# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
For more information visit theImperial County SELPA, Improving Outcomes for EnglishLearners with Disabilities 

# data[].attributes.headline
A Comprehensive Pre-Referral Flowchart - with links to Resources

# data[].attributes.subject
A Comprehensive Pre-Referral Flowchart - with links to Resources

# data[].attributes.body
Team considerations for use prior to
referral of a Multilingual Learner for
Initial Special Education Assessment

# data[].attributes.headline
Community of Practice with SCCOE/Imperial County SELPA:  EL Students with Disabilities   January 31, 2022-February 10, 2022 - April 4, 2022-April 25, 2022  9:00-11:00am

# data[].attributes.subject
Community of Practice with SCCOE/Imperial County SELPA:  EL Students with Disabilities   January 31, 2022-February 10, 2022 - April 4, 2022-April 25, 2022  9:00-11:00am

# data[].attributes.body
This virtual series will draw upon newly released resources

and information from the California Department of Education, California Collaborative for Educational Excellence, and

Imperial County Special Education Local Plan Area (

SELPA) to address the most pressing needs for serving English Learners with Disabilities during these challenging times. The meeting content will reference the California English Learner Roadmap and theCalifornia Practitioners’ Guide for Educating English Learners with Disabilities.

# data[].attributes.headline
EL RISE: Meeting the Unique Needs of Newcomers in the Classroom

# data[].attributes.subject
EL RISE: Meeting the Unique Needs of Newcomers in the Classroom

# data[].attributes.body
California's newly arrived students from other nations face a particular set of unique needs. This institute, designed for K-12 educators, begins with an overview of who these newcomers are, and their cultural and social needs. The institute will then focus on the academic needs of these students to help them succeed in the classroom and beyond. Participants will receive strategies and practical resources they can use right away to create a welcoming environment for newcomer students and facilitate their learning.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
EL RISE!: Meeting the Unique Needs of Newcomers in the Classroom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
California's newly arrived students from other nations face a particular set of unique needs. This institute, designed for K-12 educators, begins w

# data[].attributes.headline
 Saturday, January 22, 2022- 9:00am to 12:30pm Learning and Leading for Equity

# data[].attributes.subject
 Saturday, January 22, 2022- 9:00am to 12:30pm Learning and Leading for Equity

# data[].attributes.body
...a space for families, students, educators, and community to co-create ideas by leveraging the vast wealth of generational wisdom and experiences, and a diversity of voices and values to inspire and equip educators to do deeper equity work.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Learning & Leading for Equity A Collaborative Convening by the Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learning and Leading for Equity A Collaborative Convening

# data[].attributes.headline
MTSS/PBIS Professional DevelopmentSeries 2021-2022, Cohort 4 (February - May, 2022)

# data[].attributes.subject
MTSS/PBIS Professional DevelopmentSeries 2021-2022, Cohort 4 (February - May, 2022)

# data[].attributes.body
Presented by Equity, Disproportionality & Design

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Cohort 4, MTSS_PBIS Professional Development Series 21-22 flyer.pdf

# data[].attributes.headline
EL Training Opportunities with Imperial County SELPA

# data[].attributes.subject
EL Training Opportunities with Imperial County SELPA

# data[].attributes.body
This series will focus on instructional planning that enables teachers to use high leverage instructional strategies to increase content understanding and English language proficiency for students in K-12. Each session includes modeling of tech tools, engaging in a strategy, seeing what it looks like in action, as well as considerations for synchronous and asynchronous teaching and learning.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
During the TK-3 series, we engage in the following strategies: Close Reading (guides understanding of complex text, in

# data[].attributes.headline
Recorded Q & A - Cultural Considerations for Developing a Behavior Management Plan

# data[].attributes.subject
Recorded Q & A - Cultural Considerations for Developing a Behavior Management Plan

# data[].attributes.body
October 13, 2021, The IRIS Center

Lori Delale O’Connor, Assistant Professor of Education at the University of Pittsburgh School of Education, discusses why it’s important for teachers to consider students’ cultures when developing a behavior management plan. She also explains how a thoughtful approach to student culture can help teachers create culturally responsive statements of purpose, develop unbiased rules, and deliver fair consequences (time: 12:14).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
October 13, 2021, The IRIS Center

Lori Delale O'Connor, Assistant Professor of Education at the University of Pittsburgh School of Education, discusses why it's important for teachers to consider students' cultures when developing a behavior management plan. She also explains how a thoughtful approach to student culture can help teachers create culturally responsive statements of purpose, develop unbiased rules, and deliver fair consequences (time: 12:14).
Questions asked Lori Delale-O'Connor in this audio:

1. When they create a classroom behavior management plan, how can teachers consider their students' cultures?

2. How can teachers make their statement of purpose culturally responsive or sustaining?

3. How can teachers create rules that aren't biased?

4. What cultural considerations should teachers keep in mind when developing or delivering consequences?

Lori Delale-O'Connor, PhD
Assistant Professor of Education
University of Pittsburgh School of Education
Transcript: Lori Delale-O'Connor, PhD Narrator Dr. Delale-O'Connor, when they create a classroom behavior management plan, how can teachers consider their students' cultures? : This interview is brought to you by the IRIS Center, a national center funded by the Office of Special Education Programs.
Lori: As we think about creating a behavior management plan, understanding, recognizing, and taking into consideration culture and the various cultures in your classroom are critical. Those various cultures mean the educator's own cultural understandings of what behavior should look like in a classroom, the school and classroom cultures about what is dictated around behavior, as well as the cultures that the students in the classroom are coming from. It's a lot of cultures coming together that should be considered when creating a behavior management plan. Otherwise, it becomes more of an edict or dictated by the teacher: This is how you have to behave, and this is the right way to behave. In some ways, the message could end up indirectly being your culture and your ways of being and acting in learning spaces rather than, hey, this is a school that's meant to support young people and help them be fully themselves. I think the first step really is recognizing the ways all those different cultures might come to bear in your classroom. Who is going to be in your classroom, and where are these young people coming from, and where are you coming from? Because as an educator, you are also recognizing it is a shared classroom. Thinking about what are your goals for that classroom and how does this behavior management serve your goals and discarding things that don't serve those goals. Talking about what is appropriate at home for young people. And what are ways you can incorporate that into your behavior management plan rather than dictating and saying this is how you have to act to learn? Recognizing, hey, some young people may learn in ways that involve a lot of talking with each other, a lot of collaboration. And so how do you incorporate that in your class? Is there a way to do that so that everyone can learn? And then the educator taking the opportunity to step back and say, okay, if I'm not comfortable with this, if I like a room that's quiet, let me think about why that is. Is it connected to my own learning experience? Is it connected to my teacher training and what we were told to expect? And, most importantly, is it serving my classroom? Is there a way that we can bring these things together and say I believe this is the kind of learning environment that you need in order to behave appropriately and so we can all learn, but it sounds like your experiences look different, so let's talk about how we can bring those things together and possibly reconcile them. There may be certain times when some behaviors are appropriate, and we'll talk about when those are and we'll figure out together. A teacher may go in with some ideas, of course, of their own of what's going to work. But collaborating with children, even the youngest children, can tell you what works for them, what feels good, what they're used to doing at home or when they are with their families or when they're in community. And then it sort of falls to the educator to bring those things together.

