Keynote address by Dr. Eddie Fergus, Educational Leadership and Policy, NYU, at a 2015 conference called Raising the Bar on Academic Achievement: Improving School Climate and Discipline for Westchester County's African American Students.

1. Raising the Bar on Academic Achievement:
Improving School Climate and Discipline for
Westchester County’s African American
Students
Eddie Fergus, Ph.D.
Educational Leadership and Policy
eaf7@nyu.edu

2. Acknowledgements
• Planning Committee members
• Student Advocacy Organization
• Audience participants

3. Complexity
of Problem
Complexity
in Solutions

4. STUDY OF NYS SUSPENSION
PATTERNS: 2009-10

5. Office for Civil Rights, USDOE: 2009-2010 Data Collection
• The Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) is a mandatory
data collection, authorized under the statutes and
regulations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title
IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Department of
Education Organization Act (20 U.S.C. 3413).
• A total of 337 school districts responded to the survey
request. There are over 700 districts in NYS
– Note: NYC schools are not included in final analyses due to
questions of data accuracy.

6. Types of Analyses Conducted to Identify Suspension Disparity
• Composition analysis
– Comparison of suspension categories to overall enrollment among
districts participating in survey
– Suspension categories:
• Only one suspension
• More than one suspension
• In-school suspension
• Relative Risk Ratio
– A Relative Risk Ratio (Risk Ratio) is a comparison of the relative
risks of a particular racial/ethnic group compared to the relative
risks of the remaining racial/ethnic groups.
– Suspension categories:
• Only one suspension
• More than one suspension
• In-school suspension

7. COMPOSITION ANALYSIS

8. Number of suspensions by gender (2009-10)
Male Female
Total Suspended 26,350 11,920
Only one out of school
suspension
16,005 7,615
More than one out of
school suspension
10,345 4,305
In-school suspension 37,410 19,595

9. Percentage of suspension by gender (2009-10)
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
Total Suspension
Only one out of school
suspension
More than one out of school
suspension
In-school suspension
Total enrollment
Male
Female

10. Number of suspensions by race/ethnicity (2009-10)
Asian Black White Hispanic
Total
suspended
385 12,260 19,640 5,970
Only one out
of school
suspension
280 7,140 12,495 3,695
More than
one out of
school
suspension
105 5,120 7,145 2,275
In-school
suspension
780 17,550 30,790 7,645

11. Percentage of suspension by race/ethnicity (2009-10)
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Total Suspended
Only one out of school
suspension
More than one out of school
suspension
In-school suspension
Total enrollment
Asian
Black
White
Hispanic

12. RELATIVE RISK RATIO
ANALYSIS

13. Risk of suspension of males by race/ethnicity (2009-10)
2.59
2.31
3.02
2.39
0.53 0.57
0.47
0.6
1.27 1.26 1.28
1.03
Total Suspensions Only one Suspension More than one
suspension
In-School Suspension
Black
White
Hispanic

14. Risk of suspension of females by race/ethnicity
(2009-10)
3.6
3.4
3.9
3.42
0.42 0.43 0.39 0.45
1.21 1.24
1.15
1.07
Total Suspensions Only one Suspension More than one
suspension
In-School Suspension
Black
White
Hispanic

15. RESEARCH INSIGHTS ABOUT
CAUSE

16. Research Insights
Student demographic factors
1. Gender, race, ethnicity, SES, and parental education predictive of
ODR (Bryan,et.al., 2011) and perception of school climate (Fan et.al.,
2011).
2. Adult perception of dress and demeanor by race (Morris, 2005); adult
perception of skin color (Goff, 2013)
Teachers
1. Gender and race of student predictive of ODR by teacher (Bryan,
et.al.,2011; Skiba, et.al., 2011; Skiba, et.a;, 2002)
2. Color-blind and deficit thinking ideology reduces academic
expectations and increases ODR (Fergus, forthcoming)
School factors
1. Expansion of zero tolerance policy increases rates of ODR and
suspension (Gregory, et.al. 2010; Hoffman, 2014; Skiba and Raush,
2006)
2. School attachment and commitment reduces school misbehavior
(Peguero, et.al., 2009)

17. THE SILVER BULLET IS….

18. • Upgrade responsiveness of
system
• Institutionalize policy that
expects practice changeFix system
• Approaches need to repair the
disbelief of school as a mobility
tool
• Remove pathology in our
approach; trauma and poverty is
the experience and condition
not the person
Rethink “fix
students”
approach

19. FIX SYSTEM CAPACITY
UPGRADES…PEDAGOGY
AND LEADERSHIP 4.0

20. Equity

21. How is Equity Achieved?

22. PURPOSE OF SCHOOL FOR
MARGINALIZED
POPULATIONS IS TO BE
PROTECTIVE

23. Dual Axis Model of Vulnerability (Margaret Beale Spencer)
Risk Factor Level
ProtectiveFactorLevel
High Low
Low
High Vulnerability
(difficulties apparent)
Masked Vulnerability
(difficulties veiled)
High
Low Vulnerability
(demonstrated, but often
unacknowledged resilience)
Undetermined Vulnerability
(positive outcomes predicted)

25. LEADERSHIP CAPACITY TO
APPROACH AND MANAGE
THE UPGRADES

26. Equity Traps (McKenzie and Scheurich, 2004)
1. Deficit view
2. Racial Erasure
3. Avoidance and
Employment of the
Gaze
4. Paralogical beliefs
and Behaviors

27. The Psychology of Race Talk (Derald Wing Sue,
2013): Three Protocols Take Center Stage
Politeness
• Uncomfortable
topics should be
avoided
• Sensitive topics
discussed
superficially
Academic
• Expressing
emotions violate
scientific inquiry
• Personal
narratives are not
legitimate forms
of scientific
knowledge
Color-blind
• Individuals
should be judged
on their internal
attributes
• Operates to
minimize
differences and
privilege

28. Thank you!
Dr. Eddie Fergus
edward.fergus@nyu.edu