive workshops for the Delaware Valley Minority Student
Achievement Consortium. Under the title “Addressing the Disproportionate
Representation of Our Students of Color in Special Education,” EAC presented a twomodule workshop series aimed to have participants develop practical strategies for
actively reducing the disproportionate representation of Black and Latino students in
special education and in lower tracks within Delaware Valley school districts.
Through a review of conference materials, evaluators determined that the two
workshops had separate goals. The December 5th presentation, Module A: Understanding
Disproportionality, had the expressed goal of outlining a common definition of
disproportionality and identifying overrepresented racial/ethnic groups. In order to
achieve this goal, participants connected achievement patterns to disproportionality rates,
and tabulated and interpreted district disproportionality data to compare it with
achievement data for the district. The workshop concluded with participants outlining
the in-school factors that may influence disproportionality rates.
The January 17th workshop, Module B: Analyzing Policy, Practice, and Belief
Data, sought to have participants analyze and identify the policies, practices, and beliefs
implicated in disproportionality rates. Workshop participants used disproportionality
data introduced in Module A to aid in a larger discussion of the policies, practices and
beliefs that may contribute to disproportionality. Participants also examined district
census data, mapping this data to school enrollment patterns by race/ethnicity. The
workshop ended with participants hypothesizing the policies, practices and beliefs
involved in disproportionality rates, and considering a plan to address these issues in their
districts.
Conclusions for Performance Measure 1b
As documented above, the Region II EAC disseminated information on equity
issues to a wide array of clients throughout Region II using a variety of methods,
including fact sheets, conferences, workshops, and training sessions. Accordingly, the
Region II EAC easily met performance measure 1b in 2006 -2007.
Recommendations for Project Objective 1
The evaluation of EAC’s second year of work yielded several recommendations
that address its efforts to continue its work with state education departments, school
districts, and schools in linking federal education funding to accountability for results.
The evaluators ask that EAC carefully consider the following recommendations:
•
Conduct a number of interviews to elicit reactions to the Equity School
Improvement Toolkit. Evaluate applicability of questions, and revisit original survey
items to ensure that the targeted survey is as representative as possible
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Region II EAC Evaluation Report 2006-07
•
Infuse future goals of equity gap analysis work with specific means by which to
measure and evaluate changes in policy and practices
•
Consider widening research to identify best practices in districts without
partnership relationships with teacher education schools and conduct follow-up studies
with teachers trained in this partnership school
•
EAC should set and meet publication and dissemination deadlines for their fact
sheet and other equity materials
•
Consider establishing protocol to ensure EAC collects follow-up data from
districts and/or schools, and uses data to inform ongoing project work
•
EAC evaluation processes could include specific reflections from project leads
PROJECT OBJECTIVE 2: USE OF SCIENTIFICALLYBASED METHODS FOR FEDERAL EDUCATION
PROGRAMS
Description of Objective
During the 2006-07 project year, the Region II EAC worked with a diverse set of
customers on a variety of initiatives designed to help them increase their awareness and
use of scientifically-based research in key initiative areas to improve their equity policies
and practices. The scientifically-based research practices being shared with districts and
schools included information on race, gender, and national origin equity. The targeted
customers and specific types of research assistance are described below
Table 5
Targeted Customers and Types of Activities for Project Objective 2 Performance
Measures
Performance
Measure
2a.
Targeted
Customer
Region II
Activity
Purpose
Provide information on
scientifically-based
practices for districts
and schools via the EAC
website
To help school
districts and
schools use
research to
effectively address
equity issues
Evaluation Methods:
To evaluate performance measures 2a, the evaluators inspected products and
materials used in the continual update of the website in order to document and assess the
implementation and quality of the proposed activity.
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Findings
2a.
