The Power of the School – Community – University Partnership Binghamton City School District - Binghamton University Citizen Action – Alliance for Quality Education

1. “The Power of the School – Community –
University Partnership”
Binghamton City School District
Binghamton University
Citizen Action – Alliance for Quality Education
Marion H. Martinez, Ed.D.
Tonia Thompson, Ed.D.
Lisa Blitz, Ph.D.
Lawrence Parham, Citizen Action
June 2014
1

2. Hit the ground “learning” not “running”
Begin developing relationships by making
connections/relating
Data Collection
Systematic Inquiry
“Golden Hour” for taking action
Avoid the “jump reflex”…
Precludes personal and organizational learning
which are the prerequisites of successful
performance improvement
Entry Plan – How to Begin a Leadership
Position Successfully Dr. Barry Jentz
2

3.  Step 1 : Design Entry Plan
 Step 2 : Generate Data Systematically
 Step 3 : Make Sense of Data
 Step 4 : Form Action Plan
An Entry Plan Approach
“…a systematic, strategic method for beginning a leadership
position in a way that positions new leaders to improve their own
performance and the performance of their new organizations”
3

4.  January to June 2013
 100+ Community members interviewed
 Volunteers to support the work
 Creation of the “Community Partners”
 Ongoing communication via “Parent Visits”
 Building a foundation of support
Unanticipated Outcome - Coalition of Support
4

5. Binghamton University’s Center for Family,
School, and Community Partnerships
Children learn best when
 They feel safe and supported at home, at school,
and in their community
 They are understood and responded to from a
strengths-based perspective
 The adults who care for them (family and school
personnel) communicate frequently
 Adults assume the primary responsibility for
negotiating differences in the cultures of
home/school/community5

6. We’re all educators, and each group
benefits when we work together
 Adds capacity for schools through university
student, faculty, and staff contributions
 University students can participate in internships
and service learning projects
 Faculty can ground research in real-world contexts,
and bring innovations in thinking and new testable
interventions to schools
 Community members create necessary bridges for
optimal communication and diverse representation
6

7. Identified Common Concerns
Mental Health as a Public Health Responsibility
 In our community, over 40% of children live in poverty
 More than 70% are eligible for free / reduced lunch
 20.5% of children from poverty and near poverty have
behavioral or emotional problems, compared to 6.4%
of children who are not poor (Howell, 2004)
 75 – 80% of children and youth in need of mental
health services do not receive them (Kataoka, Zhang, Wells,
2002)
 Almost half of mental health services children receive
are based at school (SAMHSA, 2009)
7

8. Poverty Adverse Experiences Toxic
Stress Impacts Learning
 Impairs executive functioning: judgment, planning,
and decision making (Center on the Developing Child at Harvard
University, 2011)
 Leads to poor attention and poor concentration
(Gutteling, Weerth, Zandbelt, Mulder, Visser, & Buitelaarm, 2006)
 Impacts emotional regulation and short-term
memory (Middlebrooks & Audage, 2008)
 Linked to attention deficits, impulsivity,
hyperactivity, substance abuse, conduct problems,
and antisocial behavior (Danese & McEwen, 2012)
8

9. Trauma-informed responses promote
positive social-emotional development
 realize the prevalence of trauma and the
importance of creating environments where each
child feels nurtured and supported
 recognize how trauma affects all individuals
involved with the organization, including the
workforce
 respond by putting this knowledge into practice
 resist re-traumatization by adopting practices that
move past cultural stereotypes and biases, offer
gender responsive services, leverage the healing
value of traditional cultural connections, and
recognize and address historical trauma
(definition of trauma-informed care from SAMHSA.gov)
9

10. Real Partnerships with
Families are Crucial
Parent involvement: Ideas and energy tend to come
from the school. Focus is on supporting students by
strengthening and assisting school priorities.
Family Engagement
 Ideas are elicited from parents in the context of
trusting relationships
 Recognizes all members of a child’s family
 Emphasizes the importance of reciprocal
relationships between families and schools
10

11. Engaging Families through
the Parent Café
 Began with families identified by school personnel,
typically students with
 Chronically low attendance
 High number of discipline referrals
 In danger of not passing their grade or not
graduating
 Built relationships with parents through direct
outreach with community partners, MSW interns
 Brought people together for mutual aid and
productive school engagement11

