Episode 57: Unlocking Academic Potential for Students of Color

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Welcome to another episode of K12 Education Untangled. My name is Dr. Kim Fields, former corporate manager turned educational researcher and advocate, and I'm the host of this podcast. I got into this space after dealing with some frustrating interactions with school educators and administrators, as well as experiencing the microdiscriminations that I faced as an African American mom raising my two kids who were in the public school system. I really wanted to understand how teachers were trained and what the research provided about the challenges of the public education system. Once I gained the information and the insights that I needed, I was then equipped to be able to successfully support my children in their educational progress. If you're looking to find out more about current information and issues in education that could affect you or your children, then you're in the right place. Thanks for tuning in today. I know that staying informed about K12 education trends and topics is is important to you, so keep listening. On today's episode, I'll be discussing what students need to succeed in school. What are the skills and characteristics that are needed for a student to succeed in school? Are there additional skills that students of color need? I highlight these skills, attributes and characteristics based on based on my findings from the research and I specify the single most important factor that you should consider when helping your child succeed. At the end of my discussion, I close this episode with a summary of key points. Let's get started. Influencers of student success include student's perceptions and expectations, teaching techniques and strategies, learning styles, and school characteristics. The most direct influencers of student success are the characteristics of teaching style, classroom activities and instruction. Interactions with students. Other categories of significant influences on student learning include student aptitude, classroom instructional climate, home and peer context, program design, organization and state and district characteristics. These all show that psychological, instructional and contextual areas have the most impact on learning. Perseverance, meaning the ability to persist in accomplishing a goal despite difficulty, delay or opposition, is is another factor that contributes to student success. In other words, effort determines success. In studies of gifted children, perseverance was a stronger predictor than intelligence for success in adulthood. Additionally, research has revealed that a key commonality in high achieving artists, athletes, chess players and mathematicians is an ability and willingness to put in the long hours of time and effort and individuals grit and self discipline were also strong predictors of success when compared to iq. Sustained and deliberate practice develops expertise. Sustained and deliberate practice doesn't mean repeating the same task over and over again, but actively working to improve one's performance by incorporating feedback and reflection into one's practice session and then modifying future practice sessions accordingly. The exercise of self determination skills such as choice making, problem solving, and self advocating, as well as active involvement in transition planning is positively related to skill instruction received and as an opportunity to practice skills in inclusive settings. Inclusion in community and school provides greater opportunities to make choices, express preferences, set goals, and become self determined. Poverty, segregation, and restrictiveness of setting may limit the development of an individual's self determination. When limited inclusion is compounded with the lack of resources and opportunities for enriched and varied experiences, development of self determination skills is likely to be hindered There seems to be a link between neighborhood mobility and student success. Outcomes where a student lives is strongly linked to school quality, access to educated adults, exposure to violence, etc. However, there is surprisingly little research on the link between the neighborhood in which a child begins school and later schooling outcomes. Understanding early neighborhood experiences is important for determining whether students are stuck in neighborhoods of disadvantage. It's also important to understand how a student's early neighborhood schooling experiences are related to later success in school. The question to address is whether changing neighborhood context improves student performance. Another question to address is whether it is possible to move to opportunity that could later influence outcomes. Several research studies explore how neighborhoods shape academic performance with consistent findings that students living in poor neighborhoods experience worse outcomes than their peers. This research is largely correlational, but it may provide insights into how neighborhoods may shape student success outcomes. For a variety of reasons. Neighborhoods of residence determine access to public goods and institutions that may contribute to academic success. These may include public schools or libraries, cultural institutions like museums, or community organizations such as YMCA that provide extracurricular activities. Neighborhoods also influence the set of adults that are available to serve as role models to students and provide access to networks. Importantly, neighborhoods often determine a student's peer group both in and out of school, which could have implications for academic performance. Additionally, neighborhood crime, violence, or noise may hamper academic success. Further, there's considerable evidence that early childhood experiences matter to academic success in the long run. Several studies found that early school experiences such as kindergarten, class size, or the quality of third grade teachers affect later academic and non academic outcomes such as test scores, college attendance, and wages or salaries. In one study of students in New York City neighborhoods, the findings indicated that in high poverty neighborhoods there was high student mobility. Although the results did not indicate whether the students were able to escape to higher quality neighborhoods. This study looked at a cohort of first graders and followed them through their academic career. Students from high poverty neighborhoods were more likely to experience significant increases in neighborhood quality compared with students in low poverty neighborhoods. In contrast, students from high