How can teachers make their statement of purpose culturally responsive or sustaining?

Lori: When teachers are creating their statement of purpose, they really should work to be culturally respectful and engage language that parents and students can easily understand. There are a number of ways that teachers could approach that, but some of it is workshopping the statement of purpose that they have. They start with a statement of purpose, and it's very much theirs. You may want to share that statement of purpose with students and their families and directly ask what does this mean to you? If you read this, what do you think our classroom is going to look like? How would you change it, or do you love it? That's one way that teachers could engage their statement of purpose so that it is culturally respectful and understandable to parents and students. You can do that with kids all the way down to the youngest elementary, because you are going to need them to understand if this is the statement of purpose for your classroom, what does that mean?

Another way teachers could think about developing this statement of purpose in ways that were culturally respectful and responsive to students and parents is by thinking about and even maybe directly engaging community organizations and seeing what their statements are. They might not be framed as statements of purpose, but they may have a mission statement or a vision statement to say this is what we do, this is why we do it, and this is how we do it. That could be religious organizations within the community. That could be community cultural organizations that are engaged and respected by the people within the community. And that might be a really good way to start. Finally, rather than coming in with a statement of purpose, teachers could think about at the beginning of the school year or even throughout the school year as they get to know their students and get to know their needs is asking families, what are your hopes and dreams for your young people? And then creating a statement that sort of reflects that. And recognizing that they are not always going to be in alignment either, because it's not like your students are going to come together and say we have this one collective dream. They're going to have lots of different ideas. But thinking about the ways, within reason, that one classroom and one teacher can reflect that purpose might be a really good way of thinking about it.

Narrator: How can teachers create rules that aren't biased?
Narrator: What cultural considerations should teachers keep in mind when developing or delivering consequences?
Lori: Teachers can avoid being biased in the rules that they create by unpacking those rules and trying to recognize what are they based on. Thinking about, number one, the expectations that are unstated or hidden and then also thinking about and then asking students are there people in this classroom or in this school for whom these rules apply in a different way? At the school level, there are often rules about dress. There are rules about hair. There might be rules about appearance in general that might disparately impact black students or students of color, because there are things that they're going to do with their hair that are deemed unacceptable. So thinking about who might be disparately impacted and the consequence of these rules. What if a student breaks this rule? Might that be biased? And if that's the case then how do we change that rule or sometimes get rid of it entirely? Again, these might be based on race. They might be based on gender. Especially as you think about older students, secondary students in particular, that could be a really great exercise to engage in. What might the disciplinary data look like on students who have been referred to the office or students who have been referred to detention or students who have been referred to anything in terms of discipline related to these rules and then looking at who are these students? Who is most likely to be cited for these particular things? I think those are really great opportunities, because a lot of times we may just restate the same rules we had to follow from whenever we were in school or the same rules that you learned about in your teacher education program. We just take for granted that they are good rules and that they apply equally to everyone. It's not that there shouldn't be rules in a classroom or that there shouldn't be rules in a school. But in particular ones that have been around for a long time are constructed in ways that seek to control. And our schools look very, very different than they used to in terms of the racial and cultural makeup. They may have been made with the idea that we are trying in particular to reflect a white middle class culture.

Lori: Consequences are an important part of any behavior management plan, and there are certainly cultural considerations for consequences. Teachers should work to have an understanding of how those consequences themselves may impact students from a positive or negative perspective. It's important to think about consistency and implementing consequences consistently for all students. How are you going to catch students doing awesome things, recognizing that there are ways of engaging and they look very, very different? How do you create opportunities if you are creating positive consequences for participating along the lines of your rules? Did you construct those rules in a way that reflects all the students in your classroom and their different cultures connected to that? If that's the case then there's probably a variety of ways that one can receive those positive consequences. If we're going to assume that you did all this great work to construct a behavioral management plan that reflects your students' cultures and an understanding of your own culture then do the consequences align with that? And you might need to go back and change if you see that, hey, actually, even though I did that and I took that step back, I'm still seeing that it's only my white students who are actually experiencing these positive consequences. Why is that? Is it my own personal bias that I'm inclined to see them behaving? Or is it that the positive consequences are the result of a particular type of behavior that I'm expecting them to exhibit? On the flipside, the same with negative. Are you seeing in your classroom differences across different groups in terms of who is experiencing those negative consequences? If that's the case then why? Is it that you are more inclined to see that black student misbehaving, even though their white counterpart is engaged in the exact same behavior? And a lot of it, I think, is at the core there are issues of what students would perceive as fairness. And students are very, very good at telling you what is fair, what they perceive is unfair when they think that somebody is getting more opportunities to get caught being good or doing those positive behaviors. So asking them, as well. And if you see, again, that particular students are being singled out in either direction, what is it about that particular student? Are they sitting in a place where you're more likely to see them engaged in particular behaviors, either positive or negative? Is it that they happen to be most aligned with your own cultural understandings? Is it that you happen to have a good relationship with them? And how do you open up those opportunities, especially from a positive perspective for other students?

Narrator: Thank you for listening to this IRIS Center interview. For more information about the IRIS Center and its resources, visit us at www.iriscenter.com [https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/].

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Cultural Considerations for Developing a Behavior Management Plan

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
October 13, 2021, The IRIS Center Lori Delale O'Connor, Assistant Professor of Education at the University of Pittsburgh School of Education, discusses why it's important for teachers to consider students' cultures when developing a behavior management plan.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Anti-bias curriculum is an approach to early childhood education that sets forth values-based principles and methodology in support of respecting and embracing differences and acting against bias and unfairness. Anti-bias teaching requires critical thinking and problem solving by both children and adults. The overarching goal is creating a climate of positive self and group identity development, through which every child will achieve her or his fullest potential.