12. Building a Parent Café
 Identify parent leaders who can invite their
friends and neighbors to a Parent Café
 Snowball technique provides access to people
who might not otherwise participate
 Parents are encouraged to work together to solve
mutually identified problems
 Community partners participate, help recruit, help
reach marginalized community members
12

13. Build conversations around
four central questions:
1. What is it like to be raising a child in this
community?
2. Can you give an example of a positive experience
with the school?
3. Can you describe a difficult experience with the
school?
4. If you could talk to the superintendent or
principal, and you knew that they would really
listen and not judge you, what would you want
to say? 13

14. The Power of the Partnership
 Social workers, MSW interns, and community
partners work together to link parents with
resources and act as liaisons with the school to
build trusting relationships
 Superintendent and others invited to Parent Café
meetings
 Community based participatory research engages
k-12 teachers with university faculty to develop
and implement trauma-informed approaches
 University faculty provide consultation in their
area of expertise to support school district’s
innovations 14

15. Board of Education Goals
 Focus 1: Teaching and Learning – To ensure all students have equal
access to rigorous, high quality curriculum that is aligned to the
Common Core Standards and delivered through challenging instruction.
 Focus 2 : Alternative Education Programs -To ensure students placed in
alternative programs make adequate yearly progress (Including BOCES
programs, Twilight program, etc.)
 Focus 3: Highly Effective Teachers and Leaders – To ensure continuous
improvement of administrators and teachers through performance
evaluation.
 Focus 4: Parent/Community Engagement & Ownership - To create and
implement communication methods that ensure families and the
community are genuine partners.
 Focus 5: School Climate and Safety – To ensure all students experience a
safe and positive school climate that welcomes and actively engages all
families.
 Focus 6: Facility Maintenance - To upgrade and maintain attractive, safe
and accessible facilities that promote sustainability.
 Focus 7: Fiscal – To align district resources in the attainment of high
levels of student achievement and instructional excellence.15

16. Strategies Activities Results Indicators Key Personnel Timeline
 Strengthen Professional
Development offerings in order
to raise student achievement,
with specific emphasis on the
four foundational elements of
teaching (Teaching to an
Objective; Effective Question
Asking; Student Engagement;
Checking for Understanding)
 Provide a foundational
understanding for the need to
address culturally response
practices and the strategies that
can be used to ensure all
students have an equal
opportunity to access high
quality curriculum and
instruction.
• Offer 5 day training
on Focus on
Effective Teaching
to 200 staff, Pk-12
and Administrators
• Provide embedded
support through
coaching by
Administrators and
Curriculum
Specialists
• Provide district-
wide and school
based professional
development for
understanding and
applying culturally
responsive
practices.
• Provide district-
wide and school
based professional
development on
the effects of
trauma and toxic
stress for families
in poverty.
Document Review:
 Annual review of
enrollment in Focus
on Effective
Teaching in My
Learning Plan.
Observable Practice:
 Decrease in the
teachers who
receive a rating of 1
or 2 on the Pearson
Rubric at the end of
the year. (APPR)
Student Achievement
Measure:
 Decrease in the
number of students
enrolled in an
Intervention course
 Decrease the
number of students
who take a remedial
ELA or Math course
first year in College.
 Number of students
who have daily
access to
technology
 Decrease office
referrals,
suspensions by
teacher, grade level,
school and district
• BT BOCES
Network
Team
members;
Curriculum
Specialists;
All
Administrat
ors
• Principals;
Directors of
Curriculum,
Community
Partners,
BU Center
for Family,
Community
Partnership
s SHARE
 July 2013 – June 2014
 2013-2014
DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT PLAN
BOE Goal 1: Teaching and Learning
To ensure all students have equal access to rigorous, high quality curriculum that is aligned to the Common Core Standards
and delivered through challenging instruction.
16

17. Improvement
in Student
Outcomes
Leadership
Focused &
Coordinated
Instruction
Faculty’s
Professional
Capabilities
Close
relationships
with parents
and
community
Student-
centered
Learning
Climate
Source: Bryk, Sebring, Allensroth, Luppescu & Easton (2010 )
Organizing Schools for Improvement: Lessons From Chicago
17

