REMARKS
Addressing disproportionate labeling and the PATH program for students with behavioral challenges
1:12:51
ยท
3 min
Deputy Chancellor Christina Foti discusses efforts to address the disproportionate labeling of Black students with emotional disabilities and explains the PATH program designed to support young children with behavioral challenges. She highlights the progress made and the importance of trauma-informed practices in education.
- 30% decrease in Black students labeled with emotional disabilities due to anti-bias assessment training for psychologists
- Implementation of the PATH program to provide support for kindergarteners with behavioral challenges
- Focus on trauma-informed practices and care in schools
- Emphasis on creating inclusive classroom environments where supports are 'invisible'
Christina Foti
1:12:51
Yeah.
1:12:52
This is this is a huge problem, that we've paid a lot of attention to, particularly with the disproportionate, labeling of student of black students, as emotionally disabled, as having an emotional disability.
1:13:06
You know, the the prior term for emotional disability was, Disturbance.
1:13:12
It was sorry.
1:13:13
Disturbance.
1:13:14
Thank you.
1:13:15
I had a momentary blip.
1:13:16
Was emotional disturbance.
1:13:17
That was a term that we actively, lobbied to change to emotional disability.
1:13:23
It was the term that was used for kids in my classroom when I was a middle school teacher.
1:13:27
It's a label that nobody ever deserves, and therefore requires particular attention.
1:13:32
We given the attention that we've given this this topic, we saw a 30% decrease of the number of black students being labeled as having an emotional disability.
1:13:42
And we attribute that to a few things.
1:13:44
Number 1, we've trained our psychologists in anti bias based assessment processes.
1:13:50
You know, for years, right, for decades, IQ testing has, been flagged as inherently biased.
1:13:56
And therefore, we added to our psychologists' toolboxes, assessments that allow for more accurate, to more accurately capture the needs and strengths of students, and that has made a big change in in the numbers we're seeing around that classification, and the inappropriate labeling of our of our black students as having a disability.
1:14:18
Suzanne mentioned the PATH program.
1:14:19
The PATH program is is one that we started to do exactly this, Chair.
1:14:24
It's to take kids who have, in kindergarten, who have been exposed to to traumatic events or ongoing trauma in their their lives, their their 5 year olds experiencing behavioral challenges, typically those kids would be routed to d 75.
1:14:39
And what we're doing is we're saying to families, we have a spot for you in our PATH program.
1:14:45
In the PATH program, we, received private funding to train all educators in the building in trauma informed practice and care, which means that when a child comes in and is acting out, they know what to do to handle, and they know where that root cause the where the behavior stems from.
1:15:00
Right?
1:15:00
Behavior is a form of communication.
1:15:02
We know that as educators.
1:15:03
You know that, Chair.
1:15:05
So kids are trying to communicate something to us.
1:15:07
We have to be able to know how to receive it.
1:15:09
And so programs like the PATH program where, teachers are taught how to receive that information, and then they know what strategies to use are pivotal in making sure that our students stay, in inclusive settings.
1:15:23
If I could tell you one quick anecdote, and then we can move on.
1:15:26
In visiting one of those path programs, with our former chancellor, he looked at me and said, Christina, what what's different about this?
1:15:32
I don't see anything different about this inclusive classroom.
1:15:35
And I said, well, chancellor, you're really not supposed to because the supports are invisible.
1:15:40
If we do this right with students, the classroom community operates in a way that nobody is treated as different or separate or, differently abled.
1:15:50
And there was a kid in the a child in that classroom who had just immigrated.
1:15:54
Her dad crossed the border carrying him her in his arms and left mom had to leave mom behind.
1:16:00
Speaking a different language, she was sitting there reading a grade level text, smile on her face representing her happiness to be part of the program, you would have never known she was, not she has newly arrived.
1:16:12
And that's because of the social worker that was helping that classroom, the occupational therapist that was helping that classroom, and the literacy curriculum that was in place to help support that classroom.
1:16:22
So this is the PATH program is a program.
1:16:24
We keep talking about these programs, but the it's it's much more than a program.
1:16:28
It's a whole school reform approach, and that is why we are gonna continue to pound the pavement for, advocacy of investment in these programs.