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Community-Based Approaches That Promote Successful School Experiences for All Youth

February 24, 2014 | Aishatu Yusuf, Program Associate, NCCD

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I’m sure you have seen the research and news articles; you know, the ones that say low-income; Black; Latino(a); Asian-Pacific Islander; Native American; and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender children have the worst and most chronic behavior problems in schools. What if we were to suggest something different? What if we were to suggest that those very populations suffer from broader, systemic oppression that often climaxes at school?

I’m sure you have seen the research and news articles; you know, the ones that say low-income; Black; Latino(a); Asian-Pacific Islander; Native American; and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender children have the worst and most chronic behavior problems in schools. What if we were to suggest something different? What if we were to suggest that those very populations suffer from broader, systemic oppression that often climaxes at school? What if we were to suggest that these youth may not have a higher proportion of behavior issues than their white peers, but do have a higher probability of being more frequently punished—and punished more punitively? And what if we consider that schools and districts have not recognized the unique needs and resources that these populations of kids need to succeed?

In thinking about ideas mentioned above, oftentimes questions arise, such as: What can we do to close achievement and discipline gaps? How can we get mental health and support services into lower-income schools and communities? And how can schools provide their students with the best resources to meet the unique and individual needs of kids? These are questions that NCCD staff continue to ask—questions that have, among countless others, led to many of the community-based education projects we have done and continue to do.

If you are interested in exploring questions and issues related to community-based education approaches, then join us for the session “Community-Based Approaches That Promote Successful School Experiences for All Youth” at the upcoming NCCD Conference on Children, Youth, and Families. You will be encouraged to think outside the box about how to engage your community to help all kids succeed in school. This session will cover the collaborative work we have done in Oakland, California; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and a few projects we are working on in other districts.    

You will hear specifically how NCCD’s partnership with the Oakland Unified School District resulted in an increase of knowledge regarding discretionary classroom discipline, development of a classroom decision-making guide, and plans to develop an actuarial risk assessment that identifies which students are at low, moderate, and high risk of future infractions. In addition, the use of NCCD as an independent monitor of the City of Milwaukee’s charter schools has resulted in more transparency and data that demonstrates a closing of the racial gap between poor minority students and other students. Lastly, you will hear about one project where mental health services are actually provided onsite in a public school to students and their families year round.

This will be more than a panel presentation. We will encourage all participants to come, learn, and share similar experiences with the hope that these types of projects will multiply. Our goal is to create systemic changes through collaborative efforts that promote equity, improved educational outcomes, and justice.

Aishatu Yusuf is an NCCD program associate.