| Diverse Populations in Today's Schools |
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| School Profile and Action Plan |
| This School Profile and Action Plan is devised for my school, Summit Academy in Fort Worth, Texas. Summit Academy is a charter school in the Honors Academy district. I currently hold a probationary certificate and teach English I, III, and IV. In addition to my regular teaching duties, I am the campus 504 coordinator and sponsor of the school newsletter. This is my final semester of coursework towards initial teacher certification. Beginning in the 2006 - 2007 school year, I will be fully certified in 8th - 12th grade English Language Arts and Reading. |
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| BACKGROUND |
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| I have read and understood the UTA Academic Honesty clause as follows. "Academic dishonesty is a completely unacceptable mode of conduct and will not be tolerated in any form at The University at Arlington. All persons involved in academic dishonesty will be disciplined in accordance with University regulations and procedures. Discipline may include suspension or expulsion from the University. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person, taking an examination for another person, any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such acts." (Regents' Rules and Regulations, Part One, Chapter VI, Section 3, Subsection 3.2, Subdivision 3.22.) Further, I declare that the work being submitted for this assignment is my original work (e.g., not copied from another student or copied from another source) and has not been submitted for another class. "Signature": Kerri A. Beauchesne Date: March 24, 2006 |
| Academic Honesty Statement |
| NOTE: As a charter school, Summit Academy draws its student population from multiple surrounding communities, including Fort Worth, North Richland Hills, Hurst-Euless-Bedford, and Arlington. Since the majority of our students are from Fort Worth, I have chosen that community to compare with the school's demographics |
| Demographics: Ms. Mata's English II Class |
| Community Demographics: Fort Worth, Texas |
| Total Population: 585,122 White: 59.7% Hispanic or Latino: 29.8% Black or African-American: 20.3% Asian: 2.6% American Indian and Alaska Native: 0.6% Other: 14.0% Multiracial: 2.7% Foreign-born: 16.3% Language other than English 29.1% spoken at home: Below poverty level: 15.9% SOURCE: U.S. Census 2000 http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/48/4827000.html |
| Number of students in class: 12 Ethnicity/cultural background: White: 4 Hispanic: 4 Black: 4 Language background: Spanish spoken at home: 4 African language spoken at home: 1 Gender: Male: 9 Female: 3 Exceptionality: Special education: 3 Economically disadvantaged: 100% |
| Demographics: Summit Academy |
| Number of students enrolled: 210 Ethnicity/cultural background of students: White: 46% Hispanic: 28% Black: 21% Asian: 4% Ethnicity/cultural background of teachers: White: 52% Hispanic: 14% Black: 28% Asian: 6% Language background: Limited English Proficient: > 1% Gender: Male: 60% Female: 40% Exceptionality: Special education: 18% Economically disadvantaged: 40% SOURCE: GreatSchools.net, 2004 - 2005 (TEA) http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/tx/other/9226 |
| Special Programs at Summit Academy |
| Language programs: LEP instruction as needed (There are currently no qualified LEP students at Summit Academy.) Inclusion/Special Education models: - Resource classes with a certified special education teachers. - Inclusion content mastery in-class by qualified paraprofessionals. - Pacemaker books - alternative instruction modified to parallel instruction in the regular classroom. Relationship with the Excel Center of Millwood Hospital: Summit Academy shares a building and a working relationship with the Excel Center, which provides outpatient treatment to children and adolescents for a range of behavioral and emotional disorders and substance abuse. Summit employs two certified teachers and one paraprofessional who address the continuing educational needs of Excel patients. The teachers use either self-paced materials or work provided by the student's home school to keep them on-track while in treatment. Summit Academy's special education department serves qualified patients by performing transfer ARDs, keeping IEPs up-to-date, and making required modifications in students' daily work. Additionally, the paraprofessional attends the students' daily therapy sessions. SOURCE: Interview with Christy Finlay, special education paraprofessional. |
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| SIMILARITIES |
| DIFFERENCES |
| 1. Whites are the majority in both Summit Academy and the general population of the community (Fort Worth, Texas). 2. In all three populations (classroom, school, and community), about 1/3 speak a language other than English at home. 3. In all three populations, Asians are the smallest minority. |
