Culturally Competent Teacher Influence Study
Culturally Competent Teachers Effect’s on Latino Students with Emotional Disturbance
Gloria Page-Gooding
Immaculata University
Abstract
The objective of this study was to examine the progress of Latino students with ED when assigned to culturally competent teachers in their school environment in addition to the other school supports they receive. For the purpose of this research; cultural competence is defined as the process through which teachers are trained in the following areas: (a) awareness of one’s own cultural perspective, (b) awareness of attitudes towards cultural differences, (c) development of cross cultural skills and ability to implement different cultural practices and interventions. In this experimental design a total of 20 participants who met specific criteria (a) ages between 9-11 years, (b) enrolled in ED support classes, (c) enrolled in the 4th academic grade and (d) children of Latino/Hispanic ethnicity/descent were randomly assigned into two groups (n=10). The instrument utilized in this study was the …show more content…
Woodcock-Johnson III achievement test. In the experimental group, Latino students with ED received a school semester of instruction by culturally competent trained teachers in addition to other school supports they receive. In the control group, Latino students with ED receive their instruction by teachers with no particular training in cultural competence in addition to other school supports they already receive. Results of this study indicated that the group of Latino students whose teachers were trained in cultural competence showed significantly more academic progress than the group of children placed in a school setting without culturally competent trained teachers. These findings provide further evidence on the impact of cultural competence issues in the instruction of Latino children with ED.
Culturally Competent Teachers Effect’s on Latino Students with Emotional Disturbance
Chapter One – Introduction
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) defines emotional disturbance as the umbrella name for one of the thirteen disability categories of eligibility for special education services. Children with emotional/behavioral disturbance (EBD/ED) present an array of behaviors that unfavorably affect their educational performance and cannot be explained by other physical or health deficiency as discussed in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (Mooney, Epstein, Reid, &Nelson, 2004). Furthermore, according to Kauffman in Mooney et al.’s article, children with ED/EBD are inclined to display problematic behaviors that hinder their ability to form and keep positive social relationships with peers, teachers and other adults and thus interfering with their successful adaptation to their community and society as well. Although one of the most important features for students with ED is the lack of cognitive impairment, recent research determined that students with ED have low educational success in the most important academic areas and tend to stay the same or further deteriorate over time (Lane & Menzies, 2010).
As pointed out in several studies, there seems to be serious concerns regarding the reduced number of research studies focusing on the development and improvement of educational skills and effective interventions for students with ED. Regular school interventions may vary based on the type of emotional disturbance. Especially designed instruction and counseling is the most frequent type of school interventions available to children suffering from emotional disturbances. As stated in IDEA, the especially designed instruction for children with ED is primarily based on their Individualized Education Program (IEP) which contains individualized objectives tailored to address student’s specific needs in order to help him/her to achieve their educational goals. Furthermore, according to research, most often interventions and treatments lack complexity, depth and thoroughness; thus failing to assist students with ED to succeed (Mooney et al., 2004). While no causal relationship has been established between behavior and academic achievement; poor educational achievement has been stated as one of the key components of ED. According to research, children and adolescents with ED, academically perform by at least a year behind their peers (Mooney et al., 2004). In McEvoy and Welkers research, the U.S. Department of Education has found a connection between students with ED and poor employment opportunities and history. In addition, there seems to be a strong relation between low academic achievement and the start, incidence, and persistence of delinquency concerns in children and adolescents with ED (McEvoy & Welker, 2000). Hence, Latino students with Emotional Disturbance face especial and more complex challenges based on issues of culture, language and the way they are perceived in society. In addition, the number and combination of socio-demographic variables as family income, family structure, family size, region, English proficiency, education of the head of household, places multicultural families and children at a greater risk for failure in school and society as well (Utley & Obiakor, 2001).
Statement of the problem The primary goal of this study is to examine the impact resulting from assigning fully trained culturally competent teachers to Latino students with ED in school. For the purposes of this study, cultural competence is defined as the process through which teachers are trained in the following areas: (a) awareness of one’s own cultural perspective, (b) awareness of attitudes towards cultural differences (c) knowledge and development of cross cultural skills and implementation of cultural practices. This study includes an experimental group and a control group. In the experimental group, the Latino students with ED receive a school semester long instruction with teachers fully trained in multicultural competent education, in conjunction with any other school services they already receive. In the control group, the Latino students with ED received their school instruction by teachers with no particular multicultural training in addition to other school services they receive. In both groups the children’s academic progress was measured at the end of the semester.
Chapter Two – Literature Review The literature review concentrated on the available research examining the influence of cultural competence issues in the school environment and instruction of Latino students with emotional disturbances. It is a fact that education and success are inherently connected, thus it becomes extremely important to help shape educational interventions in order to assist students with emotional disturbances to succeed. Results of this review reflected how important aspects associated with culturally competent school instruction is directly related to the progress of Latino students with ED. These factors are: (a) school/teachers awareness of their own attitudes towards cultural differences (b) Latino students and the stresses caused the lack of cultural sensitivity and (c) the development of culturally consistent skills and culturally competent interventions in schools.