Development of the EAC Website
Through an interview with the Region II EAC Director and a review of website
materials, the evaluators determined that the official EAC website has undergone a series
of updates, improving on the previous year’s efforts. In March 2007, EAC staff
conducted an overall review of the website content, adding information to the section
“Who We Are” and updating staff bios. In April 2007, EAC staff spent time reviewing
the websites of other EACs in an effort to determine what additional resources the Region
II EAC website may need. Extensive revisions to EAC website content happened in the
months of May and June 2007. During this time, EAC staff took several steps, including:
revising and editing “Gender Equity,” “National Origin Equity,” and “Race Equity”
pages; updating the “Resources” section, including links to other websites; creating PDF
versions of its documents to aid in usability; and edited non-functioning links to other
web pages. Evaluators learned that EAC staff also publicized its updated website at the
National EAC meeting.
An evaluation of the website content supports the assertion that EAC continues to
provide districts and schools information on research-based practices around critical
equity issues. EAC’s overviews on issues of gender, national origin, and race equity are
informed and provide many additional resources for readers. Specifically, the web pages
provide information on core equity terms, English Language Learners (ELLs) and issues
of equity, explanations of federal mandates that impact equity issues, an explanation of
factors implicated in the achievement gap, as well as other critical issues pertaining to
equity and access in education.
For performance measure 2a, the evaluators were able to establish baseline data
pertaining to the number of users who accessed the EAC website over approximately one
year. In an interview with the Region II EAC Director, evaluators learned that the EAC
website’s counter function indicates that approximately 4,000 users have accessed the site
since its inception. Evaluators then compared this figure to the number of users at the
time of the previous year’s evaluation when the counter function reflected 1,273 site
visitors. This increase far surpassed the performance measure target of 10%, with the
increase in website hits reaching 314%.
Recommendations for Project Objective 2
The evaluation of EAC’s work leads to recommendations that address its efforts
to encourage districts and schools to use scientifically-based methods within their federal
education programs. The evaluators ask that EAC carefully consider the following
recommendation.
•
As suggested last year, EAC would benefit from establishing an accurate counter
on their website. Further, EAC should consider the evaluators’ prior suggestion to
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create a brief questionnaire/feedback form that would provide information about who is
accessing their website and for what purpose.
PROJECT OBJECTIVE 3: PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT TO IMPROVE TEACHER AND
PRINCIPAL QUALITY
Description of Project Objective
During the 2006-07 project year, the Region II EAC worked with a diverse set of
customers on several professional development initiatives designed to help them improve
teacher and principal quality. The professional conferences offered to districts and
schools focused on how to prepare teachers with the knowledge and skills to provide
equitable and culturally relevant instruction to students. The professional development
sessions also focused on larger issues of equity. The targeted customers and specific
types of professional development activities are described in below.
Table 6
Targeted Customers and Types of Activities for the Performance Measures of Project
Objective 3
Performance
Measure
3a.
3b.
Targeted
Customer
At least 100
staff members
of school
districts in the
NYC
metropolitan
area
At least 100
participants
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Activity
Purpose
Provide an annual
professional
development
conference on equity
issues.
To prepare teachers
and principals with
the knowledge and
skills to provide
equitable and
culturally relevant
instruction.
To help prepare
teachers and
principals with the
knowledge and skills
to provide equitable
and culturally
relevant instruction to
students in charter
schools.
Provide a
professional
development
symposium on
equity for charter
schools.
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Region II EAC Evaluation Report 2006-07
Evaluation Methods
The evaluators reviewed workshop agendas, attendance sheets and evaluation
forms, and inspected products and materials used in professional development sessions in
order to document and assess the implementation and quality of the proposed activities.
Findings
3a.
Annual Professional Development Conferences on Equity Issues
Summer Conference
On July 17 and 18, 2006, The Metropolitan Center for Urban Education (Metro
Center) presented “The Metropolitan Center for Urban Education Second Annual
Institute on Disproportionality.” The two-day annual conference, Gaining Tools for
Addressing Racial/Ethnic Disproportionality in Special Education and Discipline, was
held at the Kimmel Center for University Life at New York University, and was cosponsored by the Region II EAC and the Technical Assistance Center on
Disproportionality (formerly Chapter 405).