quality neighborhoods were much less likely to experience decreases in neighborhood quality than their peers from low quality neighborhoods. The results indicate that there's considerable mobility out of high poverty neighborhoods. However, among all mobile students, there's a mixture of moves both significantly better and and significantly worse neighborhoods. One of the ways in which residential mobility is expected to influence school performance is by providing access to higher quality schools. Almost all of the students in this first grade cohort, roughly 98%, changed schools at least once during their K12 academic career. But not all of these moves resulted in exposure to schools that had significantly different quality. This study from 2016 indicated that making any school move is negatively related to performance, even if the move is to a similar low quality school. Students who moved to low quality schools performed worse than their peers who who don't change schools. Students who moved to higher quality schools experience no change in academic performance for math and only a slight decrease in reading performance. Changes in school quality have a more consistent relationship with student performance, so much so that moving to better schools helps performance and moving to lower quality schools harms performance. In fact, moving to better schools can be somewhat protective of any harmful effects of moving neighborhoods, at least when these moves are made to neighborhoods of similar quality. The bottom line is residential mobility tends to be negatively related to schooling outcomes, but moving to a significantly better quality school is positively related to student outcomes and may mitigate the additional negative impacts of moving to lower quality neighborhoods. There is little evidence that moving to higher quality neighborhoods is related to improved academic performance. However, there is consistent evidence that moving neighborhoods is associated with decreases in both short and long term student performance and attainment, especially among students who moved to lower quality neighborhoods. Moving to a higher quality school has positive effects on long and short term student performance. Students and families who make moves to higher quality neighborhoods tend to be more concerned about their children's educational outcomes, they're more ambitious, more informed, etc. Let's keep this in mind. Neighborhood is not destiny. Having a sufficient number of, quote, good schools, helping families choose the good ones when they move neighborhoods, and even allowing them to stay in those good schools if they must move neighborhoods are all mechanisms that could improve student success outcomes. Students want to be involved in budgeting decisions at the school level for example, in 2023, students who attend the Phoenix Union High School District in Arizona, of which about 28,000 students attend, would like to see the monies invested in expanding the district's job fair resources, including more opportunities to connect with local employers and and prepare for their future careers. Participatory budgeting is a democratic approach to resource allocation that allows students to pitch and vote on the projects at the district that will be committed to implementing with a portion of the available funds. Many times administrators overlook students opinions about school decisions, but but when school leaders seek out students involvement, students feel more engaged and leaders have a better idea of what they can do to help students succeed. Sometimes students address other issues besides financial decisions. As an example, a former principal of Western Branch Middle School in Chesapeake, Virginia had students tell him that the school's dress code unfairly targeted clothes worn by girls and students of color and subjected them to harsher discipline. The students also pointed out that students of color were significantly underrepresented in the school's advanced level courses. They also urged the principal to replace water fountains that even the staff weren't using because they considered those fountains filthy. Parents are also part of the process and they get a chance to vote on initiatives that help students as well. There are three skill sets that have been described in extensive research that are contributors to improved academic and social outcomes. The skill sets include one cognitive and metacognitive skills such as goal setting, progress monitoring, and memory skills two social skills such as interpersonal skills, social problem solving, listening, and teamwork skills and 3 self management skills such as managing attention, motivation, and anger. Other factors such as acculturation and family function have proven relevant to academic achievement for students of color. Additionally, these considerations are worth noting for students of color and their success in schools. 1. Culturally responsive teaching and teacher quality Educators should incorporate culturally relevant content and teaching strategies that that reflect and respect the diverse backgrounds and experiences of students of color. This helps create a more inclusive and engaging learning environment. The quality of a teacher, how well they understand their students, make the lessons applicable for all children, set achievement expectations and holding high standards, etc. All matter when fostering academic success. 2. Equity and access Ensuring equitable access to quality education and resources is vital. This may involve providing additional support such as tutoring or mentoring programs to address any learning gaps and promote equal opportunities for academic success. 3. Representation and role Models Promoting diverse representation in the curriculum, classroom materials, and teaching staff can help students of color see themselves reflected in their educational environment. Having role models who share their racial or ethnic background can inspire and motivate students 4. Community and parental Involvement Building strong connections between schools, families, and the community can provide a support network for students of color. Engaging parents and caregivers in their children's education and involving the community in educational initiatives can help create a more supportive and inclusive atmosphere and 5. Empowering and affirming Environments Fostering a positive and affirming school climate is essential for students of color to feel safe, valued and supported. This includes addressing bias, promoting anti racist practices, and creating spaces for dialogue and understanding. Here are some action steps that you can take.

