Disproportionality and the
Family-School Connection
Barbara Leach, Family Support Network of North Carolina
Teresa Dais, Ph.D., NC Department of Public Instruction
Not everything that
is faced can be
changed, but nothing
will change until it is
faced.
James Baldwin
Schools and families cannot work in
isolation if we are truly committed to
embarking on a journey toward
improving educational outcomes for all
students.
Schools, families, communities…
we are in this together.
Disproportionality Defined
Disproportionate Representation (or
disproportionality) includes both over and
under representation of minorities in
special education and programs for
students who are academically or
intellectually gifted.
Disproportionality Defined
•The number of students in a particular
racial/ethnic category identified for
special education is disproportionate to
the number of that group in the school
population.
•Membership in a given group affects the
probability of being placed in a specific
special education disability category.
Why Partner with Parents?
• They are their children’s first teachers
• They have critical information that
inform the assessment/placement
process
• They help create culturally responsive
learning environments
• They promote culturally competent
practices by both staff and system
Partnering with Families to
Address Disproportionality
• What is currently happening in NC
Public School Systems to Partner
with Families? Legislation
• No Child Left Behind
• Title I
• Special Education/IDEA
• Other State and Federal Policies
Raising Achievement/Closing Gaps
Parent Involvement Definition
• Active support and participation of
parents in activities at home and/or
school to promote a child’s academic
success
• Home-based Activities
Encouragement
Homework assistance
• School-based Activities
Board and Committee Memberships
Volunteers
Examples of Parent Involvement
• Being supportive to your children
• Communicating with teachers
• Attending teacher conferences
• Supporting teachers
• Keeping parent/teacher lines of
communication open
• Attending after-school functions
• Asking and showing interest in what your
child learned
• Participating in parent groups and councils
• Volunteering
• Advocating
Parent Involvement
Relationships are the Key
Barriers to Parent Involvement
• Job
• Transportation
• Language Barriers
• Teacher/Parent Intimidation
• Unwelcome Classrooms
• Not Comfortable with Teacher
• Lack of Communication
Strategies that Increased Parent
Involvement in NC
• Recognition by School Personnel
• Friendly Encouragement and Assistance from
School
• Advanced Notice of Upcoming Events
• School Activities that Promote Cultural
Awareness
• Activities Scheduled to Accommodate Varied
Work Hours of Parents
Family Involvement Efforts in
North Carolina
• NC State Improvement Plans
• LEA Continuous Improvement Performance
Plans
• Communities in Schools Programs
• Parent Liaisons with specific school systems
• NC Disproportionality Task Force
• Family Support Network of NC and Other
Family Advocacy Organizations
The NC Disproportionality Task Force
• State Level Collaborative Team
• Partnership with NCCRESt
— National Center for Culturally Responsive Educational
Systems
— www.nccrest.org
• Assist State in making parents and
communities aware of NC State Performance
Plan Indicators 9 & 10 (IDEA)
• Provide guidance and information to school
systems’ Collaborative Team
State Performance Plan/Annual
Performance Report (SPP/APR)
States are required to examine
inappropriate identification of racial
and ethnic groups in special education.
States and school districts are required to develop a
plan to correct the areas of concern.
Significant Disproportionality
•Any level of disproportionality is a red flag
and will be addressed;
•In North Carolina, interventions will be
determined based on the severity of
disproportionality in each school district.
LEVELS OF SIGNIFICANCE
≥3
Focused Record Review
R Professional Development State, Regional &
I Technical Assistance Local
Monitoring Staff
S SEA Staff
K
1 to < 3 LEA-Level
R Desk Audit
Disproportionality
Task Force
A Continuous Improvement
Performance Plan
T
I <1 Associate
Superintendent
O Letter Curriculum and School
Reform Services
North Carolina’s Goal
All school systems will have 0 percent
disproportionate representation of racial
and ethnic groups in special education
and related services that is the result of
inappropriate identification. (Federal
Requirement)
What can NCDPI do?
• Utilize Partnership with NCCRESt
• Provide NC Disproportionality Task Force with
Professional Development and Technical
Assistance to help raise awareness across the
State
• Provide LEA Collaborative Teams with
Professional Development and Technical
Assistance to help raise awareness in schools
• Ensure NC Disproportionality Task Force and
LEA Collaborative Teams are aware of NCDPI’s
Promising Practices
NCDPI Promising Practices
•Positive Behavior Support
•Instructional Consultation
•Response to Intervention/ Problem Solving
•Model
•Reading/Writing & Math Best Practice Sites
•Early Literacy Best Practice Sites
•Project Bright Idea (AIG)
What Can Families Do?
• Be better informed
• Get more involved
• Continue to volunteer
• Inquire about the schools’ disproportionality
data and its plan for improvement
• Participate in school activities
• Support your children
• Participate in all meetings regarding your
children
• Ask for assistance & guidance
• Never give up!
What can Businesses and Communities
Do?
• Be better informed
• Get more involved
• Continue to volunteer
• Inquire about the school district’s
disproportionality data and its plan
for improvement
Children who are treated as if
they are uneducable almost
invariably become uneducable.
Kenneth B. Clark
Dark Ghetto, 1965