School/teachers awareness of attitudes towards cultural differences
All teachers in spite of their racial and ethnic background need to be aware of their own culture and understand how their beliefs and biases can affect their teaching. In the research regarding disproportionate minority representation, the researchers pointed out the need for school officials’ acknowledgement of culture as an essential aspect of learning in order for students to become more responsive to interventions grounded in culturally sensitive teaching and thus potentially reduce the number culturally and linguistically diverse students placed within the ED category (Harris-Murry, King, &Rostenberg, 2006). According to Couthino, Oswald, Best, and Forness, (2002), students’ individual characteristics such as gender and ethnicity as well as community’s socio-demographic characteristics increase the chances of students being placed in the ED category. According to research, living in an economically poor neighborhood was perceived as being connected with increased levels of problematic behaviors, regardless of family’s socio-economic position. Therefore, the authors stress the importance of exploring the idiosyncrasies of school districts’ criteria regarding students with ED as well as the overrepresentation of minority children amongst those students (Coutinho et al., 2002). Data review also shows that few research studies have focused exclusively on minority populations with ED and few have reported comprehensive race and ethnicity documentation about minority populations; which can directly affect the way the data can be used and interpreted (Mooney, Epstein, & Nelson, 2004). Coutinho et al. (2002) stated the results of the socio-demographic study also revealed that poverty is usually associated with ED across gender and ethnicity. Coutinho et al. (2002) stated that the overrepresentation of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) children do not exonerate the system from adequately responding to bias and prejudiced actions by confronting the individual and community factors that produce it. In addition, Bogart et al. (2013) concluded that eradicating bias and discrimination in our society could significantly decrease mental health problems, including challenging and problematic behaviors within the Latino youth. Furthermore, the premise of this study is that a culturally positive and supportive class environment is crucial in the development of a higher level of academic performance.
Latino students and the stresses caused by lack of cultural sensitivity in school
Cultural stress refers to the emotional impact or distress experienced as a result of the conflict between an individual’s own culture and the cultural environment in which he lives. It refers to several issues including racism, discrimination or ethnic profiling. Cervantes, Fisher, Cordova, and Napper (2012) in their study regarding Hispanic stress inventory, pointed out that despite the fact that Hispanics currently represent the largest ethnic minority in this country, the Hispanic youth remains at risk of experiencing higher level of stress related to community and acculturation issues. In the research study discussing Hispanic’s issues with stress, the authors state that the disproportionate representation and inadequate educational experience of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students identified as having ED is influenced by socio-political issues, unintended bias, issues of discrimination and environmental and socio-demographic influences (Coutinho, Oswald, Best & Forness, 2002). According to Balagna, Young, and Smith (2013), Latino students at risk of being diagnosed as ED expressed that they would have better performance in school if teachers would have less rigidity with deadlines, provide them with extra assistance through tutoring and communicate with them in a more caring manner. This would encourage a more inclusive/receptive school environment and promote an effective student-teacher relationship. Additionally, Reid et al. (2004) revealed the importance of culturally diverse studies regarding the relationship between placement settings and ethnicity for student with ED. In the research study regarding gender and socio-demographic, the authors also stated that even after socio-demographic effects were explained, a clear association between ethnicity and gender and the likelihood of being identified as having ED was established (Coutinho et al. 2002). Therefore, in order to consider how Latino values may influence students’ performance; school psychologists can facilitate and implement ongoing professional development for teachers to focus on multicultural sensitive issues relevant to the children they teach.
Cultural competent practice
Cultural competent practice is intrinsically related to cultural identity. It impacts child’s view of him/herself as belonging to a specific cultural group. This cultural group may be defined by a number of factors including race, religion, ethnicity, geography or lifestyle. According to Balagna, Young, and Smith (2013), there is a need for school psychologists and teachers to take into account students’ perceptions in order to avoid misconceptions when they present culturally consistent behaviors. Furthermore, in the article Reducing Disproportionate Minority Representation in Special Education Programs for Students With Emotional Disturbances, the authors strongly recommend that school professionals become aware of students’ language and culture before the implementation of academic and behavioral interventions. This would help reduce the disproportionate number of minorities in the Special Education category of Emotional Disturbance and would provide students with more opportunities for success (Harris-Murri, King, & Rostenberg, 2006). Therefore, a very important area in the development of effective interventions and outcomes for Latino students with ED is the awareness and acknowledgment of the importance of culturally tailored interventions in the classroom environment and the availability of culturally and language competent teachers. Furthermore, in the investigation of the characteristics of K-12 students, the researchers’ identified the need for systemic changes in ascertaining how specific cultural values may influence student’s behaviors in a safe and culturally sensitive environment (Nelson, Benner & Rogers-Adkinson, 2013). Moreover, the creation of culturally responsive classrooms includes the development of culturally competent teachers, able to introduce culturally effective instructional approaches for culturally and linguistically diverse students (Cartledge, Gwendoly, Kourea & Lefki, 2008). According to Harris et al. (2006), adding culturally receptive “Respond to Intervention” (RTI) eligibility criteria model to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) can be used as a method for decreasing the overrepresentation of minorities in Special Education Programs for students with ED. Culturally fair evaluations should convey to educators the value and consistency of their instructions and should allow them to modify them as needed in order to increase and improve students’ outcomes (Cartledge & Kourea, 2008). In conclusion, the role of the school psychologist working with Latino students with ED should include to help design helpful culturally responsive interventions and to work towards supporting systemic changes to address the needs of this population.
