Leading the School Through Culturally Responsive Inquiry

Leading the School Through Culturally Responsive Inquiry

The school leadership team and the principal had spent a considerable amount of time collecting and disaggregating data by student racial, ethnic, language, and income groups and preparing a presentation for teachers about the achievement in their school. They were excited about their work and felt that the faculty would be eager to see and address the issues related to the data. They presented the findings at the monthly faculty meeting. Achievement gap patterns among student groups were apparent. On every indicator of achievement, there were disparities by race, ethnicity, and income. African American, Latino, Native American, and low-income students did less well on standardized tests and other indicators of achievement than their middle-income, white, and Asian peers did. African American and Latino students were disproportionately placed in lower-level groupings and special education, and they also were consistently on lists for disciplinary infractions. However, all groups in the school had similar attendance rates.

After the presentation, the team asked the faculty to examine and discuss the data in small groups and to propose some solutions to improve student achievement and to close the gap. The teams had allotted about 30 minutes for discussion. This was the first time the staff had looked at such comprehensive disaggregated data, and most of the faculty members were clearly uncomfortable with the information. Instead of breaking into groups, some challenged data accuracy; others said that the achievement disparity had to do with poverty and that there was enough research to prove it, and still others claimed that the parents did not care and that the kids were uncooperative.

Others had silver-bullet solutions such as this or that program or creating another remedial course. Some resented the fact that the data were disaggregated and felt that doing so was racist. They claimed that they did not see color and that this presentation was divisive. There were others, however, who saw the data as confirming their assumptions about what they thought was happening to different groups in the school. They were glad that there would be [Page 270]an opportunity to have dialogue around these patterns and to pose some solutions. They had heard about schools with similar demographics that were significantly closing the gap, and they believed that the data picture in their school could change.

Unfortunately, the faculty was not able to begin the data dialogue because the time for the faculty meeting had ended, so they would have to take this up at another time. The leadership team was disappointed and frustrated because its members often were not able to address the challenges posed by their colleagues at this meeting, and they had no idea as to when they could schedule a follow-up meeting.