How School Perception Data Informed Change for the Black Experience at a California Middle School
By McKenzie McClain, SEL Specialist
What About Your Black Students?
“When I think of the eighth-grade class the words that come to mind are capable, leaders, and groupings,” the vice principal shared with the leadership team during our advice and design session. This was our third official conference where we were exclusively meeting to review data collected from a suite of assessments provided to the school by Yale University’s Project Flourish. The other members of the meeting, which included the principal, two school social workers, and two school counselors nodded their heads in silent agreement. As I typed these words into our running document, I could not help but consider them and their meanings in relation to what I knew to be true about these same students. Capable, leaders and groupings, an interesting mix to say what exactly? During this particular advise and design session I was scheduled to share with the school their disaggregated data based on race from the School Climate Walkthrough. This survey-style assessment was designed to gather students’ perceptions of common school occurrences like teaching style and campus environment. At this point, I had already reviewed the data myself and I knew it was alarming in regards to Black eighth graders who noted not feeling physically and emotionally safe, not feeling respect for their diversity, and not feeling connected to adults on campus–the same students whom the vice principal saw as “capable and grouped leaders.”
“The eighth graders have a way of forming small groups and sticking to them in regards to their socialization,” said a counselor present. More members nodded in agreement, and the conversation continued with them pinpointing students they noticed this behavior from. Well-known and popular students were mentioned — many of whom were Black students.
“So, what we are seeing here are Black students in the eighth grade tend to exclusively hang out with one another?” I asked the team for clarification. They all agreed was something they too had witnessed. I thanked them for their contributions to the conversation and suggested that they may be the perfect time to introduce the disaggregated data. After about fifteen minutes of reviewing the data, I asked them to share anything that stood out to them. A few members of the team said that they were impressed with the fact that LGBTQ-identified students reported feeling safe on campus. Another member of the team also seemed pleased that sixth-grade students reported feeling safe on campus and connected to their teachers – a feat they said was a direct result of their onboarding process for students entering middle school.
“What about your Black students?” I countered. “Your eighth-grade Black students show significantly low responses for safety and inclusion. What are your thoughts on these scores?”
Silence ensued. Many members looked down at the data in front of them as if they could not escape the information on the pages. One social worker, a Black woman, and the only other Black person present at the meeting outside of myself looked at me nodding her head, as if to say finally.
What Do We Do About This?
The principal was the first to speak here. She admitted that she can understand why the data looks the way it does concerning Black eighth-grade students but said she did not know why they felt this way or what was needed to change those feelings. A counselor began to speak and said she wondered what the students were thinking when being asked about their safety on campus – questioning whether or not their interpretations of the questions influenced their responses on the assessment. This was a question that had been coming up since first looking at the data as the team feared teachers questioning this when being told about scores concerning their effect on students in their classrooms. It was clear that once I broke the ice, people felt free to share their honest thoughts.
“Is it possible that due to the low scoring for Black eighth grade students in regard to diversity inclusion, Black students feel negatively targeted due to their race and identity expression?” I offered. That same social worker I mentioned previously nodded her head and began to speak about how she has known for a while that Black students felt uncomfortable on campus. She continued that she hears stories from her clients that inform her knowledge of racial disparity directly affecting Black students at school. She said the lack of respect and productive acknowledgment is the explanation for why these students group themselves together socially – implying this was their way of protecting themselves and one another.
“What do we do about this?” asked the principal with what looked to be fear, shame or both in her eyes. “How do I ensure these kids feel safe and included here?” I went on to explain how important representation is for developing minds. I told the team that their Black students needed to see examples of their acceptance on campus and needed to know that people supported them in participating in those positions. We sat for a moment as I allowed them to offer ideas of how this could look. Eventually, the principal looked at me and asked what my ideas were. Recognizing my unique role here as a SEL Specialist I understood that though I was actively showing up to the campus weekly, participating in school-wide events and trips, and though I administered the assessment in question here, this moment now was the real work. I needed to help them answer the question, what do we do about this?
