January 17, 2024 • 21 mins
In this episode of Inquiry Oasis, Dr. Adai Tefera, an associate professor of special education at the University of Arizona's College of Education delves into her pivotal research on racial disparities in special education, examining the complex interplay of race, disability, language, and other social factors. We take a look at Dr. Tefera’s article she co-authored in the American Educational Research Journal - The Aftermath of Disproportionality Citations: Situating Disability-Race Intersections in Historical, Spatial, and Sociocultural Contexts, and explore the historical, socio-cultural, and spatial contexts shaping educational policies and their impact on students with disabilities. Dr. Tefera's insights illuminate the urgent need for transformative changes in educational equity and policy-making.
Topics Discussed:
- Navigating Intersections: Race and Disability in Education
- A Deeper Look: Disproportionality in Special Education
- Methodological Insights: Uncovering Systemic Inequities
- Breaking New Ground: Key Findings from Dr. Tefera's Research
- The Construct of Defectcraft: Rethinking Disability and Race
- Unveiling Histories: The Impact of Past Policies on Present Practices
- Shaping Futures: Implications for Education in Diverse Communities
Resources:
- Disability and Difference in Global Contexts: Enabling a Transformative Body Politic – by Nirmala Ervelles
- Toward an Interdisciplinary Understanding of Educational Equity and Difference: The Case of the Racialization of Ability - By Alfredo Artiles
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Jeffrey Anthony (00:01):
Welcome to the Inquiry Oasis, the
University of Arizona Collegeof Education's podcast.
Here, in the heart ofthe Sonoran Desert.
We bring you conversations withour esteemed faculty members and
staff, whose research impactslives from southern Arizona to
the far reaches of the globe.
We explore the transformativepower of education in this
(00:21):
border town, where diversecultures and ideas converge,
weaving a tapestry ofinnovation with compassion.
So join us as we journeythrough the sands of
curiosity, unearthing insightsthat enrich and inspire.
Sit back and relax aswe invite you to dive
into the Inquiry Oasis.
(00:44):
Thank you for tuninginto the Inquiry Oasis.
I'm your host.
Jeffrey Anthony, andwe're to welcome Dr.
Adai Tefera, an associateprofessor of special
education here at theCollege of Education.
Dr.
interdisciplinary scholarshipdelves into the dynamics
of educational policies,particularly as they intersect
with race, disability,language, and other
(01:05):
pivotal social categories.
Her recent explorationsIlluminate how
historical socio-culturaland spatial context.
Influence educators andleaders' responses to citations
for disproportionalityin the identification,
placement, and discipline ofstudents with disabilities.
Today, our conversation centersaround an article for which Dr.
(01:25):
Tefera is the which is featuredin the American Educational
Research Journal titled TheAftermath of Disproportionality
Citations Situating DisabilityRace Intersections in
Historical, Spatial, andSociocultural Contexts.
This article interrogatesthe complex landscape of
racial disparities in specialeducation, particularly
(01:45):
focusing on an unnamed suburbanschool district with a history
disproportionate disciplinaryactions against black students.
So without further ado,let's embark on this
journey of explorationand discovery with Dr.
Tefera here inthe Inquiry Oasis.
Dr.
Tefera, it's a pleasureto chat with you today.
Dr. Adai Tefera (02:04):
Thank you so much, Jeffrey.
It's really great to be here.
Jeffrey Anthony (02:07):
We're so happy that you are here.
And so before we dive intothe discussion on the article
that I mentioned at thetop, uh, can you share a bit
about your journey and what'sdriven you to this field?
Dr. Adai Tefera (02:16):
Yeah.
so thank you for that question.
so much of the work that I do,today and the way that I do it
in terms of research is reallyinformed and inspired by my own
experiences, going to schooland growing up in Albuquerque,
New Mexico, and also beingthe daughter of Ethiopian
immigrants, with a sister whoexperienced special education.
(02:37):
And growing up in New Mexico.
is it was, and is aplace of rich culture and
history and diversity.
And so I was really fortunateto attend schools, with
mostly Latino, indigenous andwhite students, not a lot of
black students, but a lot ofdiversity, both racial diversity
(02:57):
and linguistic diversity.
And, and I learned so much.
I learned so much just,about, about the culture
of the students and theirfamilies, and I have really
fond experiences in terms ofmy schooling in New Mexico.