Statement of Hypothesis
The incorporation of culturally sensitive assessments and interventions for Latino students with ED at every level of their educational curriculum provides a higher level of success for minority students and helps avoid the catastrophic consequences related to the human and financial costs of permanent disabilities, school drop-outs and potential delinquency associated with this population. Furthermore, the role of the school psychologist as the professional assisting teachers in understanding cultural diversity and designing culturally competent interventions is essential in achieving these objectives.
In this study it was hypothesized that Latino students with emotional disturbance who receive special education instruction by trained cultural competent teachers would make more academic progress than Latino students with ED receiving special education by teachers without culturally competent training. Chapter Three – Method
Subjects
Participants included 20 elementary school Latino students with ED (14 boys, 6 girls); receiving especial education and recruited from an elementary school located in a town near Philadelphia, PA. These 20 Latino students were randomly selected from a larger school sample (N= 53). The following inclusion criteria were used to select the participants: (a) children between the ages of 9 and 11 (b) enrolled in ED support classes, (c) enrolled in the 4th academic grade and (d) children of Latino/Hispanic ethnicity and/or descend. Parental informed consent and child assent to participate in the study were obtained in all cases. Interpreters were provided for parents who did not speak English. Participants were randomly assigned into two groups that consisted of 10 subjects each (n=10). Group one represented the experimental group (EXP) in which the Latino children with ED were thought by cultural competent trained teachers for a school semester. Group two was the Control Group (CTL) in which the Latino students were thought by teachers with no particular training in cultural competency for a school semester.
Instrument
This study utilized one instrument, the Woodcock-Johnson III Achievement Test (WJ-III), scoring profile that provides a total achievement score including academic achievement broad cluster scores in reading, math and written language.
It tests cognitive abilities by utilizing both the Standard Battery and the Extended Battery. The Standard Battery includes test 1 through 12 tests that provides a broad set of scores. The 10 tests in the Extended Battery provides a more in-depth diagnostic information on specific academic strengths and weaknesses. Test taking time varies, but it took about 5 minutes per test. For this study, the participants were randomly selected from a group of Latino students formally identified as having ED receiving special education. The WJ-III has proven to possesses sound validity as it has a high level of accuracy and strong reliability of .80 or
higher.
Research Design This experimental design comprised a pre-test/post-test construct comparing the academic results of Latino students with ED between the experimental group (EXP) and the control group (CTL). In the experimental group, Latino students with ED received a semester long instruction by cultural competent trained teachers while in the control group the Latino students received a semester long instruction by teachers with no particular training in cultural competence. The level of academic performance by the Latino students with ED was measured for both groups at the beginning of the study and again at the end of the school semester using the Woodcock-Johnson III instrument.
Design:
Group
Selection
Pre-test
Treatment
Post-test
EXP
(n=10)
Random
Assignment
WJ-III*
Culturally competent trained teachers instructing Latino students with ED
WJ-III*
CTL
(n=10)
Random
Assignment
WJ-III*
Not culturally competent trained teachers instructing Latino students with ED
WJ-III*
*Woodcock-Johnson III Achievement Test
Figure 1. Experimental Design
Procedure This study was conducted in compliance with the Institutional Review Board. In addition, the researcher formally requested and obtained permission from the school in order to approach the Latino students and their parents to ask for volunteers to participate in the study. The school also agreed to host the study and allowed researchers to search students’ school records for each prospective student to collect information on ethnicity and establish the level of special education they require. After conversation with the school authorities (principal and psychologist), researches explored volunteers during a visit to the school. Twenty students were randomly selected from the original group of 53 prospects that met the following inclusion criteria: (a) student’s ages between 9 and 11, (b) enrolled in ED support classes (c) enrolled in the 4th academic grade, (d) student of Latino ethnicity or/and descent. Permission was requested and given from parents/custodians of the students and assent was also obtained from all the participant children. The 20 students selected were randomly assigned into an experimental group (EXP) and a control group (CTL), with each group formed by 10 students. All of the students selected went through a baseline Woodcock-Johnson III measure, applied by a licensed psychologist. Participant students in both groups attended special support instruction. Children’s were instructed by qualified teachers on their curriculum. However, children in the experimental group were assigned teachers fully trained in cultural competency and diversity issues. These teachers training addressed a) awareness of one’s own cultural perspective; b) awareness of attitudes towards cultural differences, c) development of cross-cultural skills and implementation of different cultural practices. At the end of the semester the licensed psychologist that performed the initial (baseline) test, administrated the Woodcock-Johnson III measure for the second time and the results were analyzed. Chapter Four - Results
In order to test for the mean differences between the two randomly selected groups, a t-test for independent samples was used. Table 1 shows the mean, standard deviation and t-value for the experimental and control groups.