The book, Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves, by Louise Derman-Sparks and Julie Olsen Edwards, offers practical guidance to early childhood educators (including parents) for confronting and eliminating barriers of prejudice, misinformation, and bias about specific aspects of personal and social identity; most importantly, it includes tips for adults and children to respect each other, themselves, and all people. Below you will find recommended books for young children, teachers, and parents for each chapter as well as additional resources on anti-bias themes and topics.

Readers may also be interested in Freedom Reads: Anti-Bias Book Talk, our new video series for parents, caregivers, and educators, available at SocialJusticeBooks.org.

Books

Recommended booklists that accompany the best selling NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) publication Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves.

Film

" Reflecting on Anti-Bias Education in the Early Years " is available for educators to stream for free. This 48-minute film is produced with the guidance of Louise Derman-Sparks, this resource offers the four interrelated goals of anti-bias education, along with a viewer guidebook. The film shifts the focus away from the talking heads of experts and on to the voices of teachers committed to equity on a daily basis. By taking viewers into diverse early childhood classrooms, the film seeks to demonstrate the importance of teacher reflection on identity, context, and practice in anti-bias education and provides a much-needed resource for teacher education and professional development.

In addition, a 1990 companion film to the book Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves is available for free viewing on Youtube.

Articles

Article Collections
Available in English and Spanish
DC Educators for Social Justice

Teaching for Change has an initiative to help build and nurture a network of social justice educators in the D.C. metro area. Teachers in the D.C. Metro area are welcome to apply to join the Anti-Bias Early Childhood Working Group. Learn more.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Anti-Bias Education - Teaching for Change

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Anti-bias curriculum is an approach to early childhood education that sets forth values-based principles and methodology in support of respecting and embracing differences and acting against bias and unfairness. Anti-bias teaching requires critical thinking and problem solving by both children and adults. The overarching goal is creating a climate of positive self and group identity ...

# data[].attributes.headline
VIDEO & Resources: Reflecting on Anti-bias Education in Action:  The Early Years

# data[].attributes.subject
VIDEO & Resources: Reflecting on Anti-bias Education in Action:  The Early Years

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The film, Reflecting on Anti-bias Education in Action: The Early Years (48 minutes), produced by Debbie LeeKeenan and John Nimmo, features vignettes of anti-bias strategies in early childhood classrooms interspersed with teachers reflecting on their practice. Debbie and John partnered with filmmaker Filiz Efe McKinney of Brave Sprout Productions to create a film that shifts the focus away from the talking heads of experts and on to the voices of teachers committed to equity on a daily basis. By taking viewers into diverse early childhood classrooms, the film seeks to demonstrate the importance of teacher reflection on identity, context, and practice in anti-bias education and provides a much-needed resource for teacher education and professional development.

The film has received numerous awards including the Silver Prize for Documentary Feature (2021) in the Social Justice Film Festival and a nomination for Northwest Regional Emmy® (2022) in the category of diversity, equity, and inclusion - long form content.

The film can be streamed at the screen image above at no charge for professional development and educational purposes. Please review information about the use of the film. The film has closed captions in English, Spanish, and Chinese (simplified characters) which can be turned on by clicking on the CC button to the bottom right of the screen. A Guidebook (available in Spanish and English) provides additional background and resources, and poses provocations and questions for reflection about each vignette in the film. The Official Trailer (3 minutes) is available for promotional purposes.

There is no "one way" to implement anti-bias education. The four anti-bias goals help guide the work. This approach involves critical thinking and a deep understanding of the complexity of the issues and the context of your community. The film is a provocation to generate dialogue about how to bring this approach into your practice.

Louise Derman-Sparks is the film's senior advisor. The film's theoretical and research framework is based on her co-authored books, Anti-Bias Education for Our Children and Ourselves (with Julie Olsen-Edwards and Catherin Goins ) and Leading Anti-Bias Early Childhood Programs: A Guide for Change (with Debbie LeeKeenan and John Nimmo).

Read the latest news about the film
See Awards and Festivals

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Reflecting on Anti-bias Education in Action: The Early Years

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Film: Reflecting on Anti-bias Education in Action: The Early Years

# data[].attributes.headline
Five Session Series:  Strengthening Tier 1 Instructional Practices to Eliminate Disproportionality and Promote Equity In Schools

# data[].attributes.subject
Five Session Series:  Strengthening Tier 1 Instructional Practices to Eliminate Disproportionality and Promote Equity In Schools

# data[].attributes.body
Presenters: Dr. Rupi Boyd, Dr. Jose Iniguez, Dr. Joseph Johnson,
Dr. Shirley Peterson, and Cara Riggs

Part 1- Training:
January 25, 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Location: Zoom
Part 2- Individualized Coaching Session:
Schedule on date that works for YOUR team
Location: Zoom
Part 3- Training:
February 24, 2022, 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Location: Zoom
Cost: Free

# data[].attributes.headline
Webinar: Understanding Data Through An Equity Lens - November 30, 2021 3:00-4:30 PM (Zoom)

# data[].attributes.subject
Webinar: Understanding Data Through An Equity Lens - November 30, 2021 3:00-4:30 PM (Zoom)

# data[].attributes.body
Understand the importance of applying
an equity lens when reviewing and
utilizing data in the areas of positive
behavior support, equity in school
discipline, and sustainability of
evidence-based interventions in schools.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
SILFlier31-3 Data Equity Series Session 1 (1)

# data[].attributes.headline
Recorded Q&A - Cultural Influences on Behavior

# data[].attributes.subject
Recorded Q&A - Cultural Influences on Behavior

# data[].attributes.body
September 15, 2021, The IRIS Center

Lori Delale-O’Connor, Assistant Professor of Education at the University of Pittsburgh School of Education, discusses cultural influences on behavior and explains the importance of re-examining classroom practices and perceptions of acceptable student behavior. She also discusses how demographic differences can lead to cultural gaps that negatively impact students and offers examples of how teachers can implement culturally sustaining practices to create inclusive classrooms where all students feel supported (time: 15:27).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
September 15, 2021, The IRIS Center

Lori Delale-O'Connor, Assistant Professor of Education at the University of Pittsburgh School of Education, discusses cultural influences on behavior and explains the importance of re-examining classroom practices and perceptions of acceptable student behavior. She also discusses how demographic differences can lead to cultural gaps that negatively impact students and offers examples of how teachers can implement culturally sustaining practices to create inclusive classrooms where all students feel supported (time: 15:27).
Questions asked Lori Delale-O'Connor in this audio:

1. What is culture and how does it influence student behavior? Additionally, how might you address student behavior that is not consistent with the overall expectations of the school culture?