At the same time, there werevery clear memories that I
have of sort of observing,differences in the ways that
(03:20):
students received their learningand educational opportunities.
So, witnessing my ownparents experiences
advocating for my sister,to receive, a challenging
and adequate curriculum.
And at the time, in the eightiesand in the nineties, there was
this push in special educationfor sort of life skills, right?
So the emphasis wasn't onreading and writing and math.
(03:44):
but on things like, recyclingaluminum cans and also,
picking up trash aroundcampus like these were
the kinds of activities mysister, engaged in school.
And so my parents knew veryclearly that she could do more.
And so I have clearmemories of the frustration
and the challenges.
And particularly as parentswho are not from the U.
(04:06):
S., who are immigrantsand who, are black
immigrants in particular.
And many times the frustrationwas about, not feeling respected
or understood or heard.
that was really important to meand also my own experiences in
seeing the ways that studentsof color were often placed
in, In general educationclassrooms and not in quote
unquote gifted classrooms inthe same ways as wealthier
(04:29):
and white students were.
And so I remember those moments.
and years later, I studiedpolitical science and public
policy and was really interestedin, thinking about public
policy as a lever to, enhanceeducational opportunities
for students who have beenhistorically marginalized,
including students ofcolor with disabilities.
(04:51):
So I studied public policyand I studied urban schooling.
And, with this idea ofreally thinking about and
understanding the ways thateducation policy can improve
the lives of students ofcolor with disabilities.
Jeffrey Anthony (05:05):
What an interesting story.
I wanted to jump in to yourarticle, The Aftermath of
Disproportionality Citations,Situating Disability,
Race, Intersections, andHistorical, Spatial, and
Sociocultural Contexts.
It illuminates the complexlandscape of racial disparities
in special education.
The study meticulouslyfocuses on an unnamed suburban
school district with ahistory of disproportionate
(05:27):
disciplinary actions againstBlack students and their
placement in special education.
Through comprehensivemethodologies in the paper,
in interviews with over30 educators and students,
participant observations,and document analysis such
as staff handbooks and newsmedia, You've created a
rich tapestry of insights.
Could you elucidate on thekey findings from this study
and explain the broaderramifications of these
(05:48):
disparities in the pursuitof educational equity?
Dr. Adai Tefera (05:51):
Yeah, sure.
So first I do want toacknowledge that I wrote
this article with colleagues.
So Alfredo Artiles, CatherineVoulgardies, Alexander
Aylward, and Sarah Alvarado.
It was a large team effortand they were also Co-PIs
on the project and it wasfunded by the William T.
Grant Foundation.
The article points to threemain findings and I think What
(06:14):
would be helpful is settingthe context for those findings.
We were interested in thesuburban school district
that had repeated citationsfrom the state for racial
disproportionality interms of discipline and
identifying students ofcolor with disabilities,
disproportionate number.
We worked in this andcollaborated with this
school district, which wasan outer ring suburb that
(06:37):
neighbored an urban community.
And the urban communitywas predominantly, a black
community with public schoolsthat had around 80 to 90
percent black students.
the suburban district that wewere in which it neighbored
was predominantly white around75 percent white and the rest
students of color, most ofwhich were black students and
(06:58):
the history of that space wasalso really important because,
before sort of the CivilRights Movement, and post the
Civil Rights Movement, therewas a lot of white flight
from the urban communityinto the suburban community.
and so that's how theseracial divisions came about.
And so our first findingreally speaks to this role
of history, specificallythe role of racial tensions
(07:22):
around race and integrationbetween the urban community
and what we call Lakeview.
We called this urban communityLakeview, which we found
were actually very muchalive in the present, right?
that history was reallyintegral in terms of how
leaders and educators wereresponding to making sense
of their racial disparitiesin special education.
(07:42):
So one of the things that welearned, for example, that
many of the leaders spoke aboutwas this time of around 20
years ago, 25 years ago now.
where the principal, well, thesuperintendent of the school
district tried to integratethe elementary school.
So in this school districtthat we were in, there
were two elementary schoolsand one middle school and
one high school, and theelementary schools were located
(08:05):
in very different areas.
So the one elementary school wascloser to the urban community
and had mostly students of colorand multilingual students, and
the other was predominantlywhite and wealthier.
And so the superintendent atthe time tried to create, K
1,2, school and then another3,4,5 school with this idea
of if you create the schoolsbased on grade, then it would
(08:27):
foster racial integration.
but what happened was there wasa lot of resistance, from the
white families who wanted tomaintain the school that they
had and were really againstthis, form of integration.