| 1. Summit Academy has more black than Hispanic students; Fort Worth has a higher Hispanic population. 2. A higher proportion of Summit Academy students (about 40%) are economically disadvantaged, compared to about 16% in Fort Worth. 3. Summit Academy has virtually no students qualified as Limited English Proficient, despite the number of students who speak a language other than English at home. It stands to reason that, with nearly 30% of the population speaking another language in the home, Fort Worth will have a higher percentage of LEP than does Summit Academy. |
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| SOURCES: See demographic information, above. |
| MULTICULTURALISM AT SUMMIT ACADEMY |
| 5 ways that Summit IS multicultural: |
| 5 ways that Summit IS NOT multicultural: |
| 1. In the United States at large, approximately 90% of all teachers are white females (Bell, 2002, p. 236). At Summit Academy, however, the teachers look like the students - in other words, the teachers and staff have ethnic and cultural backgrounds in roughly the same proportions as the students. 2. All three administrators are minorities. This demonstrates the Honors Academy commitment to equal employment opportunity and also provides executive role models that our minority students can look up to every day. 3. The administration and faculty have intervened actively and successfully with racial tensions between groups of students. These interventions include frank discussions with the students. By recognizing rather than trivializing racial differences, the staff affirms to the students that their individual cultures are valid and important, while at the same time teaching the students how to respect each other (Bell, 2002, p. 241 - 2). 4. The administration and faculty recognize that black male students tend to have a higher suspension rate than other students (Milner, 2005, p. 394) and have taken steps to counteract this trend. Teachers strive to address disruptive behaviors in culturally responsive ways, such as building a personal rapport with the student, holding student-teacher and parent conferences, and establishing behavior contracts. These steps are intended to change behavior and prevent suspensions as much as possible. 5. The literature teachers strive to include cultural issues in the instruction and class discussions. They also try to incorporate some of the students' own cultural objects and experiences as part of the curriculum (Milner, 2005, p. 396). |
| 1. Literature classes are still largely traditional. Multicultural material is included sporadically at the whim of the teacher, rather than as a transformative aspect of the core curriculum. Most of the literature studied is from the recognized canon, which remains largely dominated by white males (Milner, 2005, p. 396). 2. Despite attempts to reduce the number of black males suspended, that population remains at the top of the list for suspensions. More needs to be done in order to address the underlying reasons for these students' behavior and the teachers' response to it (Milner, 2005, p. 394). 3. The faculty and staff have not been trained together on diversity and multiculturalism. As a result, we do not yet work as a team with the same understandings, goals, and methods. Attempts at multicultural education and culturally-sensitive behavior management are inconsistent among the staff (Milner, 2005, p. 391). 4. The faculty and staff often find themselves focusing on punishing nonconforming behavior (disruptive, uncooperative, disrespectful, etc.) rather than coming up with creative ways to address the underlying causes and actually try to change the behavior. 5. Despite the teachers' attempts to include multicultural dispositions and objects of study in the curriculum, the curriculum still does not qualify as transformational (in which multiculturalism is one of the organizing principles of the curriculum) and does not provide opportunities for students to do action-based projects (Milner, 2005, p. 415). |
| QUOTES TO REMEMBER: |
| ". . . we all have a racial identity, one that is shaped by socializing processes in a stratified society . . . we all have the ability to move to a self-affirming, race-cognizant identity from which to engage others as equals in the struggle for social equality" (Bell, 2002, p. 242). "'. . . both children of color and White children develop a "White bias" by the time they enter kindergarten' (Banks, 1995, p. 392). These biases and assumptions need to be problematized in order to help students develop more appropriate lenses for thinking about self, others, and society" (Milner, 2005, p. 392). |