2. Can you describe how demographic differences can create cultural gaps? With this in mind, how can teachers implement culturally sustaining practices that not only accept but foster students' cultural norms and values?

3. How can teachers implement culturally sustaining practices in a classroom in which many different cultures are represented?

Lori Delale-O'Connor, PhD
Assistant Professor of Education
University of Pittsburgh School of Education
Transcript: Lori Delale-O'Connor, PhD Narrator Dr. Delale-O'Connor, can you tell us what culture is and explain how it influences student behavior? Additionally, how might you address student behavior that is not consistent with the overall expectations of the school culture? : This interview is brought to you by the IRIS Center, a national center funded by the Office of Special Education Programs.
Lori: Culture is those taken-for-granted behaviors and practices of who and what we are. And so if it's at home, those are the things that make up what we do and how we engage. If it's at school, those are the things that make up who we are and what we do and what's expected. And we just think of it as "normal," so it's often completely unexamined. I think there are a lot of examples between ways we might see variation in the culture of the school and the culture that students are expecting or students are engaging in. Of course, it varies from place to place and even sometimes from classroom to classroom, depending on the young people that make up that classroom. But one place, I think, you can see it in a very broad way is around expectations for student engagement and maybe even more of how a student would participate in the classroom community and demonstrate their understanding, their knowledge, their participation, and the expectations in particular around, say for instance, who's talking and who has the floor and who is able to engage. And I think especially when young people are in spaces where they talk at the same time or they talk over each other, where they're engaging with each other, in addition to engaging with the adults in the room-that could be teachers, that could be other educators-it's recognizing if you are a teacher that feels like we need to go one at a time, or we need to make sure that that exchange comes from the teacher asking the question or the teacher posing something, as opposed to being more generated by students or more exchanged across the students.

I think sometimes, as teachers, they feel like they need to manage that. And the expectation is, if I'm not managing that, I'm not the one in charge, and I'm not maintaining a good classroom environment. And so recognizing why might students want to engage that way. Why might that be the way they're used to engaging and what might be gained from it? I think, in general, when we examine cultural shifts in our classroom practices or in our schools, that it's what is the current climate serving? Who is it serving? And how could any of these shifts be better in particular for students? At the core, it is supporting students in their learning and their understanding, in developing the skills we want them to develop then we need to have them at the core and think about how we center their experiences and their ways of being. And one way of doing that is flipping the script and saying, okay, so let's try it your way, and let's see what that looks like. And sometimes that means feeling uncomfortable as a teacher because it looks different than the practices that we've engaged in before. Sometimes that may mean feeling uncomfortable as a building principal, as an administrator, because the school may look a little bit different. But then seeing does that serve? Does that mean that you have students who are more engaged or who are happier to be in school, who are achieving in various ways that they maybe weren't before? And, again, you may reexamine that cultural shift and say, okay, this isn't serving us well, either. But it's sort of the willingness and the humility to say maybe we could try this a different way. And so I think in terms of student engagement that's one thing that we see regularly across classrooms that teachers and students can examine in concert with one another. Even the youngest students can recognize, oh, hey, you expect me to sit still in this particular way and not talk to my friends, but talk directly to you, and let's try it a different way and maybe it's a little louder, a little more challenging, but maybe there's still really good learning happening. And so I think that is one practice that seems to be common across places and across ages that certainly bears examination.
Can you describe how demographic differences can create cultural gaps? With this in mind, how can teachers implement culturally sustaining practices that not only accept but foster students' cultural norms and values?
You could also imagine a space where classroom engagement aligns with what students are used to at home or used to when they're in the community, but it basically undermines learning. And that would be where then teachers would have to say, look, this isn't serving us right. This is not serving our classroom community. Again, you could use the example of student engagement and say, it is more common for me to be physical, or it is more common for us to talk over each other? But if no one's being heard there might need to be other parameters, rules, put in to support that engagement. I've seen it in spaces, particularly with younger kids, but you can do it with older kids, as well, where you might have a ball. So now I've said something, and rather than the teacher calling on somebody, the person that is leaning forward and they're saying, I want to participate, you toss them the ball. Or something that can move around so that engagement still happens. But we are still able to hear each other and have that exchange, and we feel like we're participating. So something like that can sort of serve to mediate and keep it from breaking out into total chaos in the classroom, because of course we don't want that either. I think at the core it's not, again, what's easy or what's serving the teacher best but what's serving the classroom as a whole.

Lori: We know that our teaching population in the United States is primarily white, is primarily female as well. And that looks very, very different and continues to be increasingly different from the student population. And recognizing that the education system itself was built and continues to be built on what is deemed appropriate typically is a reflection of white, middle class cultural norms and values. And so I think it's important to note the potential gap between students and teachers because of these demographic differences. And making sure that teachers are not acting in ways that are culture neutral or that they believe are culture free, because that just doesn't exist. One of the things that I think is most important to emphasize as we think about culture and what it looks like in your classroom, what it looks like in your school: As you're seeing and engaging your students, it can be hard to see beliefs. And normally where we see culture show up is in norms and practices that we think of as just being normal and being the things that we do.
How can teachers implement culturally sustaining practices in a classroom in which many different cultures are represented?
There are highly visible aspects of culture many times, including clothing, food, language, events that are celebrated. And so I think that part is important and can be a nice inroads for teachers to engage and support students in very positive ways around their culture and to learn around their culture. And that can be a wonderful first step. And I think it's important to recognize that it's a first step, to see those differences and to support students and see how awesome and wonderful those differences are. And I think, especially for younger children, that can be a really great way for them to recognize the differences and be able to articulate them themselves, that this looks different. We eat different food at home than some of my friends do at school or than they serve in the school cafeteria, and that's connected to my family's culture. And so that can be a really great first step or we practice this holiday and that looks different than the other students in the classroom or than the teacher or these are events we celebrate in my family. And again I think that's a great first step. That's a great way to support younger kids especially. It supports the inroads into understanding those more-subtle aspects of culture. So what do our interactions look like? What are the things that my family values? How do I know that they value those things? What do I believe based on what I've learned and how I've been raised about the role of my teacher or the role of learning? And so those more-visible things then support teachers in recognizing and then having conversations about or engaging in activity around those more-subtle things, because those are the things we do every day. And, again, we don't necessarily recognize about ourselves and don't recognize that we are aware of in our students unless we're actively acknowledging them. One other important point, as we think about the impacts of cultural differences between students and teachers in particular, that there are often negative impacts the entire way through from preschool through high school for children of color, particularly Black and Latinx children in terms of being disciplined more frequently, disciplined more harshly than their white peers, and this discipline is often the result of subjective understandings of young people's behavior on the part of teachers. So they may misinterpret or interpret students' behaviors as rude or disrespectful, and that can result in outcomes such as suspensions or expulsions and students being pushed out of school into juvenile detention, even into arrest, which we know can ultimately result in students dropping out of school and all of those things can, at least in part, be connected back to culture and misunderstandings or misinterpretations of students' behavior.