And so they pushed thatsuperintendent out.
So what was very clearamong the leaders that we
interviewed was that moment,taught them that you have
(08:48):
to be very careful abouthow you engage in equitable
kind of practices, right?
That you can't push toohard or do too much.
And so that story helped us tounderstand that that history
and that historical context wasinforming what they were doing
and how they were doing it.
so that role of historyas an important context
to understanding responsesto disproportionality
was really important.
(09:09):
the second finding wasreally around, how.
Space was important andgeography was important
in terms of responsesto disproportionality.
So the relationship againbetween the urban community
and the suburban communityinformed a lot of deficit
perspectives, right?
So many of the teachersthat we talked to, referred
(09:31):
to the students and theirfamilies in very deficit ways.
So one teacher just I willnever probably forget talked
about this idea of quote unquote"urban creep" that we have
disproportionality because wehave a lot of black students
and families moving into ourcommunity, where they, don't
understand the norms of ourcommunity, they're not prepared
(09:55):
academically and they sort ofengage in disruptive behavior.
Right.
So the response was not aboutwhat am I doing as a teacher?
How might we change ourpractices on what kinds
of structures are in placethat may not be supporting a
diverse kind of student body?
And instead, it was reallyabout focusing on these
deficit perspectives.
And then finally, our thirdfinding was, around this idea
(10:19):
of kind of compliance with thelaw or special education policy.
And so what we found wasthat the school district was
complying with individualswith disabilities education act
mandate saying that they neededto use part of their funding
to address these disparities,but they did it in ways
that were really ineffectiveand inadequate, right?
(10:39):
So they would hire a specialed teacher to be in the in
school suspension room, right?
That's really not doing anythingto disrupt or change practice.
They would have a computerprogram for the students
to learn about like social,emotional learning, right?
That might be something that'shelpful, but is it really gonna
change these citation patterns?
one of the key ways thatthey talked about responding
(11:01):
was around this culturallyresponsive training and,
you know, the researchdemonstrates the promise of
and the importance of thinkingabout and understanding
and engaging in culturallyresponsive strategies.
The challenge was that thiswas only for around 20 teachers
and leaders in a district ofaround 300, and, and part of
(11:23):
that was because teachers wereresistant to being forced to
be a part of that training.
And so that resistanceled to just fewer people
being a part of it.
And the idea was like, Oh,that, for many of the teachers
that were in the prominentlylike white elementary school
or wealthier elementaryschool, didn't think it was
quote unquote, their problem.
And so what we learned fromthat finding was that they
(11:45):
were adhering to what thepolicy was requiring as a
way to, disrupt or addresstheir racial disparities,
but those practices reallyweren't fundamentally changing
beliefs or structures orpractices and meaningful ways.
So those were ourthree main findings.
Jeffrey Anthony (12:04):
I want to move on to, uh, this idea that you
present in the paper, which iscalled defectcraft, which is
one word, and you describe itas a sociocultural process that
both protects and marginalizeindividuals with disabilities.
It's evident that thislens offers a nuanced
way of understanding howracial disparities are
constructed and perpetuated,especially in the realms of
disability and education.
(12:26):
Can you elaborate on whyadopting the defectcraft,
lens is crucial forunpacking these disparities?
And moreover, how doesit challenge conventional
narratives surroundingracialized learners and
their intersectionalidentities, especially in
the context of spatial andcultural historical factors?
Dr. Adai Tefera (12:44):
So one of the things that we wanted to do was
move beyond simply asking doesdisproportionality exist or
not, and instead really thinkabout what we call a situated
nature of disproportionality.
So really understanding howthe context that a school
is in shapes responsesto and understandings
about disproportionality.
And my co author and co P.
(13:05):
I Alfredo Artiles haswritten about this
concept of defect craft.
Thank As a way of making visibleon and critically examining the
ways that racial disparitiesand special education emerge.
So this includes examiningthe role of history and of
space as important contextualdynamics to inform the ways
(13:28):
disproportionality exists.
Defectcraft also speaks tothe ways intersectionality,
intersectional identities,related to race and disability
are often not considered, whenthinking and understanding and
examining racial disparitiesin special education.
and then finally, it.
It makes visible the ways thatothering processes and practices
(13:50):
through things like deficitperspectives, become apparent in
the study of disproportionalityand racial disparities,
in special education.