Table 1
Pretest and Posttest Means, Standard Deviations, and t-value for Experimental and Control Groups
Groups
Test EXP CTL t M 17.8 22.9 -1.68* SD 2.14 2.46
*df = 38, p < .05
The results revealed a significant difference between the group means, allowing the rejection of the null hypothesis. Therefore, the current research hypothesis that children whose parents received psycho-education in conjunction with the child’s CBT protocol would have a more improved treatment outcome than the children receiving CBT alone was supported.
Chapter Five - Discussion
This study examines the impact of teachers’ cultural competency in regards to the academic outcomes of Latino students with ED. As stated by the hypothesis; Latino students with emotional disturbance, who receive their by trained cultural competent teachers, make more academic progress than Latino students with ED receiving instructed by teachers without culturally competent training. These findings are consistent with Harris-Murri, King, and Rostenberg, 2006 who in their study, found that teachers who recognize that culture is central to learning, encourage students to become more responsive to interventions and thus positively affecting their growth and progress. Furthermore, the implementation of culturally responsive approaches has the potential to reduce the misunderstanding of culturally diverse students within the ED category. Overall, this study has significant implications in the field of Psychology, and other disciplines as well. However, several limitations were found in the implementation of this study. First, due to the fact that ED support classes are designed for a small number of children in a classroom this study relayed in a random sample of 20 students. This can be perceived as a relatively small sample size and thus limiting how the findings can be generalized. Second, without any further assessment, we relied on school-identified ED labeled students with ED for the implementation of this study. Third, the sample utilized can be characterized as relatively homogeneous demographically, because the whole sample of students belonged to the same school and thus the same demographic area.
To lessen some of the abovementioned limitations, additional studies are suggested to include children from diverse school districts in order to secure a more heterogeneous sample. It would also be helpful to include more than one class in the experimental and control groups in order to intensify generalizability. In addition, future studies should include verification of the accuracy of the ED label on the students. Related studies need to be implemented regarding the impact of cultural competent teachers in the social and behavioral characteristics of the Latino students with ED. Due to the strong association between low academic performance and behavior problems in students with ED it would be beneficial to observe how both of these variables interact as it pertains to Latino students with ED in a culturally competent environment.
References
Balagna, R. M., Young, E. L., & Smith, T. B. (2013). School experiences of early adolescent Latinos/as at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders. School Psychology Quarterly, 28, 101-121.
Bogart, L. M., Elliott, M. M., Kanouse, D. E., Klein, D. J., Davies, S. L., Cuccaro, P. M., et al. (2013). Association between perceived discrimination and racial/ethnic disparities in problem behaviors among preadolescent youths. American Journal of Public Health, 103, 1074-1081.
Cartledge, G., & Kourea, L. (2008). Culturally responsive classrooms for culturally diverse students with and at risk for disabilities. Council for Exceptional Children, 74, 351-374.
Cervantes, R. C., Fisher, D. G., Cordoba, D., & Napper, L. E. (2012). The Hispanic stress inventory- adolescent version: a culturally informed psychosocial assessment. Behavioral Assessment, 24,187-196.Coutinho, M. J., Oswald, D. P., Best, A. M., Forness, S. R. (2002). Gender and socio-demographic factors and the disproportionate identification of culturally and linguistically diverse students with emotional disturbance. Behavioral Disorders, 27, 109-125.
Gage, N. A., Josephs, N. L., & Lunde, K. (2012). Girls with emotional disturbance and a history of arrest; characteristics and school based predictors of arrest. Education and Treatment of Children, 35,603-622.
Goran, L. G., & Gage, N. A. (2011). A comparative analysis of language, suspension and academic performance of students with emotional learning disabilities. Education and treatment of children, 34, 469-488.
Harris-Murri, N., King, K., & Rostenberg, D. (2006). Reducing disproportionate minority representation in special education programs for students with emotional disturbances: Toward a culturally responsive response to intervention model. Education and Treatment of Children, 29, 779-799.