Lori: When you bring a culturally sustaining model or culturally sustainable practices into a classroom that is filled with many different cultures, I think it is that much richer because that also includes the teacher's culture. We all have cultures, and they look different from each other. Even when we're from the same community and in the same classroom community, some of them could be vast differences. Where you're like, wow, we do things completely differently in the culture that I'm growing up in as a student versus the culture that the person sitting next to me is growing up and in their home. And we might be part of the same broader community. We also have communities within the community that we are part of. And so part of it is learning from each other. And there are very concrete ways you can do that. In terms of practices, you might say, okay, how do you do this at home? And we might round-robin and say, oh, wow, that looks different than the way I do that at home or the way my grandmother tells me that I'm supposed to do this or the way that my mom says that we're supposed to do this. So some of it is just asking, and we talk about those differences and see them.

I was fortunate to be a social studies teacher so we could talk about from a historical perspective, what has that looked like in the context we're in, in the United States. If that's where you are in a particular region, this is how it was done. And then you could ask students, how does that connect or align or totally contrast what your experience of that was or what you know about that or how your family talks about that? Another really great way is bringing in outside texts. I'm a huge fan of the novel because students can see how different people live and how they learn and how they engage. And it doesn't have to be a real person. It doesn't have to be an example from their classroom. And then they can write about or talk about or engage with each other about like, wow, that looks really different. That wasn't something I knew or, oh, that looks exactly like the way I do this. And that can be done across content areas. I'm a big fan of picture books across ages. I was fortunate when I taught high school, we would use picture books to teach literacy skills and other things because everybody can use that as a foundation. And sometimes older students would be, like, we're using a picture book, but they would engage it because you could see, oh, hey, in the picture... It didn't matter what people's reading levels were. You could talk about some of those comparisons and talk about some of those differences. And then, as you are building curricula and I would say really focusing on working with students to build that curricula, incorporating those different ways. Hey, we're going to do this. And you might have three different assignments because some students are, like, I want to do it in a way that allows me to bring in my family. I want to do it in a way that allows me to do it in song. I want to do it in a way that allows me to present with my friends, and we can talk about those contrasts.

And so I think one of the keys around being culturally responsive is not saying, oh, hey, now I'm going to do it this way. I'm going to shift from a very hard way of doing things to a different, hard-and-fast way of doing things. In some ways it's sort of like a river. It's always changing the flow. And so it's, like, okay, well, now I have a different set of students who have different experiences in my classroom, and I'm going to respond to what they know and then support them being able to incorporate that knowledge into their own communities, recognizing that that's going to look different from student to student. I think that that element of transparency, if I'm saying, hey, the way you practice, that's interesting to me because I've never seen that before, and in my family or in my community, that would be so disrespectful. I have been very much taught that we don't do that. And then the teacher can help facilitate that conversation and say, you know, those are two different practices. Why might that look different or how might you take this back? If you were talking to your parent or if you're talking to your grandparents, would that change the way you practice? Maybe not. And part of what that supports all the students doing is recognizing also that we engage in different ways depending on the spaces that we're in. And supporting young people in examining these practices and recognizing, again, when they're different, because sometimes it's just that they're different or when they really are not supporting their humanity, not supporting their growth and development and are undermining their ability to learn and grow.

Narrator: Thank you for listening to this episode of the IRIS Center podcast. For more information about the IRIS Center and its resources, visit us at www.iriscenter.com [https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/].

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
September 15, 2021, The IRIS Center Lori Delale-O'Connor, Assistant Professor of Education at the University of Pittsburgh School of Education, discusses cultural influences on behavior and explains the importance of re-examining classroom practices and perceptions of acceptable student behavior.

# data[].attributes.headline
Resources from Northern Kentucky Cooperative for Educational Services - Ready to Use PD 

# data[].attributes.subject
Resources from Northern Kentucky Cooperative for Educational Services - Ready to Use PD 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
NKCES Professional Learning Online - Culturally Responsive Teaching

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices can help us build bridges between our students' lived experiences and our content standards. Check out some of these PD options to learn more!

# data[].attributes.headline
MTSS:  Setting Up Academic Interventions & Supports: February 10, 2022 & February 17, 2022

# data[].attributes.subject
MTSS:  Setting Up Academic Interventions & Supports: February 10, 2022 & February 17, 2022

# data[].attributes.body
Intended Audience: Participants are encouraged to register as
multi-disciplinary teams to include representatives from
general education, special education, site/district
administrators, and other key stakeholders. Resources will be
made available to use with site teams for implementation.

# data[].attributes.headline
Phase 3 CA MTSS Sub Grant for Schools & Consortia

# data[].attributes.subject
Phase 3 CA MTSS Sub Grant for Schools & Consortia

# data[].attributes.body
The California Department of Education in partnership with the Orange County Department of Education and the
Butte County Office of Education is pleased to announce that our Phase 3 CA MTSS RFA is now available effective
9/20/21. This grant will provide an opportunity for school sites, LEAs, and county offices of education to build
capacity for coaching and implementation of CA MTSS to improve outcomes for all learners. APPLICATION DUE 11/10/2021

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
My Name My Identity Educator Toolkit Final - Published 2021

# data[].attributes.headline
Ways to Equity Playbook Developed by SCCOE

# data[].attributes.subject
Ways to Equity Playbook Developed by SCCOE

# data[].attributes.headline
Presenter:  Jarice Butterfield through ZOOM      Two sessions offered:  October 20, 2021 and October 27 2:45 PM – 4:45 PM PDT

# data[].attributes.subject
Presenter:  Jarice Butterfield through ZOOM      Two sessions offered:  October 20, 2021 and October 27 2:45 PM – 4:45 PM PDT

# data[].attributes.body
Intended Audience:

General Education Teachers and Special Education Teachers

School Psychologists

Speech Language Pathologists

Program Specialists

Coordinators and Administrators

English Language Coordinators

504 Coordinators

MTSS Coordinators

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
pre-referral and the sst process tickets

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Eventbrite - SELPA presents Pre-Referral and the SST Process - Wednesday, October 20, 2021 - Find event and ticket information.