So in effect, Ithink what we are.
So what we're trying to dois to draw on these different
aspects to understand, someof the complexity and the,
and make visible and makeclear some of the complexities
(14:10):
around, how and why disparitiesin special education emerge.
Jeffrey Anthony (14:15):
I'm hearing here, I'm going to riff
a little bit, is that acontext is really important.
I think one thing thatwe've, kind of rely on.
I'm making a broadgeneralization here, though,
is like we want to try tofind universal rules or
are universalized kind ofmoral ways that we should
interact with each other.
But I've noticed fromyour paper is that, that
necessarily isn't helpful.
What's helpful is looking atthe context, which includes
(14:37):
the history, uh, the actualmakeup of the school, the
surrounding communities.
And that's, just asimportant as the findings
that you may come up with.
so now this is one of myfavorite questions, which is,
so during the course of yourresearch, has there been any
discoveries or outcomes thathave taken you by surprise?
Dr. Adai Tefera (14:52):
I mean, I think this speaks to
what you just shared.
I have always been interestedin history and understanding the
role of history and the storiesthat people tell, to shape our
current understandings, right?
Like, I think oftentimes it'seasy, especially in education,
to focus on, like, what are thepolicies we need now to improve
(15:15):
learning or improve outcomes?
But we tend to have anahistorical perspective when it
comes to these things, right?
Like, how many policies dowe see recycled and trying to
do the same sorts of thingsas have been done in the
past without really learningfrom those challenges.
So I don't know that Iwould say, there was a
discovery per se, but Iwould say that it helped me.
(15:38):
More clearly, understandthe importance of history.
And so even if you don't havea research question or you're
not specifically interestedin the history of the space,
I think it's critical to stillbe informed to still understand
how historical dynamics areshaping educational practices.
Jeffrey Anthony (15:58):
Well, thank you for sharing that.
It reminds me a bit ofJohn Dewey's conception of,
keeping things contextualized.
I think it's really important.
And your paper really spoketo the, to that power as well.
Uh, so I want to bring this backto the institutional context.
Why do you believe thisresearch is important to
the community here at theuniversity of Arizona?
Dr. Adai Tefera (16:16):
I love the idea of thinking about the community.
We conducted this study andengaged in the project in a very
different region of the country.
But I, I'm from the Southwestand love Tucson and really think
about, our context in terms ofbeing a border state, being a
state with rich history aroundmultiple languages and cultures.
(16:41):
and so I think what this workhelps bring to the forefront
is, continuing to think about,like you said, context and, how
issues around special educationand maybe multilingual learners,
and students of color and allof these different identities,
come into play in schools in ourcommunity and how the dynamics
(17:03):
around the border and politicaldynamics and historical
dynamics shape those studentslives and outcomes as well.
So I hope this work helpsto, raise new questions,
in thinking about thestudents in our context.
Jeffrey Anthony (17:17):
Thank you for sharing that.
So Dr.
Taffera, if you envisionan ideal future, for K 12
education, especially in thecontext of addressing and
redressing racial disparitiesin special education and
disciplinary actions.
What transformative changeswould you hope to witness?
Dr. Adai Tefera (17:33):
Yeah, I really love this question.
I'm thinking abouttransformative education,
and centering and focusingon youth of color students
of color with disabilities inmaking decisions related to
school policies and practices.
So we have incredible scholarsand folks in our college doing
(17:54):
work that centers young people.
I think about Julio Camarota.
I think about MelanieBertrand and Taucia Gonzalez.
and Taucia Gonzalez hasalso engaged with young
people with disabilitieswho are also multilingual.
as a key part of the schoolsto change and to advance more
(18:14):
equitable and just practices.
And so one of the things thatI'm looking forward to and
collaborating with Dr Bertrandand Dr Gonzalez is dreaming up
this project about how basedon their expertise related to
youth and engaging with youthand participatory methods,
and then some of the work I'vedone around disproportionality
(18:35):
and coming together, to workwith school districts in our
community, and work closelywith students to, engage and
with leaders and with teachersto, uh, change policies
and practices related todisproportionality in terms of
discipline and identification.
Jeffrey Anthony (18:52):
Well, as we near the end of our
conversation, we'd like toask our guests to recommend
a book or a paper that hasbeen meaningful to them.
Could you share one withour audience and explain
how this has impacted you?