Two evaluators attended the conference and determined, based on their review of
sign-in sheets, that approximately 225 people attended the two-day conference, far
exceeding the target of 100 for performance measure 3a. The goal of the conference was
to provide participants with strategies and techniques to be used at the district, school and
classroom level to improve educational opportunities for students with learning
disabilities as well as students of color, low-income students and other underserved
populations. Evaluation of the conference agenda, workshop presentations and materials,
and participant feedback support the assertion that EAC has provided schools and
districts in Region II with valuable information that will aid in their efforts to promote
equity.
Among the participants at the conference were practitioners, researchers, and
technical assistance providers. The diversity of participants speaks to the conference’s
wide appeal and breadth of potential application. Workshops on the first day of the twoday event were divided into three strands: Policy, Practice, and Research. For the policy
strand, presenters addressed several issues including New York State’s Performance Plan
and how schools address issues of disproportionality at their schools; State Policy and
Disproportionality; Response to Intervention and its impact on identifying Students for
Special Education Services; Organizational and Instructional Practices that Address the
Needs of English Language Learners; and Special Education from the Students’
Perspective.
In terms of the Practice Strand, several workshops were offered. Workshop
facilitators presented on topics such as Differentiated Instruction, Creating Culturally
Inclusive Classrooms, Developing an Appropriate and Equitable Referral Process, and
Strategies for Effective Collaboration between Parents and Professionals.
The final strand, which addressed research, explored several important issues.
Improving the Educational Futures of Latino Students, Understanding the Learning
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Region II EAC Evaluation Report 2006-07
Needs of Children of Immigrants, Educating African American Males, and a Historical
Look at IDEA, were among the topics that participants considered at the conference.
The second day of the conference was designed as a planning day for districts and
personnel working on existing projects with the Metro Center. The day was divided into
three sets of activities: research on disproportionality root cause; connecting
race/ethnicity, language and culture to systems; and selecting solutions and developing a
service plan.
Table 7
Attendee Feedback on the Two-Day Conference “Gaining Tools for Addressing
Racial/Ethnic Disproportionality in Special Education and Discipline”
Topic
Information presented during
workshop
Activities/Examples used to
highlight information
Strategies offered during
workshop
Presenters
Presenters’ knowledge of subject
matter
Workshop structure
Workshop packet of materials
Rating
Very helpful
Somewhat helpful
Not helpful at all
Not applicable
Very helpful
Somewhat helpful
Not helpful at all
Not applicable
Very helpful
Somewhat helpful
Not helpful at all
Not applicable
Very useful and/or accessible
Somewhat useful and/or
accessible
Not useful and/or accessible
Very useful and/or accessible
Somewhat useful and/or
accessible
Not useful and/or accessible
Very useful and/or accessible
Somewhat useful and/or
accessible
Not useful and/or accessible
Very useful and/or accessible
Somewhat useful and/or
accessible
Not useful and/or accessible
Percent of
Participants who
Responded
63%
30%
5%
3%
57%
30%
7%
3%
52%
33%
7%
4%
74%
20%
7%
78%
16%
2%
58%
33%
5%
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
The analysis of evaluation forms given to participants at the conference was
conducted by EAC, and revealed that attendees generally rated the workshops favorably.
The evaluation results reflect responses from 151 (67%) of the 225 attendees about
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workshop content, delivery and structure. The results, summarized in the table below,
indicate that between 85% and 93% of respondents rated the workshop content as either
“Very” or “Somewhat” helpful. In terms of workshops’ structure and delivery, between
91% and 94% said it was either “Very” or “Somewhat” useful and/or accessible.
A content analysis of the open-ended responses from the evaluation forms
revealed that respondents felt they gained important insights from their participation at
the conference. Specifically, respondents cited increased facility with the use of data to
understand issues of disproportionality, greater confidence in their ability to share
information with parents in their school communities, and a general appreciation for the
opportunity to network with others in the field.
Toward the objective of preparing teachers and principals with knowledge and
skills to provide equitable and culturally relevant instruction, several themes emerged.
One that seemed to resonate for multiple participants centered on work with students.
One respondent stated, “I had a general understanding of differentiated instruction, but
now appreciate more of the details of the ‘how to’ …this is exactly what I was hoping to
learn.” Another wrote, “Excellent presentation of the research behind culturally sensitive
teaching environments. Excellent resources.”