Lane, K. L., Carter, E. W., Pierson, M. R., & Glaeser, B. C. (2006). Academic, social and behavioral characteristics of high school students with emotional disturbances or learning disabilities. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders Summer, 14, 108-117.
Lane, K. L., & Menzies, H. M. (2010). Reading and writing interventions for students with and at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders: An introduction. Behavioral Disorders, 25, 233-248.
Mooney, P., Epstein, M. H., Reid, R., & Nelson, J. R. (2004). Status and trends in academic intervention research for students with emotional disturbance. Remedial and Special Education, 24, 273-287.
McEvoy, A., & Welker, R. (2000). Antisocial behavior, academic behavior, and school climate: A critical review. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 8, 130-140.
Nelson J. R., Benner, G., & Rogers-Atkinson, D. L. (2003). An investigation of the characteristics of K-12 students with co morbid emotional disturbance and significant language deficits served in public school settings. Behavioral Disorders, 29, 25-33.
Popkin J.,& Skinner, C. H. (2003). Enhancing academic performance in a classroom serving students with serious emotional disturbance: interdependent group contingencies with randomly selected components. School Psychology Review, 32, 282-295.
Reid, R., Gonzalez, J. E., Nordness, P. D., Trout, A., & Epstein, M. H. (2004). A meta analysis of the academic status of behavior disturbance. The Journal of Special Education, 38, 130-143.
Skerbetz, M. D., & Kostewicz, D. E. (2013). Academic choice for included students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Preventing School Failure, 57, 212-222.
Wiley, A. L., Siperstein, G. N., & Bountress, K. E. (2008). School context and the academic achievement of students with emotional disturbance. Behavioral Disorders, 33, 198–210.
Gloria Page-Gooding
Immaculata University
Abstract
The objective of this study was to examine the progress of Latino students with ED when assigned to culturally competent teachers in their school environment in addition to the other school supports they receive. For the purpose of this research; cultural competence is defined as the process through which teachers are trained in the following areas: (a) awareness of one’s own cultural perspective, (b) awareness of attitudes towards cultural differences, (c) development of cross cultural skills and ability to implement different cultural practices and interventions. In this experimental design a total of 20 participants who met specific criteria (a) ages between 9-11 years, (b) enrolled in ED support classes, (c) enrolled in the 4th academic grade and (d) children of Latino/Hispanic ethnicity/descent were randomly assigned into two groups (n=10). The instrument utilized in this study was the …show more content…
Woodcock-Johnson III achievement test. In the experimental group, Latino students with ED received a school semester of instruction by culturally competent trained teachers in addition to other school supports they receive. In the control group, Latino students with ED receive their instruction by teachers with no particular training in cultural competence in addition to other school supports they already receive. Results of this study indicated that the group of Latino students whose teachers were trained in cultural competence showed significantly more academic progress than the group of children placed in a school setting without culturally competent trained teachers. These findings provide further evidence on the impact of cultural competence issues in the instruction of Latino children with ED.
Culturally Competent Teachers Effect’s on Latino Students with Emotional Disturbance
Chapter One – Introduction
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) defines emotional disturbance as the umbrella name for one of the thirteen disability categories of eligibility for special education services. Children with emotional/behavioral disturbance (EBD/ED) present an array of behaviors that unfavorably affect their educational performance and cannot be explained by other physical or health deficiency as discussed in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (Mooney, Epstein, Reid, &Nelson, 2004). Furthermore, according to Kauffman in Mooney et al.’s article, children with ED/EBD are inclined to display problematic behaviors that hinder their ability to form and keep positive social relationships with peers, teachers and other adults and thus interfering with their successful adaptation to their community and society as well. Although one of the most important features for students with ED is the lack of cognitive impairment, recent research determined that students with ED have low educational success in the most important academic areas and tend to stay the same or further deteriorate over time (Lane & Menzies, 2010).
As pointed out in several studies, there seems to be serious concerns regarding the reduced number of research studies focusing on the development and improvement of educational skills and effective interventions for students with ED. Regular school interventions may vary based on the type of emotional disturbance. Especially designed instruction and counseling is the most frequent type of school interventions available to children suffering from emotional disturbances. As stated in IDEA, the especially designed instruction for children with ED is primarily based on their Individualized Education Program (IEP) which contains individualized objectives tailored to address student’s specific needs in order to help him/her to achieve their educational goals. Furthermore, according to research, most often interventions and treatments lack complexity, depth and thoroughness; thus failing to assist students with ED to succeed (Mooney et al., 2004). While no causal relationship has been established between behavior and academic achievement; poor educational achievement has been stated as one of the key components of ED. According to research, children and adolescents with ED, academically perform by at least a year behind their peers (Mooney et al., 2004). In McEvoy and Welkers research, the U.S. Department of Education has found a connection between students with ED and poor employment opportunities and history. In addition, there seems to be a strong relation between low academic achievement and the start, incidence, and persistence of delinquency concerns in children and adolescents with ED (McEvoy & Welker, 2000). Hence, Latino students with Emotional Disturbance face especial and more complex challenges based on issues of culture, language and the way they are perceived in society. In addition, the number and combination of socio-demographic variables as family income, family structure, family size, region, English proficiency, education of the head of household, places multicultural families and children at a greater risk for failure in school and society as well (Utley & Obiakor, 2001).