Dr. Adai Tefera (19:02):
Yeah.
so I.
would say that, it's hardto choose one, I'm going to
say two, because there's somany foundational scholars.
But there's one scholar,Nirmala Ervelles, who I read
early on as a graduate student.
And her book, Disability andDifference in Global Context,
Enabling a TransformativePolitic, was one of the first,
(19:23):
maybe even the first that I readthat, discussed intersections
of racism and ableism and,um, and intersectionality.
So helped me think morecritically about like, what
does it mean, for students withdisabilities to embody multiple
intersectional identities?
whether they're multilingualstudents with disabilities
(19:43):
or students of colorwith disabilities.
and to think about specialeducation policy and the
ways that those policiesare or are not meeting
the needs of students atmultiple intersections.
So I would say herwork is really pivotal.
and then I would say AlfredoArtiles, who was a co author
on the paper, but was alsoreally foundational in, In
my own thinking, especiallyaround interdisciplinary work.
(20:07):
So his article Toward anInterdisciplinary Understanding
of Educational Equity andDifference, The Case of the
Racialization of Ability,also helps me to think
about drawing on theoriesfrom multiple disciplines,
not just in education.
So in sociology and politicalscience and in public policy, to
more deeply and in more complexways, examine these longstanding
(20:31):
issues in special education interms of equity and inequities.
so both of those scholarsand their work have been
really foundational andpivotal to my own work.
Jeffrey Anthon (20:42):
Well, fantastic.
Thank you for sharing thoseresources and those will
be in the show notes and Dr.
it has truly been an insightfuljourney today unraveling
the multifaceted intricaciesof racial disparities
in special education.
Your dedication to illuminatingthe intersections of race,
disability, and educationprovides a necessary beacon
in the vast landscapeof educational equity.
(21:02):
We anticipate the continuedtransformative impact of
your research in the broadercontext of education.
And thank you, listeners,for joining us today
in the Inquiry Oasis.
We hope ourconversation with Dr.
Tefera has enriched yourperspective and deepened
your understanding of thecomplexities surrounding racial
disparities in special educationand their broader implications.
Remember, we're back on thefirst and third Wednesdays
(21:22):
of every month with freshinsights and conversations,
so be sure to tune in.
Until next time, keep yourcuriosity alive and remember,
knowledge is our oasis.
Welcome to the Inquiry Oasis, the
University of Arizona Collegeof Education's podcast.
Here, in the heart ofthe Sonoran Desert.
We bring you conversations withour esteemed faculty members and
staff, whose research impactslives from southern Arizona to
the far reaches of the globe.
We explore the transformativepower of education in this
(00:21):
border town, where diversecultures and ideas converge,
weaving a tapestry ofinnovation with compassion.
So join us as we journeythrough the sands of
curiosity, unearthing insightsthat enrich and inspire.
Sit back and relax aswe invite you to dive
into the Inquiry Oasis.
(00:44):
Thank you for tuninginto the Inquiry Oasis.
I'm your host.
Jeffrey Anthony, andwe're to welcome Dr.
Adai Tefera, an associateprofessor of special
education here at theCollege of Education.
Dr.
interdisciplinary scholarshipdelves into the dynamics
of educational policies,particularly as they intersect
with race, disability,language, and other
(01:05):
pivotal social categories.
Her recent explorationsIlluminate how
historical socio-culturaland spatial context.
Influence educators andleaders' responses to citations
for disproportionalityin the identification,
placement, and discipline ofstudents with disabilities.
Today, our conversation centersaround an article for which Dr.
(01:25):
Tefera is the which is featuredin the American Educational
Research Journal titled TheAftermath of Disproportionality
Citations Situating DisabilityRace Intersections in
Historical, Spatial, andSociocultural Contexts.
This article interrogatesthe complex landscape of
racial disparities in specialeducation, particularly
(01:45):
focusing on an unnamed suburbanschool district with a history
disproportionate disciplinaryactions against black students.
So without further ado,let's embark on this
journey of explorationand discovery with Dr.
Tefera here inthe Inquiry Oasis.
Dr.
Tefera, it's a pleasureto chat with you today.
Dr. Adai Tefera (02:04):
Thank you so much, Jeffrey.
It's really great to be here.
Jeffrey Anthony (02:07):
We're so happy that you are here.
And so before we dive intothe discussion on the article
that I mentioned at thetop, uh, can you share a bit
about your journey and what'sdriven you to this field?