Evaluations also allowed participants to indicate what, if any, additional
information they would like to receive as a follow-up to the training. Respondents
offered many suggestions, among them a need for more examples of concrete activities
they could use in their classrooms to work with English Language Learners, examples of
lesson plans they could use for differentiated instruction, and teaching strategies around
culturally relevant teaching.
An interview with the Region II EAC Director revealed that plans for this year’s
conference (July 2007) feature more attendees, multiple keynote speakers, and more
structured planning time for participants.
Fall Conference
On November 1, 2006, the Region II Equity Assistance Center held a conference
entitled Creating School Climates That Support Diverse Learners. Two CRTL
evaluators attended the conference held at New York University’s Kimmel Center for
University Life, and through a review of sign-in sheets, determined that 61 people
attended the conference, falling short of the target of 100. Accordingly, performance
measure 3a was not met.
Nevertheless, evaluation of the conference agenda, workshop presentations and
materials, and participant feedback support the assertion that EAC has provided
information that will better equip teachers and principals with the knowledge and skills to
provide equitable and culturally relevant instruction. The focus of the conference—the
impact of school climate on the engagement and achievement of students—gave teachers,
school leaders, central-office staff, professional developers, and technical assistance
providers a way to examine the culture, values, safety practices and organizational
structures within their individual schools.
The day began with a dynamic keynote address that challenged the participants to
revisit their understandings around the ideas of community and school climate, and the
ways that all members of a school environment can become leaders in “…creating
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learning environments where students feel special, safe, cared about, valued and loved.”
The keynote address also included several interactive activities that invited participants to
work in groups and share understandings. A particularly engaging exercise involved
attendees filling out a response sheet entitled “The Walk I Took Yesterday at My
School.” During this exercise, the keynote speaker asked participants questions about
what they noticed as they walked to the site of their school, how they greeted those in
their school environment, what the physical setting of their school looked like (walls,
hallways, etc.), what they smelled, and what they heard as they went about their day in
their respective schools. Based on conversations heard by the evaluators as they
canvassed the room, participants seemed to thoroughly enjoy the activity.
The conference was divided into two sections, both featuring plenary and
workshop sessions. In Plenary Session A, participants looked at student isolation and the
role of social networks, and also considered the various dimensions of academic
engagement. In Plenary Session B, attendees addressed issues of culturally responsive
staff, and designing school environments that contribute to academic success. After each
plenary session, participants engaged in a planning workshop that allowed for further
exploration of the ideas around school climate offered in their larger group sessions.
These workshops were designed to be interactive, drawing upon constructivist and adult
learning theory and practice. The sessions were formatted to allow participants to build
on the ideas presented by the panel speakers during the plenary sessions, developing
fuller understandings of the problems their schools faced in engaging diverse learners, the
causes of these problems, and possible strategies for improving school climate.
An analysis of the responses from the evaluation forms disseminated among
participants provided further evidence that the conference was beneficial to those who
attended. Ninety-one (91) percent of respondents rated the Workshop Content and
Activities “Very” helpful, and the remaining 9% of respondents indicated that they were
“Somewhat” helpful.
A content analysis of the open-ended responses from the evaluation forms
revealed that respondents felt they had gained important insights from their participation
in the conference. Toward the objective of improving teachers’ and principals’ practice,
several themes emerged. Most noteworthy were the comments participants made
regarding the understandings they gained and hoped to share with members of their larger
school communities. One participant wrote, “The information will help us with the
issues of school climate and leadership and vision.” Another added, “Wow! The
knowledge and statistics were great. We will be able to bring many ideas and thoughts
back to our staff.” Among the topics respondents found useful were information on
model schools in the U.S., a deeper understanding of achievement gap issues, and
knowledge of how to use the resources of communities that surround schools.
Further indication that EAC’s conference filled an important need in terms of
professional development was seen in the responses participants gave when asked what
additional information they would like to receive as a result of the conference.
