Equity Skills

Dr. Kathryn McKenzieTexas A&M University

Outcomes

• At the end of this session you should– Understand the traps that keep us from being

equitable with all students– Understand the skills that can free us from

these traps– Have strategies to:

• Assess teacher equity consciousness• Assess teaching skills• Determine active cognitive engagement• Determine the “zone of self-efficacy”

– Know how to conduct “teaching and learning tours”

Obstacles to Success

• Individually, on post it notes, write down 4 or more obstacles you believe your teachers would say prevent them from being successful with ALL students. IMPORTANT!!! Put one obstacle per post it note.

Obstacles to Success

• As a group, allowing each person to share one obstacle before moving on, share your obstacles and then categorize them. Write the categories on chart tablets with marker and place the post its that exemplify that category below it.

• Choose a spokesperson.

Equity Traps and Equity Skills

AchievementEquity

Seeing only Deficits

Norming The

Negative

Erasing Race

and Culture

Rationalizingbad behavior

and unsuccessful

practices

Equity Consciousness

Federal Mandate

District Goal

Rationale

Traps

Goal

Seeing &Respecting

Race and Culture

Creating Transparency

Seeing Assets in

ALL students

Skills

Reflecting on behavior and

practices

Strategies

The Goal

Equitable and Excellent Schools

Teacher QualityProgrammatic

EquityAchievement

Equity

Skrla, McKenzie, Scheurich (2008,2009)

Focus of Our Work

Teacher Quality

Equity Consciousness + High Quality Teaching Skills

• Equity Consciousness• High-Quality Teaching Skills• Two things to look for in assessing equity

consciousness and high quality teaching: Active, Cognitive Engagement (ACE) and Zone of Self-Efficacy

Successful Teachers Have

Equity Consciousness

High Quality Teaching

Skills

Teacher in a Traditional School

Teacher

Skill

SkillSkill

Teacher in a Culturally Responsive High Achieving School

Teacher

Skill

Skill

Skill

SkillSkill

Skill

Skill

Equity Consciousness

Tenets of Equity Consciousness

Tenet One

A belief that all children (except only a small percentage with profound disabilities) are capable of high levels of academic success

Tenets of Equity Consciousness

Tenet Two

A belief that academic success is possible regardless of students’ race, class, gender, culture, or religion

(McKenzie, Skrla, Scheurich, 2006)

Tenets of Equity Consciousness

Tenet Three

A belief that the adults in schools are primarily responsible for seeing that all children reach success

(McKenzie, Skrla, Scheurich, 2006)

Tenets of Equity Consciousness

Tenet Four

An understanding that traditional school practices have resulted in inequity for individuals and groups of students and that these practices must change to ensure the success of all students

(McKenzie, Skrla, Scheurich, 2006)

One strategy for moving out of Equity Traps to Equity Skills is through awareness brought about through self-reflection, which then leads to changing practices. A change in practice often brings about a change in attitude.

The zone of self-efficacy is a strategy that helps educators change practices and then attitudes.

Strategies

• As a principal I never talked anyone into changing attitudes about students.

• I did change practices through strategies like the “zone of self-efficacy” that brought about a level of awareness that resulted in a change in practice.

Self-Reflection

Awareness

Change in Practice

Change in Attitudes

Activity

• Write down the characteristics of a student you think teachers would find easy to teach

• “I love to teach students who…”

Note: When working with teachers we have them write down

the names of the students in their classes they love to teach

• Write down the characteristics of the student that you think teachers would find difficult to teach

• “It is hard to teach students who…”

Note: For teachers we have them write down the names of the

students in their classes they find difficult or hard to teach.

• Draw a large circle on a piece of paper.

• Inside the circle write the characteristics of students who are easy to teach.

• Outside the circle write the characteristics of students that are hard to teach.

Note: For teachers we have them look at the students who are both easy and hard to teach and look for common characteristics, including gender, race, learning style, etc.

Efficacy

• capacity or power to produce a desired effect

Self Efficacy

• Belief one has that she has the capacity or power to produce a desired effect

Classroom Zone of Self-Efficacy

Zone of Self-Efficacy

cv

School Zone of Self Efficacy

c

c

District Zone of Self Efficacy

High Quality Teaching Skills

High Quality Teaching Skills1. Putting in place consistent and reliable classroom procedures and routines

2. Clearly communicating classroom expectations for learning3. Challenging students with high-level and complex tasks, a rigorous

curriculum4. Engaging all students, all the time, in learning activities that are active

instead of passive5. Extending student learning through teacher-to-student and student-to-

student discussions6. Frequently assessing individual student learning7. Differentiating instruction to meet individual student needs and capitalize

on individual assets8. Embedding cultural connections in instructions9. Demonstrating respect and care in all interactions with all students and

their families

(McKenzie, Skrla, Scheurich, 2006)

Active Cognitive Engagement -ACE• Active Cognitive Engagement

• Define together

Teaching and Learning Tour

• What is it?– A professional development strategy– A strategy focused on

• continual improvement• reflective practice• collaboration

Teaching and Learning Tours• Focus: Active Cognitive Engagement; Zone of Self-Efficacy

• Reminder: This is NOT about the person being observed. It IS about using your colleague’s classroom as a lab for you to engage in reflective practice—that is thinking about your practice.

• If this was your classroom, what would you be proud of? What is positive in this classroom?

• What is the objective being taught?

• Based on this objective, what is the percentage of children who are actively cognitively engaged?

• Are there any students out of the zone? If so, why do you think this is the case?

• If this was your classroom, what could you do to “ratchet up” the active cognitive engagement or ensure that all students are in the “zone”?

• ___________________________________________________________________________________

• Your observer will give you feedback on the strategies you want to try in classroom. • Which strategy or strategies do you want feedback on?

• Teacher name:___________________________________________

Copyrighted: Do not copy or distribute without written permission from the authors.

Skrla, McKenzie, & Scheurich (2009)

Let’s take a Tour

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfliX02MlZY

Example of Strategies to Increase Active Cognitive Engagement• Teacher guided small groups instead of teacher moving from individual student to

individual student• Use of white boards for student responses• Use of timer to move students through transitions and guide individual, small group,

and whole class responses• Assign cooperative jobs for small groups• Use instruction cards for centers• Utilize co-teachers for guiding groups• Individual student response cards (for example A, B, C, D or yes/no or

agree/disagree)• Use butcher paper in corners of room and have students respond on the paper• Use butcher paper on the floor and have students respond on the paper• Use sponge activities when waiting on restroom etc to maximize learning time• Games that require individual response, then small group, then whole class• Wait time• Think, Pair, Share• Flexible grouping by student need• Preteach• Use of timer or watch for teacher to check ACE and Zone• Keep it calm, neat and organized• Use of manipulative and graphic organizers

Handouts available at: see “other docs”http://directory.cehd.tamu.edu/view.epl?nid=kmckenzie