Statement of the problem The primary goal of this study is to examine the impact resulting from assigning fully trained culturally competent teachers to Latino students with ED in school. For the purposes of this study, cultural competence is defined as the process through which teachers are trained in the following areas: (a) awareness of one’s own cultural perspective, (b) awareness of attitudes towards cultural differences (c) knowledge and development of cross cultural skills and implementation of cultural practices. This study includes an experimental group and a control group. In the experimental group, the Latino students with ED receive a school semester long instruction with teachers fully trained in multicultural competent education, in conjunction with any other school services they already receive. In the control group, the Latino students with ED received their school instruction by teachers with no particular multicultural training in addition to other school services they receive. In both groups the children’s academic progress was measured at the end of the semester.
Chapter Two – Literature Review The literature review concentrated on the available research examining the influence of cultural competence issues in the school environment and instruction of Latino students with emotional disturbances. It is a fact that education and success are inherently connected, thus it becomes extremely important to help shape educational interventions in order to assist students with emotional disturbances to succeed. Results of this review reflected how important aspects associated with culturally competent school instruction is directly related to the progress of Latino students with ED. These factors are: (a) school/teachers awareness of their own attitudes towards cultural differences (b) Latino students and the stresses caused the lack of cultural sensitivity and (c) the development of culturally consistent skills and culturally competent interventions in schools.
School/teachers awareness of attitudes towards cultural differences
All teachers in spite of their racial and ethnic background need to be aware of their own culture and understand how their beliefs and biases can affect their teaching. In the research regarding disproportionate minority representation, the researchers pointed out the need for school officials’ acknowledgement of culture as an essential aspect of learning in order for students to become more responsive to interventions grounded in culturally sensitive teaching and thus potentially reduce the number culturally and linguistically diverse students placed within the ED category (Harris-Murry, King, &Rostenberg, 2006). According to Couthino, Oswald, Best, and Forness, (2002), students’ individual characteristics such as gender and ethnicity as well as community’s socio-demographic characteristics increase the chances of students being placed in the ED category. According to research, living in an economically poor neighborhood was perceived as being connected with increased levels of problematic behaviors, regardless of family’s socio-economic position. Therefore, the authors stress the importance of exploring the idiosyncrasies of school districts’ criteria regarding students with ED as well as the overrepresentation of minority children amongst those students (Coutinho et al., 2002). Data review also shows that few research studies have focused exclusively on minority populations with ED and few have reported comprehensive race and ethnicity documentation about minority populations; which can directly affect the way the data can be used and interpreted (Mooney, Epstein, & Nelson, 2004). Coutinho et al. (2002) stated the results of the socio-demographic study also revealed that poverty is usually associated with ED across gender and ethnicity. Coutinho et al. (2002) stated that the overrepresentation of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) children do not exonerate the system from adequately responding to bias and prejudiced actions by confronting the individual and community factors that produce it. In addition, Bogart et al. (2013) concluded that eradicating bias and discrimination in our society could significantly decrease mental health problems, including challenging and problematic behaviors within the Latino youth. Furthermore, the premise of this study is that a culturally positive and supportive class environment is crucial in the development of a higher level of academic performance.
Latino students and the stresses caused by lack of cultural sensitivity in school
Cultural stress refers to the emotional impact or distress experienced as a result of the conflict between an individual’s own culture and the cultural environment in which he lives. It refers to several issues including racism, discrimination or ethnic profiling. Cervantes, Fisher, Cordova, and Napper (2012) in their study regarding Hispanic stress inventory, pointed out that despite the fact that Hispanics currently represent the largest ethnic minority in this country, the Hispanic youth remains at risk of experiencing higher level of stress related to community and acculturation issues. In the research study discussing Hispanic’s issues with stress, the authors state that the disproportionate representation and inadequate educational experience of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students identified as having ED is influenced by socio-political issues, unintended bias, issues of discrimination and environmental and socio-demographic influences (Coutinho, Oswald, Best & Forness, 2002). According to Balagna, Young, and Smith (2013), Latino students at risk of being diagnosed as ED expressed that they would have better performance in school if teachers would have less rigidity with deadlines, provide them with extra assistance through tutoring and communicate with them in a more caring manner. This would encourage a more inclusive/receptive school environment and promote an effective student-teacher relationship. Additionally, Reid et al. (2004) revealed the importance of culturally diverse studies regarding the relationship between placement settings and ethnicity for student with ED. In the research study regarding gender and socio-demographic, the authors also stated that even after socio-demographic effects were explained, a clear association between ethnicity and gender and the likelihood of being identified as having ED was established (Coutinho et al. 2002). Therefore, in order to consider how Latino values may influence students’ performance; school psychologists can facilitate and implement ongoing professional development for teachers to focus on multicultural sensitive issues relevant to the children they teach.