Participants requested copies of presentations, and other data and resources that were
shared at the conference, and also asked to be invited to participate in future events.
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3b.
Charter School Symposium
The Region II EAC, in partnership with the New York City Center for Charter
School Excellence and the New Jersey Charter School Resource Center, organized a
conference entitled Reaching Every Child: The Promise of Our Schools. This conference
had the expressed goal of focusing on equity issues surrounding race, gender, and
national origin for students who attend charter and empowerment schools. The
conference will address several topics, including: closing the achievement gap, best
practices for ELL student, response to intervention, and best practices for students with
special needs.
The conference was intended to take place on June 9, 2007 at the Bronx Charter
School for the Arts. Through an interview with the Region II EAC Director, evaluators
determined that the conference had to be postponed due to low enrollment. There were
about 20 registered participants prior to the scheduled conference date, and 10 additional
individuals who expressed interest in registering for the conference once the enrollment
period had ended. EAC has indicated its intent to hold the conference in fall 2007, and to
conduct additional outreach to ensure that any individuals with an interest in promoting
equity in charter schools are able to attend. Accordingly, performance measure 3b was
not met for 2006 – 2007.
Recommendations for Project Objective 3
The evaluation of EAC’s work yielded recommendations that address its efforts to
improve teacher and principal quality. The evaluators ask that EAC carefully consider
the following recommendation:
•
Low number of participants at EAC’s fall conference and the postponement of the
Charter School Symposium necessitate attention. EAC should devote additional
attention to outreach and to assessing the needs and interests of targeted customers.
PROJECT OBJECTIVE 4: Work with school districts to
eliminate ability grouping or tracking that isolates students
based upon race, sex, or national origin.
Description of the Objective
During the 2006-07 project year, the Region II EAC worked with New York City
Department of Education (NYCDOE) Region III to develop strategies to prevent the
overrepresentation or misclassification of minority and ELL students in special
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Region II EAC Evaluation Report 2006-07
education. The targeted customers and the trainings to facilitate the development of these
equity strategies are described below:
Table 8
Targeted Customers and Types of Activities for the Performance Measures of Project
Objective 4
Performance
Measure
Targeted
Customer
Activity
Purpose
To help school
districts develop
strategies to prevent
the
overrepresentation or
misclassification of
minority and ELL
students in special
education
To reduce
disproportionality in
special education
4a.
Region III
Provide school
districts with training
on disproportionality
in special education
4b.
Region III
Help change policies
and practices related
to disproportionality
in special education
Evaluation Methods
The evaluators reviewed project staff logs, workshop agendas, attendance sheets
and inspected products and materials used in training sessions in order to document and
assess the implementation and quality of the proposed activities.
Findings
4a.
Trainings on Disproportionality
Region III
This year, EAC continued its Technical Assistance efforts and focused on District
28 in NYCDOE Region III. Evaluators are able to frame their understanding of the
activity and efficacy of EAC’s Technical Assistance Intervention for Region III’s
Disproportionality Project through access to a timeline of activities/actions, next steps,
and Technical Assistance goals. By comparing the timeline to the workshops and
intervention measures, the evaluation team is able to deduce how and to what degree
goals were set, maintained, and achieved.
The early goals of the timeline (fall and winter of 2006), called Phase I on the
document, indicate an intent to prioritize Region 3 disproportionality issues. This phase
was to be carried out by analysis of District 28 special education data, follow-up
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meetings, and the selection of pilot schools for the intervention project. Phase II (spring
2007) was devoted to capacity-building of the schools to address disproportionality issues
through training modules. Phase III, in operation over the summer of 2007, is to develop
a 2007-2008 work and service delivery plan. The scope of the work was broken into six
modules, A- F.
Documents to which the evaluators had access indicate that in March 2007, EAC
conducted Module A “Understanding Disproportionality and District Data Summary.”