# data[].attributes.headline
VIDEO:  Distinguishing Language Difference from Disability

# data[].attributes.subject
VIDEO:  Distinguishing Language Difference from Disability

# data[].attributes.body
Dr. Jarice Butterfield provided information about how to distinguish a language difference from a disability for students that are English Learners. An overview of the language acquisition process, including cultural considerations, was given in order to help participants better understand how to distinguish whether or not a student’s academic struggles are characteristic of a student attempting to learn a second language, versus a student who also manifests a disability that may be affecting their academic achievement. Dr. Butterfield also shared evidence-based, pre-referral Multi-Tiered System of Support strategies educators can use to determine if an English Learner that manifests characteristics of a specific learning disability in literacy early on can be remediated in general education.

Presented on May 20, 2021 by the State Performance Plan Technical Assistance Project funded by the California Department of Education.

# data[].attributes.headline
Video: Presenter:  Dr. Deborah Montoya, Imperial County SELPA - Identification of English Learners, MTSS, and Pre-Referral Interventions - Section 1 of the Practitioners' Guide

# data[].attributes.subject
Video: Presenter:  Dr. Deborah Montoya, Imperial County SELPA - Identification of English Learners, MTSS, and Pre-Referral Interventions - Section 1 of the Practitioners' Guide

# data[].attributes.body
Intended Audience:
Special Education Teachers
EL Coordinators
School Psychologists
Speech Language Pathologists
COE, District Level and Site-Based Administrators
SELPA Administrators & Staff

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Identification of ELs, MTSS, and Pre Referral Interventions   Section 1 of the Practitioners' Guide

# data[].attributes.headline
Links to additional Equity Tools, Videos & Resources from SCCOE.

# data[].attributes.subject
Links to additional Equity Tools, Videos & Resources from SCCOE.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Ways 2 Equity Playbook

Under the California Statewide System of Support, the Ways 2 Equity Playbook (W2EPB) is the work of the California Equity Performance and Improvement Program (CEPIP) of the Inclusion Collaborative at the Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE). The two year, 2.5 million dollar CEPIP grant was authorized in 2018 by Assembly Bill 99 to "support and build capacity within County Offices of Education (COEs), Local Education Agencies (LEAs), and schools to promote equity for disadvantaged student populations in California schools." From this funding, the SCCOE Inclusion Collaborative established the California 1: Highway to Success for All (CA1). One of two state Equity Leads, the SCCOE developed the W2EPB, which is a guidebook for supporting hands-on equity work at the school, LEA, and COE levels with particular focus on the following three student groups: Students who are African American, Students who are English Learners, and Students with Disabilities.

Coming Soon: Additional Enhancements to support student-specific equity needs for your site.

Ways 2 Equity Playbook (PDF)

Tools to Support Ways 2 Equity Playbook

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Ways 2 Equity Playbook Under the California Statewide System of Support, the Ways 2 Equity Playbook (W2EPB) is the work of the California Equity Performance and Improvement Program (CEPIP) of the Inclusion Collaborative at the Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE).

# data[].attributes.headline
Slide deck from CEC:  Developing Inclusive, Culturally Responsive Practices

# data[].attributes.subject
Slide deck from CEC:  Developing Inclusive, Culturally Responsive Practices

# data[].attributes.headline
Action Plan Handout:  Developing and Implementing Culturally Responsive Practices

# data[].attributes.subject
Action Plan Handout:  Developing and Implementing Culturally Responsive Practices

# data[].attributes.headline
HANDOUT:  Quick Tips For Educators - Culturally Responsive Practices 

# data[].attributes.subject
HANDOUT:  Quick Tips For Educators - Culturally Responsive Practices 

# data[].attributes.headline
Handout for Staff:  Equity-focused communication

# data[].attributes.subject
Handout for Staff:  Equity-focused communication

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
12 Things Equity Focused Teachers Say To Students As They Return To School

# data[].attributes.headline
HANDOUT:  Red Flags for Bilingual Referrals for Special Education

# data[].attributes.subject
HANDOUT:  Red Flags for Bilingual Referrals for Special Education

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Section 504 and ADA Procedures Manual and Training

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
AALRR’s Section 504 and ADA Procedures Manual and training is the result of many years of hands on, diverse experience, working with school district administrators, teachers, parents, and other service providers in order to understand the complexities of addressing the needs of students with disabil…

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
SEC 504 BROCHURE_ENGLISH_ REV 07-2012.pdf

# data[].attributes.headline
Sample:  504 Checklist (Folsom-Cordova USD)

# data[].attributes.subject
Sample:  504 Checklist (Folsom-Cordova USD)

# data[].attributes.headline
SAMPLE: 504 Handbook (El Dorado Charter SELPA)

# data[].attributes.subject
SAMPLE: 504 Handbook (El Dorado Charter SELPA)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
LAUSD BUL-4692.6 Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973  10.27.17.pdf

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ventura County - Section 504 Handbook.pdf

# data[].attributes.headline
Information:  Section 504 (from Miller, Brown & Dannis)

# data[].attributes.subject
Information:  Section 504 (from Miller, Brown & Dannis)

# data[].attributes.headline
SAMPLE:  SST Best Practices Manual (Sacramento City USD)

# data[].attributes.subject
SAMPLE:  SST Best Practices Manual (Sacramento City USD)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
SST Best Practices Manual - Sacramento City Unified.pdf

# data[].attributes.headline
Infographic:  Supporting the African American Learner

# data[].attributes.subject
Infographic:  Supporting the African American Learner

# data[].attributes.headline
HANDOUT FOR ADMINISTRATORS:  Culturally Responsive Walkthrough TOOL

# data[].attributes.subject
HANDOUT FOR ADMINISTRATORS:  Culturally Responsive Walkthrough TOOL

# data[].attributes.headline
Infographic:  Building Equity In Your Teaching Practice

# data[].attributes.subject
Infographic:  Building Equity In Your Teaching Practice

# data[].attributes.headline
Infographic:  Educational Equity- Where Am I?

# data[].attributes.subject
Infographic:  Educational Equity- Where Am I?

# data[].attributes.headline
ARTICLE:  Culturally Responsive Teaching:  Where to Begin

# data[].attributes.subject
ARTICLE:  Culturally Responsive Teaching:  Where to Begin

# data[].attributes.headline
HANDOUT:  Tenets of Culturally Relevant Pedagogies & Similar Frameworks

# data[].attributes.subject
HANDOUT:  Tenets of Culturally Relevant Pedagogies & Similar Frameworks

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Tenets of Culturally Relevant Pedagogies and Similar Frameworks.docx