Black Student Matter
“We need to let Black students know they matter on this campus,” I responded. Everyone at the table nodded in agreement, while they all looked at me with hopeful eyes anticipating answers. I then began suggesting school wide initiatives like cultural awareness fairs, intercom announcements celebrating diversity and encouraging notes handed out in the mornings to incoming students that reminded them of their purposes on campus.
“These are good solutions, but how do we directly uplift our Black students?,” asked the vice principal. I was thankful for her distinction clarification as it allowed me to gauge how prepared they were to actually address the data we were seeing.
“What about starting a Black Student Union?,” I responded. “A weekly place where Black identity and Black well-being are the focus.” My hunch was that if we could create a physically safe space for Black students, we could shift the trajectory of their school experience. The Black social worker raised her hand slightly then and began to explain how she has had this idea for a while, but was not sure how to bring it to the administration. An interesting connection in both of our approaches to Black elevation–not knowing if the masses were truly ready to demarginalize the marginalized. As she continued to share her thoughts I chimed in occasionally to offer more depth to this influential response to modern day middle school segregation. As we wrapped the meeting, she and I felt a sense of community from one another we had not previously felt. We had just publicly vocalized our desires to see the Black community at this middle school feel authentic inclusion, and we were as a result tasked with the lead on making that a reality.
Look At What We Made
Immediately following that eye-opening advise and design session, the social worker and I got to work on creating a Black Student Union for our students. We had decided the club would be open to all students, but the emphasis and focus would be on Black students and their well-being. I got to work on writing our mission statement while the on campus school social worker began contacting higher ups about the logistics for starting a school club. Once the heavy lifting was out of the way, we began the true work of recruiting students to be a part of this organization. We needed to explain to them that this was for them and it would be different than diversity and culturally inclusive facing activities they were used to. This time we had data to support our why and we were going to make real change for these students.
Helping students understand the purpose for a Black Student Union proved challenging. It seemed like many of them had shut off the perceptions of the possibility of being included on campus. Many of them questioned the need for a Black Student Union and many resisted the invitation to be a part of something designed for their sole benefit. It is possible that the BSU made some students feel uncomfortable, and that the uncomfortability came from a place of not feeling deserving which spanned from the reality of their school not making them feel like a priority up until this point. It was discouraging to see meetings empty in the initial stages of the organization. However, through dedication, which looked like me running around campus during our Tuesday lunch meetings and personally bringing students to the club and offering snacks to attendees, we grew a club that could sustain; equipped with officers and club expectations. We were even able to plan a Black History Month Spirit week where the kids made posters that read slogans like Black Lives Matter and listed the various principles of Kwanzaa. Our club that stemmed from undeniable data on school perception. Seeing the kids work on a collective mural during Black History Month festivities orchestrated by Black Student Union, and watching as they filled the library for BSU’s keynote speaker during a separate event, I really had a moment to look at what we made. I never could have imagined that an assessment I administered could change the school year for these students in such a powerful way.
Key Learning
As the school year nears came to a close, I sensed an apprehension for not letting what we have created at this middle school end. In my absence from this campus next year I wanted to ensure that students for generations to come feel included and safe at school given what we now know to be true from the data we have seen. In the coming weeks. Towards this end, I sat down with administrators and delegate a plan that keeps the Black Student Union real and encouraged pulse checks that are set to determine how Black students are doing and feeling at school. This strategy will look like,
Acknowledging the power of discussing racialized student data to identify opportunities for change
Creating a plan for next school year to continue to develop and grow this work.
Delegating tasks to appropriate faculty members on campus.
Establishing check-ins to assess progress and alter deficits.
Organizing a place for feedback so that all ideas are clearly communicated and heard.
It is my hope that Project Flourish’s impact on this school community will inspire more progressive change and well-being for its students, their families and their community.
McKenzie McClain is a Child, Adolescent, and Family therapist in the state of California. Miss McClain specializes in Black American and African American protection and advancement.