The training devoted time to understanding the term and implications of
“disproportionality,” examining national and state trends in the arena of
disproportionality and achievement, reviewing region, school, and district data, and
setting assignments and goals for upcoming modules. Twenty-one respondents to an
evaluation form for Module A indicate that overall, participants found workshop content,
activities, delivery, and structure to be very helpful and/or very accessible. Only twelve
participants addressed the survey item that asked if they “feel you can turnkey this
model;” but 11 of those twelve responded in the affirmative. The open-ended question
about points of new learning centered on collection and use of data and understandings of
assessment procedures. Not all respondents answered this item.
Table 9
Attendee Feedback on the “Understanding Disproportionality and District Data
Summary” Training
Topic
Rating
Percent of
participants
who responded
Number (of 21)
Workshop Content and Activities
Defining
Disproportionality?
National Trends of
Disproportionality and
Achievement
Overview and
Understanding District
and School Data
Summary Report
Very Helpful
Somewhat Helpful
Not helpful at all
Did not attend
Very Helpful
Somewhat Helpful
Not helpful at all
Did not attend
Very Helpful
Somewhat Helpful
Not helpful at all
Did not attend
66.7%
33.3%
0%
0%
71%
29%
0%
0%
76%
24%
0%
0%
14
7
0
0
15
6
0
0
16
5
0
0
(Continued on next page)
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Region II EAC Evaluation Report 2006-07
Topic
Presenters
Presenters’ knowledge
of subject matter
Workshop structure
Workshop packet of
materials
Homework
Assignment*
Rating
Percent of
participants
who responded
Workshop Delivery and Structure
Very useful and/or
71%
accessible
Somewhat useful and/or 29%
accessible
Not useful and/or
0%
accessible
Very useful and/or
86%
accessible
Somewhat useful and/or 14%
accessible
Not useful and/or
0%
accessible
Very useful and/or
71%
accessible
Somewhat useful and/or 14%
accessible
Not useful and/or
0%
accessible
Very useful and/or
81%
accessible
Somewhat useful and/or 19%
accessible
Not useful and/or
0%
accessible
Very useful and/or
62%
accessible
Somewhat useful and/or 24%
accessible
Not useful and/or
0%
accessible
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Number (of 21)
15
6
0
18
3
0
15
3
0
17
4
0
13
5
0
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Region II EAC Evaluation Report 2006-07
EAC presented modules B and C the next month with an intent of crystallizing the
ways that districts’ policies, practices, and beliefs affect placement. This all-day
workshop was devoted to Data Examination and Application. A PowerPoint presentation
listed the day’s objectives: to examine a “Data Book” comprised of District 28 data; to
define and analyze the policies, practices, and beliefs imbedded in the classification
system to referral process; and to practice using Data Disproportionality Repository
(DDR). These three goals evidenced themselves in small-group and whole-group
activities and conversations. A major emphasis was on critical thinking throughout the
classification process—from referral to placement—and ensuring that at each step,
careful, thoughtful and data-based thinking is conducted. Another point of attention was
the importance of an evidence-based, or data-driven, sequence of thought and action.
Every agenda item was explicated in handouts and documents that facilitated attendees’
analysis.