# data[].attributes.body
Link to 6 part training series:
Equity in Education – Addressing Racial/Ethnic Disproportionality in Special Education

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Discipline

Building Alternative-to-Suspension Intervention Solutions (opens in new window)

Disproportionality

Introduction to Disproportionality (opens in new window)

Improvement Process for Significant Disproportionality

Introduction to the Four Phase Process (opens in new window)

Root Cause Analysis

Using Data to Analyze Root Causes of Disproportionality - Part 1: Quantitative Data (opens in new window)

Using Data to Analyze Root Causes of Disproportionality - Part 2: Qualitative Data (opens in new window)

CDE-Approved Root Cause Self-Assessment Tools

Option One: Annotated Checklist for Addressing Racial Disproportionality

Training Module 1: Using the Annotated Checklist for Addressing Racial Disproportionality in Special Education (opens in new window)

Option Two: Preventing DISPROPORTIONALITY by Strengthening District Policies and Procedures - An Assessment and Strategic Planning Process

Option Three: Equity in Education - Addressing Racial/Ethnic Disproportionality in Special Education, Volume 1

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Building Alternative-to-Suspension Intervention Solutions (opens in new window) Introduction to Disproportionality (opens in new window) Introduction to the Four Phase Process (opens in new window) Using Data to Analyze Root Causes of Disproportionality - Part 1: Quantitative Data (opens in new window) Using Data to Analyze Root Causes of Disproportionality

# data[].attributes.body
Link to 6 part training series: Preventing DISPROPORTIONALITY by Strengthening District Policies and Procedures — An Assessment and Strategic Planning Process

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Discipline

Building Alternative-to-Suspension Intervention Solutions (opens in new window)

Disproportionality

Introduction to Disproportionality (opens in new window)

Improvement Process for Significant Disproportionality

Introduction to the Four Phase Process (opens in new window)

Root Cause Analysis

Using Data to Analyze Root Causes of Disproportionality - Part 1: Quantitative Data (opens in new window)

Using Data to Analyze Root Causes of Disproportionality - Part 2: Qualitative Data (opens in new window)

CDE-Approved Root Cause Self-Assessment Tools

Option One: Annotated Checklist for Addressing Racial Disproportionality

Training Module 1: Using the Annotated Checklist for Addressing Racial Disproportionality in Special Education (opens in new window)

Option Two: Preventing DISPROPORTIONALITY by Strengthening District Policies and Procedures - An Assessment and Strategic Planning Process

Option Three: Equity in Education - Addressing Racial/Ethnic Disproportionality in Special Education, Volume 1

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Building Alternative-to-Suspension Intervention Solutions (opens in new window) Introduction to Disproportionality (opens in new window) Introduction to the Four Phase Process (opens in new window) Using Data to Analyze Root Causes of Disproportionality - Part 1: Quantitative Data (opens in new window) Using Data to Analyze Root Causes of Disproportionality

# data[].attributes.body
Links to recorded webinars related to EQUITABLE SCHOOLS, CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE ENVIRONMENTS, ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS, FAMILY ENGAGEMENT, IDEA, TRAUMA INFORMED PRACTICES, & DISCIPLINE/PBIS

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
William Aal
is a facilitator and event designer working with a popular education based approach to designing and facilitating meeting and events that bring people together on a horizontal level. He brings an intersectional analysis of oppression to the work, always looking at how power differentials can impact the way people participate in public life. Bringing this perspective helps in the design of events that are more inclusive and in which all people can shape the outcomes.

He has worked with educators and administrators at the primary, secondary and higher education levels to explore issues of equity, race and gender justice for the staff, the students and general communities. He has been working in online collaborations since 1999 creating and supporting collaborative teams for non-profits and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO's) across the country and around the globe.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
William Aal is a facilitator and event designer working with a popular education based approach to designing and facilitating meeting and events that bring people together on a horizontal level. He brings an intersectional analysis of oppression to the work, always looking at how power differentials can impact the way people participate in public life.

# data[].attributes.headline
INFORMATION:  From CDE:  Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Teaching

# data[].attributes.subject
INFORMATION:  From CDE:  Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Teaching

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Culturally Responsive Teaching is an approach that leverages the strengths that students of color bring to the classroom to make learning more relevant and effective. A major goal of Culturally Responsive Teaching is to reverse patterns of underachievement for students of color. Culturally Responsive Teaching requires teachers to recognize the cultural capital and tools that students of color bring to the classroom and to utilize their students' cultural learning tools throughout instruction.

Although Culturally Responsive Teaching is inclusive of working with students from diverse home language groups, linguistically responsive teaching is called out in Sharroky Hollie's book, Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Teaching and Learning (2017). Its essence also lies in viewing students with home languages (other than Standard English) as assets that they bring to the classroom rather than deficits.

Principle one of California's English Learner Roadmap expresses the needs for culturally and linguistically relevant education stating, "The languages and cultures English learners bring to their education are assets for their own learning and are important contributions to learning communities."

Drawing on extensive Culturally Responsive Teaching research, New America in their article "Culturally Responsive Teaching: A 50-State Survey of Teaching Standards" (PDF) , cites eight competencies that culturally responsive educators possess:

Competency

Description

1. Reflect on one's cultural lens

Culturally Responsive Educators (CREs) are reflective about their own group memberships that may be based on race, ethnicity, social class, and/or gender. They are cognizant that their life experiences and those group memberships may create biases that can influence their interactions with students, families, and colleagues.

2. Recognize and redress bias in the system

CREs recognize that their students' access to educational opportunities may be influenced by their social markers (e.g., race, ethnicity, social class and language) and advocate for all students to have access to high-quality teachers and schools.

3. Draw on students' culture to shape curriculum and instruction

CREs draw on their students' cultures and life experiences when planning their instruction and reject instructional materials that contain cultural biases and/or stereotypes. They supplement the curriculum if it lacks the representation of their students' heritage.

4. Bring real-world issues into the classroom

CREs connect their curriculum to real-world problems and ask students to consider solutions to them. These issues may involve injustices that exist in their communities or nationwide. Through this process, CREs empower their students to see themselves as change agents that can right the injustices that exist in the world.

5. Model high expectations for all students

CREs hold high academic expectations for all students and believe that all students are capable of academic success.