Cultural competent practice
Cultural competent practice is intrinsically related to cultural identity. It impacts child’s view of him/herself as belonging to a specific cultural group. This cultural group may be defined by a number of factors including race, religion, ethnicity, geography or lifestyle. According to Balagna, Young, and Smith (2013), there is a need for school psychologists and teachers to take into account students’ perceptions in order to avoid misconceptions when they present culturally consistent behaviors. Furthermore, in the article Reducing Disproportionate Minority Representation in Special Education Programs for Students With Emotional Disturbances, the authors strongly recommend that school professionals become aware of students’ language and culture before the implementation of academic and behavioral interventions. This would help reduce the disproportionate number of minorities in the Special Education category of Emotional Disturbance and would provide students with more opportunities for success (Harris-Murri, King, & Rostenberg, 2006). Therefore, a very important area in the development of effective interventions and outcomes for Latino students with ED is the awareness and acknowledgment of the importance of culturally tailored interventions in the classroom environment and the availability of culturally and language competent teachers. Furthermore, in the investigation of the characteristics of K-12 students, the researchers’ identified the need for systemic changes in ascertaining how specific cultural values may influence student’s behaviors in a safe and culturally sensitive environment (Nelson, Benner & Rogers-Adkinson, 2013). Moreover, the creation of culturally responsive classrooms includes the development of culturally competent teachers, able to introduce culturally effective instructional approaches for culturally and linguistically diverse students (Cartledge, Gwendoly, Kourea & Lefki, 2008). According to Harris et al. (2006), adding culturally receptive “Respond to Intervention” (RTI) eligibility criteria model to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) can be used as a method for decreasing the overrepresentation of minorities in Special Education Programs for students with ED. Culturally fair evaluations should convey to educators the value and consistency of their instructions and should allow them to modify them as needed in order to increase and improve students’ outcomes (Cartledge & Kourea, 2008). In conclusion, the role of the school psychologist working with Latino students with ED should include to help design helpful culturally responsive interventions and to work towards supporting systemic changes to address the needs of this population.
Statement of Hypothesis
The incorporation of culturally sensitive assessments and interventions for Latino students with ED at every level of their educational curriculum provides a higher level of success for minority students and helps avoid the catastrophic consequences related to the human and financial costs of permanent disabilities, school drop-outs and potential delinquency associated with this population. Furthermore, the role of the school psychologist as the professional assisting teachers in understanding cultural diversity and designing culturally competent interventions is essential in achieving these objectives.
In this study it was hypothesized that Latino students with emotional disturbance who receive special education instruction by trained cultural competent teachers would make more academic progress than Latino students with ED receiving special education by teachers without culturally competent training. Chapter Three – Method
Subjects
Participants included 20 elementary school Latino students with ED (14 boys, 6 girls); receiving especial education and recruited from an elementary school located in a town near Philadelphia, PA. These 20 Latino students were randomly selected from a larger school sample (N= 53). The following inclusion criteria were used to select the participants: (a) children between the ages of 9 and 11 (b) enrolled in ED support classes, (c) enrolled in the 4th academic grade and (d) children of Latino/Hispanic ethnicity and/or descend. Parental informed consent and child assent to participate in the study were obtained in all cases. Interpreters were provided for parents who did not speak English. Participants were randomly assigned into two groups that consisted of 10 subjects each (n=10). Group one represented the experimental group (EXP) in which the Latino children with ED were thought by cultural competent trained teachers for a school semester. Group two was the Control Group (CTL) in which the Latino students were thought by teachers with no particular training in cultural competency for a school semester.
Instrument
This study utilized one instrument, the Woodcock-Johnson III Achievement Test (WJ-III), scoring profile that provides a total achievement score including academic achievement broad cluster scores in reading, math and written language.
It tests cognitive abilities by utilizing both the Standard Battery and the Extended Battery. The Standard Battery includes test 1 through 12 tests that provides a broad set of scores. The 10 tests in the Extended Battery provides a more in-depth diagnostic information on specific academic strengths and weaknesses. Test taking time varies, but it took about 5 minutes per test. For this study, the participants were randomly selected from a group of Latino students formally identified as having ED receiving special education. The WJ-III has proven to possesses sound validity as it has a high level of accuracy and strong reliability of .80 or
higher.
