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OCR- Exit Slip

EXIT SLIP: OCR RESOLUTION AGREEMENT # 05-12-5001


March, 15, 2017
Causes for the disproportion
The responses for this question (n=26) covered a variety of issues; however, they can be
divided into 4 different areas: student, family, school, and society. These areas are presented in
order of importance. The bulk of the responses blamed problems at home for the
disproportionality of behavior referrals of African-American students in the school. The second
group of causes blamed the students social skills or needs. Less than 20% of teachers
acknowledged that the school and/or classroom practices might be part of the problem.
Family issues (46%):
-Abuse/stress at home (n=5)
-Socio-economic problems (n=5)
-Lack of stability at home (n=2)
-Homelessness (n=1)
-Fatherlessness (n=1)
Student-related issues (27%):
-Social expectations at home are different from those at school (n=4)
-Lack of social skills (n=2)
-High needs (n=1)
School-related issues (19%):
-Instructional choices/delivery (n=2)
-Lack of resources, such as social workers and health care (n=1)
-Curriculum not developmentally appropriate (n=1)
-Incorrect setting for students needs (n=1)
Societal related issues (8%):
-Generational poverty (n=1)
-Oppressive system (n=1)
Quotes:
The following two quotes illustrate the gist of the polarization of responses, one looking
into what is lacking in the teachers/school, the other looking into what is lacking in the students:
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There is a shocking amount of white fragility in this building wherein staff


become defensive and assumed they are being called racist rather than look at
how our actions fit into the larger narrative and what we can/should own, rather
than reflect. The problem is larger than us, but does excuse us of
responsibility.
Coming to school ill-prepared with how to learn, how to do school.

Causes of Racial Disproportion


Societal issues

School issues
Family issues

Student issues

Steps to eliminate disproportion


A total of 18 responses were collected for this question. The teachers geared their
suggestions toward themselves, the school as a whole, and their own classrooms. They also
suggested providing more support to their students families. Only two responses were centered
on the students.
These responses presented an interest contrast with the responses from the previous
question because, even though most of the teachers did not look inward for the causes of
disproportion, they focused the solutions mostly on themselves and the school.
Teachers supporting teachers for reflection and improvement (61%, n=11):
-Address white privilege and its role in the classrooms and schools (16%)
-Create forum for teachers where they can problem-solve and share successful
strategies with each other (16%)
-Reflect on ones classroom characteristics, such as seating arrangement, and
delivery of instruction (11%)
-Research successful ideas and solutions that have worked in other schools (6%)
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OCR- Exit Slip

-Use restorative practices (6%)


-Work on building community, both among teachers and among parents and
teachers (6%)
Support for families (22%, n=4):
-Provide Mental and health care
-Provide food assistance
-Provide stress-related support
-Promote parent engagement
Students support (17%, n= 3):
-Implement social skills programs, such as random act of kindness and medal of
honor society character development program (n=1_
-Stop referrals of African-American students (n=2)

Steps to eliminate disproportion


11

4 3

Quotes:
These quotes reflect the teachers willingness to work on equity, while acknowledging
that it might be a difficult self-discovery journey. One quote reflects the importance of engaging
parents. The last quote is quite radical, but it is difficult to interpret because no more details were
included (does the teacher mean stop referrals and use instead more productive solutions, or stop
referrals to avoid the appearance of disproportion altogether?)
We must have children like school and want to be here before we can expect
them to be completely successful academically.
More emphasis on equality overall, not worrying about the fragility that
results.
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Creating a system where people should be introspective.


We can own issues and be solution-based!
Relationships with parents and students really repair a lot and also help to
curb the behavior.
Stop writing referrals. Period.

Available resources to assist in disproportion


There were 20 responses for this question. The teachers mentioned a variety of
school resources, such as engagement deans and SPED programs. Other teachers
mentioned possible instructional or logistic practices that could be effective as solutions,
such as home visits, professional development for teachers, clustering problematic
students, or promoting more activity for the students in their classrooms. None of the
teachers included resources directly coming from the district.
Resources at school- staff (32%):
-Engagement deans, principal, teachers, TAs, SPED team (n=3)
-Library as resource for staff and students (n=1)
-Support offered, such as mental and health services and social
workers (n=3)
Instructional/logistic practices as solutions (59%):
-Make home visits (n=1)
-Cluster problematic students for long period of school day (n=1)
-Promote active role of students in the classrooms (n=1)
- Send one to ones for the kids who need it. Dollars must be saved by
closing those SPED programs (n=1)
-Have engagement deans helping more inside the classrooms (n=4)
-Professional development in relevant topics, such as trauma, restorative
circles, whiteness in schools, culturally-relevant practices,
developmental repair (n=3)
-Access community mental health support (n=1)
-Have mentors, volunteers, Big Brother/Big Sister (n=1)
Other responses (9%):
-There are no district resources available (n=1)
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-No idea (n=1)

Quotes:
Because the responses are so varied, there are not quotes that reflect the
sentiments of the majority of teachers. The following quotes are interesting, although
they are not representative of the bulk of responses. The first two reflect despair, while
the last one seems to suggest a radical instructional practice that is, not only unfair and
against the law, but also totally ineffective to solve the disproportion problem. In this
response, it seems that the teacher is blaming the students inability to do school for the
disproportionality of referrals, and the best practice is to separate them from those
students who allegedly know how to do school.
District resources? What are those? We are in this alone at Loring.

I, honestly, have no idea.

A systematic change in how we group, cluster, sort students. The students who
need to learn HOW to do school must be clustered for a large portion of their
day. To do it any other day is to disservice them.

Resources
Staf Instructional practices
Other

Other; 7%

Staff; 46%

Instructional practices; 46%

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