6. Promote respect for student differences

CREs are models for how all students should respect one another and embrace their fellow classmate's social, cultural, and linguistic differences.

7. Collaborate with families and the local community

CREs work to break down barriers that may keep students' families from participating in their children's education (i.e., work schedules, language barriers). CREs make efforts to learn about the families and community in which they teach.

8. Communicate in linguistically and culturally responsive ways

CREs understand and honor both the verbal and nonverbal culturally-influenced communication styles of the community in which they teach. They also seek to communicate with parents that speak a home language other than English by utilizing translation services.

Resources
California's English Learner Roadmap Principles Overview
Geneva Gay, Culturally Responsive Teaching: Theory, Research, and Practice, Teachers College Press (2000).

Jenny Muñiz, "The 'Rigor Gap' Affects English Learners, New Study Finds" , New America (2019), accessed October 2019.

Jenny Muñiz, "Culturally Responsive Teaching A 50-State Survey of Teaching Standards" (PDF) , New America (2019), accessed October 2019.

Sharroky Hollie, Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Teaching and Learning-Classroom Practices for Student Success, Shell Education (2017).

Zaretta Hammond, Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain, Corwin (2015).

Questions: Teacher and Leader Policy Office | TLPO@cde.ca.gov | 916-445-7331

Last Reviewed: Thursday, March 9, 2023

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Teaching leverages and utilizes the cultural learning tools that students bring to the classroom.

# data[].attributes.headline
From Supporting Inclusive Practices (SIP)

# data[].attributes.subject
From Supporting Inclusive Practices (SIP)

# data[].attributes.body
Recorded Webinars related Equity by Design Webinar Series Presented by Katie Novak and Guest Speaker Mirko Chardin and Equity in Special Education: Presented by Epoch Education

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Resources - Supporting Inclusive Practices

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Articles Reading material to supplement your knowledge about all things related to Inclusion!AccessWebinar RecordingsAccess all webinar content that has been presented or hosted by the SIP teamAccessOrganizations/AgenciesAccess other organizations or blogs which are great resourcesAccess Previous Next Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter Share on linkedin LinkedIn Share on email Email Share on [...]

# data[].attributes.headline
PBIS Cultural Responsiveness Field Guide

# data[].attributes.subject
PBIS Cultural Responsiveness Field Guide

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Research is showing that disproportionality in school discipline is related to implicit (unconscious) bias. This presentation will provide an overview of this concept and describe a training approach for reducing the effects of implicit bias in discipline decision making based on the data-based approach described in the previous session in the strand.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Center on PBIS | Resource: Reducing the Effects of Implicit Bias in School Discipline

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
PDF: Research is showing that disproportionality in school discipline is related to implicit (unconscious) bias. This presentation will provide an overview of this concept and describe a training approach for reducing the effects of implicit bias in discipline decision making based on the data-based approach described in the previous session in the strand.

# data[].attributes.headline
Padlet from SIP/CAPTAIN:  Resources for Building Culturally Responsive Practices for students eligible under Autism Spectrum Disorder

# data[].attributes.subject
Padlet from SIP/CAPTAIN:  Resources for Building Culturally Responsive Practices for students eligible under Autism Spectrum Disorder

# data[].attributes.headline
Dr. Niki Elliott - Mindful Leaders Project

# data[].attributes.subject
Dr. Niki Elliott - Mindful Leaders Project

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
For more than 25 years, Dr. Niki's professional life has been dedicated to improving conditions for students who struggle to live and learn in traditional settings. She sees the innate spark of genius in them and moves mountains to help educators, parents, health professionals, and social service providers transform personal and systemic practices that perpetuate trauma and underperformance.

Dr. Niki has taught students from elementary through post-graduate education. She considers herself to be a holistic educator who acknowledges that we bring minds, bodies, and spirits to the teaching and learning process. She believes in incorporating evidence-based mindfulness practices and other evidence-based mind-body wellness techniques in learning spaces. Dr. Niki coaches educators and parents to balance themselves and the energy they bring to children in order to establish the kinds of trusting and healing relationships that are foundational to effective teaching and learning.

Currently, she serves as director of the Center for Neurodiversity, Learning, and Wellness in the LaFetra College of Education at the University of La Verne. There, she teaches pre-service and in-service teachers how to incorporate educational neurobiology, mindfulness, breathwork, mind-body techniques, and healing-centered engagement in their own lives. As a result of the programming she spearheads, educators are equipped to provide compassionate advocacy and support for students who struggle with learning differences or the damaging impact of trauma.

Dr. Niki's greatest talent lies in her ability to create transformative retreats, keynote speeches, and workshops for child-serving professionals and parents. Through the Mindful Leaders Project, she engages participants in self-reflection, professional development, and personal transformation.
Organizations Dr. Niki has served include:
San Bernardino City Unified School District

Pasadena Unified School District

Pomona Unified School District

Adelanto Unified School District

Yucaipa Unified School District

Berryessa Union School District

Upland Unified School District

Coalition of California State Special Education Local Planning Area Directors

North Carolina Association of Independent Schools

Westmark School

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
For more than 25 years, Dr. Niki's professional life has been dedicated to improving conditions for students who struggle to live and learn in traditional settings. She sees the innate spark of genius in them and moves mountains to help educators, parents, health professionals, and social service providers transform personal and systemic practices that perpetuate trauma and underperformance.

# data[].attributes.headline
Contact Information, Identified Areas, Summary of Root Causes, & Links to Plans

# data[].attributes.subject
Contact Information, Identified Areas, Summary of Root Causes, & Links to Plans

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
South East Consortium SELPA Districts Identified as Significantly Disproportionate

# data[].attributes.headline
These forms are for LEAs found significantly disproportionate in January 2021.

# data[].attributes.subject
These forms are for LEAs found significantly disproportionate in January 2021.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Infographics developed by Imperial County SELPA 

# data[].attributes.headline
California Practitioners' Guide Infographics by Chapter

# data[].attributes.subject
California Practitioners' Guide Infographics by Chapter

# data[].attributes.body
Check out these amazing Infographics.  There is one for each chapter of the California Practitioners' Guide.
California Practitioners' Guide

California Practitioners' Guide

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Latest Updates and Information - ICOE is working with local, state, and federal partners to provide the most accurate and up-to-date information for our community. Staff are encouraged to direct all inquiries to this interagency resource: Imperial County COVID-19 Information

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Latest Updates and Information - ICOE is working with local, state, and federal partners to provide the most accurate and up-to-date information for our community. Staff are encouraged to direct all inquiries to this interagency resource: Imperial County COVID-19 Information