Research Design This experimental design comprised a pre-test/post-test construct comparing the academic results of Latino students with ED between the experimental group (EXP) and the control group (CTL). In the experimental group, Latino students with ED received a semester long instruction by cultural competent trained teachers while in the control group the Latino students received a semester long instruction by teachers with no particular training in cultural competence. The level of academic performance by the Latino students with ED was measured for both groups at the beginning of the study and again at the end of the school semester using the Woodcock-Johnson III instrument.
Design:
Group
Selection
Pre-test
Treatment
Post-test
EXP
(n=10)
Random
Assignment
WJ-III*
Culturally competent trained teachers instructing Latino students with ED
WJ-III*
CTL
(n=10)
Random
Assignment
WJ-III*
Not culturally competent trained teachers instructing Latino students with ED
WJ-III*
*Woodcock-Johnson III Achievement Test
Figure 1. Experimental Design
Procedure This study was conducted in compliance with the Institutional Review Board. In addition, the researcher formally requested and obtained permission from the school in order to approach the Latino students and their parents to ask for volunteers to participate in the study. The school also agreed to host the study and allowed researchers to search students’ school records for each prospective student to collect information on ethnicity and establish the level of special education they require. After conversation with the school authorities (principal and psychologist), researches explored volunteers during a visit to the school. Twenty students were randomly selected from the original group of 53 prospects that met the following inclusion criteria: (a) student’s ages between 9 and 11, (b) enrolled in ED support classes (c) enrolled in the 4th academic grade, (d) student of Latino ethnicity or/and descent. Permission was requested and given from parents/custodians of the students and assent was also obtained from all the participant children. The 20 students selected were randomly assigned into an experimental group (EXP) and a control group (CTL), with each group formed by 10 students. All of the students selected went through a baseline Woodcock-Johnson III measure, applied by a licensed psychologist. Participant students in both groups attended special support instruction. Children’s were instructed by qualified teachers on their curriculum. However, children in the experimental group were assigned teachers fully trained in cultural competency and diversity issues. These teachers training addressed a) awareness of one’s own cultural perspective; b) awareness of attitudes towards cultural differences, c) development of cross-cultural skills and implementation of different cultural practices. At the end of the semester the licensed psychologist that performed the initial (baseline) test, administrated the Woodcock-Johnson III measure for the second time and the results were analyzed. Chapter Four - Results
In order to test for the mean differences between the two randomly selected groups, a t-test for independent samples was used. Table 1 shows the mean, standard deviation and t-value for the experimental and control groups.
Table 1
Pretest and Posttest Means, Standard Deviations, and t-value for Experimental and Control Groups
Groups
Test EXP CTL t M 17.8 22.9 -1.68* SD 2.14 2.46
*df = 38, p < .05
The results revealed a significant difference between the group means, allowing the rejection of the null hypothesis. Therefore, the current research hypothesis that children whose parents received psycho-education in conjunction with the child’s CBT protocol would have a more improved treatment outcome than the children receiving CBT alone was supported.
Chapter Five - Discussion
This study examines the impact of teachers’ cultural competency in regards to the academic outcomes of Latino students with ED. As stated by the hypothesis; Latino students with emotional disturbance, who receive their by trained cultural competent teachers, make more academic progress than Latino students with ED receiving instructed by teachers without culturally competent training. These findings are consistent with Harris-Murri, King, and Rostenberg, 2006 who in their study, found that teachers who recognize that culture is central to learning, encourage students to become more responsive to interventions and thus positively affecting their growth and progress. Furthermore, the implementation of culturally responsive approaches has the potential to reduce the misunderstanding of culturally diverse students within the ED category. Overall, this study has significant implications in the field of Psychology, and other disciplines as well. However, several limitations were found in the implementation of this study. First, due to the fact that ED support classes are designed for a small number of children in a classroom this study relayed in a random sample of 20 students. This can be perceived as a relatively small sample size and thus limiting how the findings can be generalized. Second, without any further assessment, we relied on school-identified ED labeled students with ED for the implementation of this study. Third, the sample utilized can be characterized as relatively homogeneous demographically, because the whole sample of students belonged to the same school and thus the same demographic area.
To lessen some of the abovementioned limitations, additional studies are suggested to include children from diverse school districts in order to secure a more heterogeneous sample. It would also be helpful to include more than one class in the experimental and control groups in order to intensify generalizability. In addition, future studies should include verification of the accuracy of the ED label on the students. Related studies need to be implemented regarding the impact of cultural competent teachers in the social and behavioral characteristics of the Latino students with ED. Due to the strong association between low academic performance and behavior problems in students with ED it would be beneficial to observe how both of these variables interact as it pertains to Latino students with ED in a culturally competent environment.
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