Table 10
Attendee Feedback on the Module B and C Data Examination and Application Workshop
Topic
Rating
Percent of
participants
who responded
Number (of 13)
Workshop Content and Activities
Mapping Early
Intervention to
Classification
Very Helpful
61.5%
Somewhat Helpful
38.4%
Not helpful at all
0%
Did not attend
0%
Workshop Content and Activities
8
5
0
0
Community Context
Data
Very Helpful
Somewhat Helpful
Not helpful at all
Did not attend
8
5
0
0
61.5%
38.4%
0%
0%
(Continued on next page)
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Region II EAC Evaluation Report 2006-07
Topic
Policy, Practice, and
Belief Rubric
Using the DDR
Presenters
Presenters’ knowledge
of subject matter
Workshop structure
Workshop packet of
materials
Homework
Assignment*
Rating
Percent of
participants
who responded
Very Helpful
69.2%
Somewhat Helpful
30.7%
Not helpful at all
0%
Did not attend
0%
Very Helpful
69.2%
Somewhat Helpful
15.3%
Not helpful at all
6.6%
Did not attend
0%
Workshop Delivery and Structure
Very useful and/or
84.6%
accessible
Somewhat useful and/or 0%
accessible
Not useful and/or
0%
accessible
Very useful and/or
100%
accessible
Somewhat useful and/or 0%
accessible
Not useful and/or
0%
accessible
Very useful and/or
84.6%
accessible
Somewhat useful and/or 15.4%
accessible
Not useful and/or
0%
accessible
Very useful and/or
100%
accessible
Somewhat useful and/or 0%
accessible
Not useful and/or
0%
accessible
Very useful and/or
76.9%
accessible
Somewhat useful and/or 15.4%
accessible
Not useful and/or
0%
accessible
Number (of 13)
9
4
0
0
9
2
1
0
11
0
0
13
0
0
11
2
0
13
0
0
10
2
0
In May, Module D was presented in another day-long workshop. Sign-in sheets
show that there were thirteen attendees for the Getting to Root Cause session, though
there are 14 evaluations. Training objectives for this day were listed on a PowerPoint as:
to analyze additional policy, practice, and belief related data; to hypothesize and define
policy, practice and belief root causes of disproportionality; to understand the research
surrounding root causes. Again, a focus on evidence underscored the complexity of
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Region II EAC Evaluation Report 2006-07
referral and classification. In addition to its own documents, EAC used training materials
from the Peabody College of Vanderbilt University’s The Iris Center for Training
Enhancements which offered information on accommodations, behaviors, differentiated
instruction, collaboration, among other relevant topics. Comments on the evaluation form
for this session included “my mind has been opened,” and many expressed appreciation
for the disabilities/difficulties distinction.
Table 11
Attendee Feedback on the Module D “Getting to Know the Root Cause” Workshop
Topic
Rating
Percent of
participants
who responded
Number (of 14)
Workshop Content and Activities
Analyze additional
policy, practice, and
belief data
Hypothesize and define
policy, practice and
belief root causes of
disproportionality
Use research
surrounding root causes
Presenters
Presenters’ knowledge
of subject matter
Workshop structure
Very Helpful
93%
Somewhat Helpful
7%
Not helpful at all
0%
Did not attend
0%
Very Helpful
86%
Somewhat Helpful
14%
Not helpful at all
0%
Did not attend
0%
Very Helpful
79%
Somewhat Helpful
21%
Not helpful at all
0%
Did not attend
0%
Workshop Delivery and Structure
Very useful and/or
100%
accessible
Somewhat useful and/or 0%
accessible
Not useful and/or
0%
accessible
Very useful and/or
100%
accessible
Somewhat useful and/or 0%
accessible
Not useful and/or
0%
accessible
Very useful and/or
100%
accessible
Somewhat useful and/or 0%
accessible
Not useful and/or
0%
accessible
13
1
0
0
12
2
0
0
11
3
0
0
14
0
0
14
0
0
14
0
0
(Continued on next page)
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Region II EAC Evaluation Report 2006-07
Topic
Workshop packet of
materials
Homework Assignment
Rating
Very useful and/or
accessible
Somewhat useful and/or
accessible
Not useful and/or
accessible
Very useful and/or
accessible
Somewhat useful and/or
accessible
Not useful and/or
accessible
Percent of
participants
who responded
Number (of 14)
93%
13
7%
1
0%
0
100%
14
0%
0
0%
0
Modules E and F—“Prioritizing Root Cause/Selecting Solutions and Developing
a Service Plan” were presented together on one day-long session, in June. According to
the PowerPoint that guided this session, the goals were: to define the research
surrounding root causes; to develop deeper understanding of root causes; to connect race,
ethnicity, language, and culture to education system; to define solutions of root causes.
This workshop emphasized readings that had previously been assigned for homework
which had focused on the research on disproportionality root causes as well as the
definitional and usage-based intersections between and among race/ethnicity, culture, and
language. The workshop also addressed the relevance of culture in education, culturally
responsive environments, and how to put into these theories into practice. Developing a
service plan was the culminating effort of these modules.
The evidence shows that the Region II EAC met its target of providing six
training sessions on disproportionality in special education for Region 3 (District 28) in
2006 – 2007.