18. Enrollment from 2008-09 to 2012-13
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
2008-09
2009-10
2010-11
2011-2012
2012-2103
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
Black or African
American
Hispanic or
Latino
Asian
White
Multiracial
18

19. Incidents
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
19

20. Incidents (Aggregated) by Race
Asian
0%
Black
47%
Hispanic
15%
White
31%
Multi-
racial
7%
Incidents
Asian
3% Black
24%
Hispanic
13%
White
52%
Multi-
racial
8%
Composition
20

21. Incident Location
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
14000
Incidents
21

22. Resolutions
Administrator
made
Parent/Guardian
Contact
2%
Detention
3%
Documented
Incident
9%
In-School
Suspension
30%
Lunch
Detention
33%
None
3%
Out-of-School
Suspension
14%
Time out/Sent to
Principal's Office
2%
Warning
4%
Administrative
Removal from Class
0%
22

23. BOE Goal 1: Teaching and Learning
To ensure all students have equal access to rigorous, high quality curriculum that is aligned to
the Common Core Standards and delivered through challenging instruction.
 All staff will have an understanding of and utilize a progressive discipline approach that
encompasses restorative practices.
 Establish a Progressive discipline Task Force, who will be charged with the following:
 Collect each school’s student and teacher handbook, to assess current congruence of
practices.
 Review Code of Conduct for inclusion of proactive and responsive language. Develop a
statement of practice, to be placed in the Code of Conduct, that speaks to
commitment to develop relationship with students by all members of the school
community.
 All staff will consistently use a discipline referral process.
 Define offenses and dispositions and the use of School Tool to record incidents of
behavior. Include training on its use and inclusion of staff reflection on preventative
strategies that have been used.
 Define a progressive discipline approach, that 1) maximizes the use of technology for
means of communication and consistent data collection; 2) aligns with restorative
practices; and 3) clearly articulates expectations for students, staff and families.
 Develop a roll-out plan to inform students, staff, families and community members of
the progressive discipline philosophy, policy and practices. The plan will include
revisions to Handbooks, policy and procedures.
23

24. BOE Goal 5: School Climate and Safety
To ensure all students experience a safe and positive school climate that welcomes
and actively engages all families.
 Develop, implement and evaluate a Response to Intervention
strength-based trauma informed Behavioral Model.
 District-level: Develop a pyramid model consistent with the function
of the ELA/Math Response to intervention. An accompanying guide
will outline the expectations for each building team, common
practices and language to be used.
 Building-level: Provide training in the practices associated with RtI
Model that include restorative practices for planning and use across
all 3 Tiers of Intervention.
 Classroom-level: Label practices used in Responsive Classroom, Guided
Discipline and Student Conferences as restorative practices as Tier I
interventions. Explicitly call out alternative ways to responds to
inappropriate behavior.
24

25. AQE/CANY Southern Tier
Mission
 Our local mission was to develop AQE/CANY Parent
Education Committees, which will develop and
empower parents and community leaders from
Economically Disadvantaged neighborhoods and
Communities of Color. Through leadership, personal
and professional development grow legislative
champions, who will work to create local community
based partnership; working and advocate for the
increase of parental participation and involvement in
all aspects of local public education.
25

26. Education Committee Make-up
 Everyone who wants to be involve must be
given a role. Parents will hold primary
committee roles i.e. Chair, Secretary, etc…
 Community partners, teachers and advocates
are committee supporters and liaisons; who
offers professional and personal growth,
support and/or assistance to Education
Committee Members.
26

27. Creating a Committee Using the
Community Partner Network
 Established a partnership with Binghamton
University through shared objectives of
community empowerment. With BU faculty
and staff we worked together to identify
parents interested in getting involved in
Education issues
 Strategized with community partners to
develop opportunities for outreach i.e. “End
of the School Day-All Out Team”
27

28. CANY/AQE Parent Education
Committee
First meeting October 2013 (3 strategizing
sessions leading up to the first meeting)
1. Full Day Pre-K
2. Code of Conduct/Restorative Justice
3. Common Core and teaching to the test
4. Academic Support-After School Programs
5. Summer-After School Programs for kids in
Middle School
6. More Social Workers and Counselors
7. The cost related to NYS mandated testing
8. Students unnecessarily placed in Special
Educations based on a test score
28