| "Students of color need to encounter and experience a curriculum that highlights, showcases, and speaks from the point of view of the life experiences and contributions of people of color, women, and other marginalized groups, not just those of the White mainstream" (Milner, 2005, p. 392). "The transformative approach actually changes the core and the nature of the curriculum by infusing (not just by addition) multiple views and perspectives into the curriculum so that the curriculum is not only representative of one dominant view or way of experiencing and thinking about the world" (Milner, 2005, p. 396). |
| ACTION PLAN FOR SUMMIT ACADEMY |
| 1. Propose and organize a teacher in-service that addresses culturally-sensitive approaches to behavior management and coordinates a transformative multicultural curriculum, horizontally and vertically. By planning these approaches as a team, we will all be on the same page; we can be consistent in our approach and support each other in our efforts, rather than having one or two Lone Rangers trying to effect change (Milner, 2005, p. 391). 2. Develop a behavior intervention plan that seeks to reduce the number of suspensions for black male students by using alternative methods to bring behavior in line with a productive classroom environment (Milner, 2005, p. 394). 3. Assemble a think-tank, composed of administrators, faculty, and staff, with student input as needed, to research the trend of anti-intellectualism among certain student populations. The think-tank will study available research and develop practical recommendations intended to help boost academic achievement for minorities and the economically disadvantaged. The think-tank should also examine the proportion of minorities and economically disadvantaged in special education and gifted/talented programs and brainstorm ways to address the disproportion (Milner, 2005, p. 394). 4. Establish a scope and sequence for the English department which incorporates a transformative multicultural curriculum (Milner, 2005, p. 398). Reading selections should include works from a culturally diverse array of authors; works which affirm and celebrate diverse cultures; works that tackle tough issues such as power, privilege, marginalization, and prejudice; and works from diverse points of view. Other transformative, multicultural issues should be explicitly stated in the scope and sequence. Additionally, a mission statement or statement of dispositions should be included in order to set forth the department's philosophy and goals for multicultural education. 5. Include at least one major action-based project each year (Milner, 2005, p. 415). One example might be research into needs that exist in the community. Students may discover, for example, that many immigrants in the community are unaware of free or low-cost services that are available to them. Students and faculty could organize a community event, perhaps sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, which is aimed at educating the public of the available services. Booths/information tables might include financial assistance, child care, legal services, naturalization and citizenship, English language classes, continuing education, job placement, and so forth. This project could help build a relationship between the students, school, community, and local business and government. It will also give the students a sense of accomplishing something real, practical, and helpful to the community. From a multicultural perspective, it can help students become familiar with cultures different from their own in a positive environment. |
| HOW THE ACTION PLAN RELATES TO THE TEKS (TEXAS ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS) |
| Section 110.41 of the TEKS states: (9) Reading/culture. The student reads widely, including world literature, to increase knowledge of his/her own culture, the culture of others, and the common elements across cultures. The student is expected to: (A) recognize distinctive and shared characteristics of cultures through reading; and (B) compare text events with his/her own and other readers' experiences. SOURCE: Texas Education Agency website http://www.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter110/ch110c.html This provision in the TEKS is consistent with a transformative multicultural approach and demonstrates the State of Texas' desire that students be educated about and through multiple, diverse perspectives. |
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| WEBSITES FOR THE MULTICULTURAL CLASSROOM |
| PBS TeacherSource: "Concepts Across the Curriculum: October 1998: The Multicultural Classroom." http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/thismonth/oct98/index2.shtm#older Levin, Vanessa. "Multicultural Classroom." http://www.pre-kpages.com/multicultural.html Annenberg Media: Learner.org. Teaching Multicultural Literature: A Workshop for the Middle Grades. "Workshop 7: Social Justice and Action." http://www.learner.org/channel/workshops/tml/workshop7/index.html |
