An ethnographic study of norms of inclusion and cooperation in a multiethnic middle school

Abstract

This study used ethnographic methods to examine cultural norms regarding inclusion and cooperation at Banner Middle School, in a western U.S. metropolitan area. Banner's students were predominantly working-class Caucasians and Chicanos. Much middle-school and multicultural educational literature calls for the inclusion of students of diverse abilities and race or ethnicity in school and classroom contexts, and for cooperative rather than competitive norms. There was generally powerful and consistent support at Banner for inclusive and cooperative norms at the sociocultural levels of the school as an institution, peer groups, and parents. Two factors stand out in explaining the high degree of inclusion and cooperation: the strong, effective leadership provided by the principal and the cultural congruity of these norms. This study supports the theoretical compatibility of middle-school and multicultural educational philosophy.

The Principal's Role in Creating Inclusive Schools for Diverse Students: A Review of Normative, Empirical, and Critical Literature on the Practice of Educational Administration

“…• adopting a personalizing strategy and treating children as individuals rather than as representatives of a social group (Katz, 1999;Sather, 1999;Winfield et al, 1993) • appreciating the cultural knowledge that students bring to school and using it to help teachers and principals learn students' cultures (Katz, 1999;Parker & Shapiro, 1993) • embracing interethnic conflict when it occurs and using it as an opportunity for making positive changes (Miron, 1997;Walker, 1999) • creating a caring environment and a high level of cooperation among students, teachers, and families (Deering, 1996;Katz, 1999) • holding high expectations for all students (Baptiste, 1999) • focusing on academic achievement and providing appropriate supports (Cuban, 1989;Dwyer, 1986;Katz, 1999) • reconfiguring school structures through looping and detracking to ensure equal and effective access to instruction (Katz, 1999; • encouraging teachers to examine their practices for possible race, class, or gender biases (Parker & Shapiro, 1993;Reed, 1978;Shakeshaft, 1993) • taking strong steps to work with parents, meeting parents in their homes and work sites, establishing linguistic equity by providing translators whenever needed, and developing parent competencies in leadership and other areas (Katz, 1999;Miron, 1997;Parker & Shapiro, 1993) • taking an advocacy approach regarding various forms of discrimination or inequity (Bishop, Foster, & Jubala, 1993;Katz, 1999;Korinek, Walther-Thomas, & Laycock, 1992;Lipsky & Gartner, 1997;Sears, 1993) • maintaining an environment of critique and deconstructing the regularities of practice that serve to disempower some persons and groups (Keyes et al, 1999;Skrtic, 1995). Of all of these strategies, advocacy and critique probably go farthest to differentiate liberal administrative practice that promotes "learning for all" from transformative practice that explicitly seeks justice and social transformation.…”

The Administrative Climate and Context of Inclusive Elementary Schools

“…While support for inclusive approaches to school improvement is evident in critical components of the current policy environment (Consortium on Inclusive Schooling Practices, 1996; Lipsky & Gartner, 1997), much remains to be known about the cultures, characteristics, and practices of settings in which this is actually occurring. With few exceptions (e.g., Fisher, Sax, & Grove, 2000;Keyes, Hanley-Maxwell, & Capper, 1999;Salisbury, Palombaro, & Hollowood, 1993), research about these issues has been implemented in settings in which the term inclusion describes approaches to education with school populations that are diverse in terms of ethnicity and race (e.g., Deering, 1996;Dei, James, Karumanchery, James-Wilson, & Zine, 2000), but not necessarily disability.…”

Making Space in the Standards Agenda: Developing Inclusive Practices in Schools

“…Whilst the operation of dissonance provided a dynamic for school action, and influenced its scope, our findings suggest that there were other critical factors that impacted on where space opened up, how substantial it was and what outcomes resulted. Not surprisingly, the way actions were carried through and the impact they had was partly dependent on a range of factors whose importance to organisational development has been widely noted in research literature, including the nature of school culture and, particularly, of leadership within the school (see, for example, Deering, 1996;Dyson & Millward, 2000;Hunt et al, 2000;Kugelmass, 2001). Where leadership was effective, it was a combination of qualities in the headteacher that seemed to be crucial to the development of new approaches, including an openness to problematic issues and a willingness to explore them, a preparedness to take risks, and competence at implementing new initiatives.…”