29. Now The Work Begins!!!!
A. (1st Test) Education Rallies and Legislative Visits:
Work with Superintendent and BOE to insure
Students are given regular opportunities to
participate in these Field Trips Albany and legislative
Reps
Develop system of out reach that ensures our target
communities are aware of education field trips
events and programs.
B. Creating A partnership with BCSD:
Develop rapport and working relationship with
Superintendent based on honesty, trust, shared
goals and objectives. 29

30. The Work!
C. Becoming a functional Committee and Producing Results:
 With the assistance of BU we had a committee and with the assistance
and cooperation of BCSD and the BOE for field trip purposes, we now
had a bus load of students , our contribution of parent activists making
legislative visits, pressuring the governor, advocating for an increase in
funding for rural and small city schools. Parents and students learning to
advocate for themselves and learning to speak to power in a deliberate
and unified way.
1. Our Education Committee Chair, speaking to Gov. Cuomo’s staff
and Budget Dir. on the effects that state cuts in education funding
has had on school libraries; leading to a decrease in size of book
selection and services. Results: A significant number of books
permanently loaded to a Elementary School, increasing the size of
its library and giving their students the opportunity of starting
their own personal library at home.
2. Letter to the Newspaper editor and legislative writing campaigns during
the NYS education budget
3. Teach-ins, AQE/CANY Workshops on NYS budget process
4. Run candidates for local school board -2 Candidates, 1 victory
30

31. The Work
Making the Partnership Real
 The Binghamton School District
 Met with community members and establish a Community
Advisory Teams, i.e. Community Partners mtg., Community
Advisors on trainings/workshops
 Validation of community partners advice and consultation-our
recommendation for becoming a Culturally Responsive, Trauma
Sensitive, Restorative Practicing school district was given serious
consideration and all are being implemented or evaluated for use
 Invited to be a member of BCSD Equity Task Force on
Disproportionality
 Superintendent’s direct out reach to disenfranchised Communities
31

32. The Work
Making the Partnership Work
 Binghamton University
 Has a community initiative and mission
 The Parent Cafés –created excellent opportunities for
parental engagement and gave us the opportunity to
hear from the voiceless
 Foresight to pursue community schools funding and
create the Broome County Promise Zone
 Partnering with the Broome County Promise Zone,
BCSD, and AQE/CANY-Parent Mentoring Program
32

33. The BCSD Parent Mentoring Program
The Collaboration-Binghamton University Prof. Denise Yull, Binghamton City School
District Promise Zone Carla Murray MSW, Citizen Action/Alliance for Quality Education
 4 single mothers with children in the school district, public
assistance
 Interviewed vetted and selected out of 20 candidates
 20 Hours of pre-classroom training and professional
development
 Teachers volunteered to have parents in classroom
 Direct classroom work, processing with teacher/program
coordinator
 2 classes back to back a week for 14 weeks, 2 hrs. processing
each
 Team and community building with the other mentors
 3 completed the program with a ceremony33

34. The Work
The Results-Our Parent Mentors.
34

35. The Work
35

36. The Result
 Collaboration works!
 Parent empowerment and mobilization works!
 Parents are natural allies to schools and they should be
validated
 Low income parents love their children just like the rich.
 When made to feel wanted and needed low-income
parents will become involved in school activities
 Every child deserves a “sound basic education” regardless..
 It is the School District and Community responsibility to
Create All of the Above……..Thank you!!!
36

37.  School District – Community – University
Partnerships:
• Provide a framework for a cohesive plan for
teaching, scholarship and service (Anderson-Butcher,
Lawson, Iachini, Bean, Flaspohler & Zullig, 2010)
• Benefits all factions of the larger community
• Community members create necessary bridges
for optimal communication and diverse
representation
Conclusions
37

38.  Binghamton City Schools
Dr. Marion H. Martinez Dr. Tonia Thompson
Binghamton University
Dr. Lisa Blitz
Citizen Action – Alliance for Quality Education
Mr. Larry Parham
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Contacts