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The main action step that you can take to ensure that your student succeeds in school is to be involved. Stay involved at the classroom level, the school level, the district level, and yes, even the state level. Show your participation in appropriate ways and ask questions when necessary. Follow up when a teacher or school administrator contacts you. Develop the necessary relationships that help foster a community of support for your child. Make sure you know your child's capabilities and how best they can apply those capabilities to their schoolwork. Providing a supportive and encouraging environment, as well as an environment that upholds standards and high expectations will help to contribute to your child's success in school. Here are this episode's takeaways. The exercise of self determination skills such as choice making, problem solving, and self advocating, as well as active involvement in transition planning are all positively related to skill instruction that's received in opportunities to practice skills in inclusive settings. Making any school move is negatively related to performance, even if the move is to low quality schools. Students who moved to low quality schools perform worse than their peers who don't change schools. Additionally, students who move to higher quality schools experience no change in academic performance for math and only a slight decrease in reading performance. Changes in school quality have a more consistent relationship with student performance, so much so that moving to better schools helps performance and moving to lower quality schools harms performance. Perseverance is another factor that contributes to student success. In other words, effort determines success. In studies of gifted children, perseverance was a stronger predictor than intelligence for success in adulthood. Influencers of student success include student's perception and expectations, teaching techniques and strategies, learning styles, and school characteristics. The most direct influencers of student success are the characteristics of teaching style classroom activities and instructor interactions with students. There are three skill sets that have been described in extensive research that are contributors to improved academic and social outcomes. The skill sets include one Cognitive and metacognitive skills such as goal setting, progress monitoring and memory skills two Social skills such as interpersonal skills, social problem solving, listening, and teamwork skills and three Self management skills such as managing attention, motivation, and anger. To succeed in school, students generally require a combination of various factors. Here are some of the elements that contribute to students success in school Academic skills where students need a solid foundation in core subjects such as reading, writing, math, and critical thinking. These skills form the basis for learning and understanding new concepts across different subjects. 2. Motivation and engagement Students who are motivated and engaged in their studies tend to perform better. They should have a sense of purpose, set goals, and find personal relevance in their education. Teachers and parents can help foster motivation by making learning enjoyable, providing real world examples, and encouraging exploration and curiosity. 3. They need to have effective study habits Developing good study habits is crucial for success. Students should learn to manage their time effectively, break tasks into smaller manageable parts, create a conducive study environment, and use appropriate study study techniques such as note taking, summarizing, and reviewing. 4. They also need organization and time management skills. Students need to be able to organize their assignments, prioritize tasks, and manage their time effectively. Developing skills in planning, setting deadlines and maintaining a schedule can greatly enhance their productivity and reduce stress. 5. Emotional well being Students emotional well being greatly influences their ability to focus, learn, and retain information. Schools should prioritize creating a safe and inclusive environment where students feel supported and valued. Encouraging emotional intelligence, social stress management techniques, and providing access to counseling services can help address emotional challenges. Six Is parent involvement which I've already addressed? Parents involvement and support play a crucial role in a student's success. Regular communication between parents and teachers, engaging in their child's education, providing a conducive home environment for learning, and reinforcing the value of education all contribute to a student's academic achievement. And finally, number seven, students need the skills of adaptability and resilience. The ability to adapt to new situations, overcome challenges and bounce back from setbacks is important for success in school. Encouraging a growth mindset, teaching problem solving skills and promoting perseverance can help students develop resilience. The skills required for success in school aren't inherently different based on a student's race or ethnicity. The fundamental academic skills, motivation and engagement, study habits, organization, adaptability and resistance, as well as emotional well being that are needed to succeed are universal and applicable to students of all backgrounds. However, it is important to approach the educational needs of students of color with an understanding of the systemic and structural changes that they may face. By actively working toward equity, inclusion, and culturally responsive practices, schools can help students of color thrive and succeed academically. If this is the type of subject matter and discussion that resonates with you, please follow my podcast asked on whatever service you're listening to. This also I'd love to hear from you, so please leave me a rating, a review, or a comment on apple stitcher or podchaser. You can also rate my podcast@ratethispodcast.com if you like this podcast, the best way to support me and help me grow it is by leaving a review. This helps my rankings and entices other people to listen to the show and share this episode with anyone that you think would find it valuable. Be sure to tell your friends, family, and community about my podcast. Thanks for listening today. I hope you'll come back for more K12 educational discussions with even more exciting topics to unlock, untangle, and be sure to stay tuned. On the next episode. I'll be discussing how student poverty impacts academic performance. Until next time, aim to learn something new every day.

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