4b.
Changes in Policies and Practices Related to Disproportionality
Region II EAC’s extensive training and professional development in District 28
is providing school administrators and educators with the knowledge, skills, and
dispositions to effect change in policies and practices that will ameliorate
disproportionality. Change is a process and building the capacities for change are the
essential first steps. With continued EAC assistance, the district is poised for change.
The evaluation will assess the extent of the actualization of this potential for change in
the project’s third year.
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Recommendations for Project Objective 4
The evaluation of EAC’s work yielded several recommendations that address its
efforts to eliminate ability grouping or tracking. The evaluators ask that EAC carefully
consider the following recommendation:
• EAC might think about its role in impacting practice and policy around
disproportionality and how its work will translate into actually reducing racial/ethnic
overrepresentation in special education. EAC’s current accomplishments provide
districts with important skills and tools toward that end. Direct assistance with the
formulation of polices and practices are logical next steps.
SUMMARY & CONCLUSIONS
The evaluation found that, during the 2006-07 project year, the Region II EAC
fully met two of its project objectives and made progress on the other two. Given
the project’s broad scope of proposed activities and performance measures, this is
a substantial record of accomplishment for the project’s second year. A detailed
analysis of the project’s performance measures showed that the Region II EAC
worked with a diverse set of customers on a variety of initiatives designed to help
them develop, implement or improve their equity policies and practices. The
activities included assisting customers with the development of products and the
implementation of processes designed to address their individual needs and
contexts. The following is a summary of findings with respect to the extent to
which EAC attained its proposed objectives for the 2006-07 project year.
•
The Region II EAC was successful in its goal to help state education departments,
school districts, and schools to link federal education funding to accountability for
results. Specifically, EAC met its goal targeting and helping five districts, which
include Ithaca, Scarsdale, Newburgh, Ithaca again, and East Ramapo, to
implement, or improve their policies and practices ensuring that students of
different race, sex, and national origin have equitable opportunity for high-quality
instruction. While EAC has not yet created and disseminated an ELL best
practices publication, it has identified and conducted research at Port Chester’s
Edison Elementary School. Research was focused on the school’s partnership
with Manhattanville College and on capturing its model for Professional
Development of teachers from pre-service thru induction to in-service to ensure
continuous professional growth, with a focus on minority youths and English
Language Learners.
•
The Region II EAC made substantial progress toward its goal of encouraging
districts and schools to use scientifically-based methods for federal education
programs. Additional progress has been made with the website since last year.
Portions of the website have been revised and edited and updated to include
additional resources. EAC has begun to assess the degree of dissemination of
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Region II EAC Evaluation Report 2006-07
information on scientifically based practices through the installation of a website
counter. Since its inception approximately 4,000 users have accessed information
on the site. Further work will focus on improving the accuracy and quality of
results that counter provides.
•
The project needs to strengthen its efforts towards its goal of providing
professional development opportunities to Region II in an effort to improve
teacher and principal quality. This year EAC conducted professional development
conferences in the fall and summer. Although the summer conference had an
attendance of 221, exceeding its goal of 100, the fall conference fell short of the
goal attracting 61 attendees. In addition, a Charter School Symposium was
proposed, but postponed due to low enrollment. It is recommended that EAC
devotes additional attention to outreach and to assessing the needs and interests of
targeted customers.
•
The project made progress toward its goal of working with school districts to
eliminate ability grouping or tracking that isolates students based upon race, sex,
or national origin. The project’s efforts in this area were focused on the New
York City Department of Education’s Region III. Throughout the year, EAC held
a series of conferences addressing issues of disproportionality in the region. EAC
met its target of providing six training sessions on disproportionality on special
education for District 28 in Region III in 2006-2007. While EAC has provided
the district with important skills and tools towards reducing racial/ethnic
overrepresentation in special education, direct assistance with the formulation of
policies and practices are logical next steps.
The evaluation report offers a number of specific recommendations aimed at
extending the project’s second-year successes, many of which focus on the enhanced
collection and use of outcome data for project planning and reflection.
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