Education Inequality: Accountability Meets Actuality Dr. Donald E. Baumeister, LCSW, JD

Workshop Learning Objectives 1.Attendees will understand the nature and extent of the accountability vs. social educational debate continuum and 2.Attendees will understand the linkage between education policy and social work ethics on this issue.

Intended Workshop Outcomes 1.Assist social workers to more critically view public education as ethical issues and 2.Assist attendees to develop a specific plan of action to address these important but underdeveloped issues in their local communities

Introduction Some Definitional Starting Points Therapeutic Jurisprudence Social Work Ethics Accountability Truancy Retention Dropout

Law vs. Ethics Ceiling:Aspirational Maximum Reach Floor: Minimum Behavior Needed Basement: Below Standard of Care

Therapeutic Jurisprudence Principles 1.School systems and their agents become a therapeutic or anti-therapeutic instrument of district policies and practices 2.Positive or negative consequences depend on how these policies effect each student 3.Thus, students experience accountability in a multitude of ways over an extended period of time

Social Work Ethics Preamble "primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well-being and help meet the basic human needs of all people, with particular attention to the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty (NASW Code of Ethics, 1996).” Six Areas of Focus ServiceImportance of Human Relationships Integrity Dignity and Worth of the Person Social Justice*Competence *

Accountability 1. Sets the educational bar high enough so communities know that their children are properly prepared to meet economic future challenges 2. Shifts the blame for education-policy failures onto the shoulders of students who have had the fewest opportunities to benefit from good schooling

Truancy 1. Failure of students to attend school on time or at all 2. Identified as an early warning sign for students who are at-risk of delinquent activity, social isolation, or educational failure by way of suspension and expulsion

Retention Retention is a policy that holds back students who have failing grades at the end of a school year. Retention is most often a policy of repetition – students are given an additional year to repeat a grade to go over the same academic content, often taught the same way, that they failed to master the previous year

Dropout The term “dropout ” has been used to designate a variety of early school leavers including pushouts, disaffected, high-risk, educational mortalities, and stopouts. According to the American Youth Policy Forum (2006), every nine seconds in America a student becomes a dropout.

Consequences The Gates Foundation (2006) concluded that the decision to leave school is a dangerous one because of the increasing likelihood of negative consequences: unemployment, poverty, criminal activity, poor health, and single parenthood.

Class Discussion Opportunity Should Johnny be retained in 1st Grade next year? You are a school social worker seeing Johnny’s parents. He is the third of four children. He has a community-conscience mom and dad but Johnny, despite their best efforts, is a young boy who has “failed” 1st Grade. His teacher recommends and informs them that it is the school promotion team’s decision to have Johnny repeat 1st Grade next year. What do you do?

Practice Recommendations Micro: Individuals, Families, and Groups Mezzo: Organizations and Institutions Macro: Communities and Society

Practice Recommendations: Implementation Individualize and personalize educational services for disadvantaged students Develop and market multiple and varied pathways to earn certificates/diplomas Develop educational ICUs offering flexible programs and scheduling Include family support service linkages Remember adolescent development needs

Practice Recommendations: Service Delivery Hire and support fully-trained school social workers and school medical professionals Provide competent and reliable school-to- work curriculum and instruction professionals

Summary: First, Do No Harm Bushaw (2007) states, “Our challenge is to accept and act on these findings – to help all students succeed in high school so that they [will] graduate prepared for postsecondary education and the jobs of the future.” However, when we find that educators or our educational policies are harming students, we need to stop these injurious practices and, instead, help students heal, problem solve, and grow.

What did Retention Study Find? A Comparison of Four Groups of High School (HS) Graduates who had been in Junior High School during School Years 1997 – 2000 (N=7053) HS Graduates Identified GroupsTotalN% All Junior High School Retainees % –Junior High Retainees (1.75–1.99 GPA) % All Junior High School Promotees % –Junior High Promotees (2.00–2.25 GPA) %