| 1. Construct an interdisciplinary unit across English, foreign language, social studies, math, science, music, and other classes. Study could include cultural and scientific contributions of a wide variety of individuals during a particular time period, or different perspectives on an international event, or other issues that will broaden the students' cultural scope. (PBS TeacherSource) 2. Study myths, legends, and fairy tales of different cultures. Examine how each culture constructs its beliefs and traditions. Guest speakers can be included, as well as visual presentations from the students. (PBS TeacherSource) 3. Study customs and habits of different cultures, including gestures, speech habits, and other norms. Compare etiquette between cultures. (PBS TeacherSource) 4. Frequently take advantage of teachable moments to discuss similarities and differences between cultures (with an emphasis on the similarities). (Levin) 5. Have students research immigrant issues and write persuasive letters to the newspaper and other public forums in order to raise public awareness of these issues. |
| IDEAS I CAN USE |
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| HOW THIS PROJECT RELATES TO STATE AND NATIONAL STANDARDS FOR TEACHER EDUCATION |
| 8-12 TExES PPR Standards: |
| NCTE/NCATE Standards: |
| Competency 002: "The teacher understands student diversity and knows how to plan learning experiences and design assessments that are responsive to differences among students and that promote all students' learning." JUSTIFICATION: This project has helped me to examine my current curriculum and devise ways to move it toward a transformative multicultural curriculum which integrates culturally diverse instruction throughout. Such a curriculum is designed to engage all students in learning and broaden their cultural scope. Competency 005: "The teacher knows how to establish a classroom climate that fosters learning, equity, and excellence and uses this knowledge to create a physical and emotional environment that is safe and productive." JUSTIFICATION: By demonstrating sensitivity to students' diverse backgrounds and including readings from their own cultures, I will show each of my students that they are valued and appreciated. Also, learning about other cultural values will help students understand people different from themselves and train them to look at things from different perspectives. Competency 008: "The teacher provides appropriate instruction that actively engages students in the learning process." JUSTIFICATION: The social action approach advocated by Milner is designed to give students hands-on, multicultural experiences. By taking action in their community, students will be actively engaged in learning and making meaning. |
| 3.3.2 "Use a wide range of approaches for helping students to draw upon their past experiences, sociocultural backgrounds, interests, capabilities, and understandings to make meaning of texts." 3.5.2 Use "Works from a wide variety of genres and cultures, works by female authors, and works by authors of color." 4.1 "Understand the purposes and characteristics of different kinds of curricula and related teaching resources and select or create instructional materials that are consistent with what is currently known about student learning in ELA." 4.8 "Engage students in discovering their personal responses to texts and ways to connect such responses to other larger meanings and critical stances." JUSTIFICATION: See column, left. |
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| SOURCES |
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| Annenberg Media: Learner.org. Teaching Multicultural Literature: A Workshop for the Middle Grades. "Workshop 7: Social Justice and Action." http://www.learner.org/channel/workshops/tml/workshop7/index.html Bell, Lee Anne. (2002). Sincere Fictions: The Pedagogical Challenges of Preparing White Teachers for Multicultural Classrooms. Equity & Excellence in Education, 35(3): 236-244. http://continuum.uta.edu:2567/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&an=9708335 GreatSchools.net. "Excel Academy." http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/tx/other/9226 Levin, Vanessa. "Multicultural Classroom." http://www.pre-kpages.com/multicultural.html Milner, H. Richard. (2005). Developing a Multicultural Curriculum in a Predominantly White Teaching Context: Lessons From an African American Teacher in a Suburban English Classroom. Classroom Inquiry, Winter2005, Vol. 35 Issue 4, p. 391-427. http://continuum.uta.edu:2567/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&an=18785725 PBS TeacherSource: "Concepts Across the Curriculum: October 1998: The Multicultural Classroom." http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/thismonth/oct98/index2.shtm#older U.S. Census 2000. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/48/4827000.html |