Dr. Adai Tefera (02:16):
Yeah.
so thank you for that question.
so much of the work that I do,today and the way that I do it
in terms of research is reallyinformed and inspired by my own
experiences, going to schooland growing up in Albuquerque,
New Mexico, and also beingthe daughter of Ethiopian
immigrants, with a sister whoexperienced special education.
(02:37):
And growing up in New Mexico.
is it was, and is aplace of rich culture and
history and diversity.
And so I was really fortunateto attend schools, with
mostly Latino, indigenous andwhite students, not a lot of
black students, but a lot ofdiversity, both racial diversity
(02:57):
and linguistic diversity.
And, and I learned so much.
I learned so much just,about, about the culture
of the students and theirfamilies, and I have really
fond experiences in terms ofmy schooling in New Mexico.
At the same time, there werevery clear memories that I
have of sort of observing,differences in the ways that
(03:20):
students received their learningand educational opportunities.
So, witnessing my ownparents experiences
advocating for my sister,to receive, a challenging
and adequate curriculum.
And at the time, in the eightiesand in the nineties, there was
this push in special educationfor sort of life skills, right?
So the emphasis wasn't onreading and writing and math.
(03:44):
but on things like, recyclingaluminum cans and also,
picking up trash aroundcampus like these were
the kinds of activities mysister, engaged in school.
And so my parents knew veryclearly that she could do more.
And so I have clearmemories of the frustration
and the challenges.
And particularly as parentswho are not from the U.
(04:06):
S., who are immigrantsand who, are black
immigrants in particular.
And many times the frustrationwas about, not feeling respected
or understood or heard.
that was really important to meand also my own experiences in
seeing the ways that studentsof color were often placed
in, In general educationclassrooms and not in quote
unquote gifted classrooms inthe same ways as wealthier
(04:29):
and white students were.
And so I remember those moments.
and years later, I studiedpolitical science and public
policy and was really interestedin, thinking about public
policy as a lever to, enhanceeducational opportunities
for students who have beenhistorically marginalized,
including students ofcolor with disabilities.
(04:51):
So I studied public policyand I studied urban schooling.
And, with this idea ofreally thinking about and
understanding the ways thateducation policy can improve
the lives of students ofcolor with disabilities.
Jeffrey Anthony (05:05):
What an interesting story.
I wanted to jump in to yourarticle, The Aftermath of
Disproportionality Citations,Situating Disability,
Race, Intersections, andHistorical, Spatial, and
Sociocultural Contexts.
It illuminates the complexlandscape of racial disparities
in special education.
The study meticulouslyfocuses on an unnamed suburban
school district with ahistory of disproportionate
(05:27):
disciplinary actions againstBlack students and their
placement in special education.
Through comprehensivemethodologies in the paper,
in interviews with over30 educators and students,
participant observations,and document analysis such
as staff handbooks and newsmedia, You've created a
rich tapestry of insights.
Could you elucidate on thekey findings from this study
and explain the broaderramifications of these
(05:48):
disparities in the pursuitof educational equity?
Dr. Adai Tefera (05:51):
Yeah, sure.
So first I do want toacknowledge that I wrote
this article with colleagues.
So Alfredo Artiles, CatherineVoulgardies, Alexander
Aylward, and Sarah Alvarado.
It was a large team effortand they were also Co-PIs
on the project and it wasfunded by the William T.
Grant Foundation.
The article points to threemain findings and I think What
(06:14):
would be helpful is settingthe context for those findings.
We were interested in thesuburban school district
that had repeated citationsfrom the state for racial
disproportionality interms of discipline and
identifying students ofcolor with disabilities,
disproportionate number.
We worked in this andcollaborated with this
school district, which wasan outer ring suburb that
(06:37):
neighbored an urban community.
And the urban communitywas predominantly, a black
community with public schoolsthat had around 80 to 90
percent black students.
the suburban district that wewere in which it neighbored
was predominantly white around75 percent white and the rest
students of color, most ofwhich were black students and
(06:58):
the history of that space wasalso really important because,
before sort of the CivilRights Movement, and post the
Civil Rights Movement, therewas a lot of white flight
from the urban communityinto the suburban community.
and so that's how theseracial divisions came about.
And so our first findingreally speaks to this role
of history, specificallythe role of racial tensions
(07:22):
around race and integrationbetween the urban community
and what we call Lakeview.
We called this urban communityLakeview, which we found
were actually very muchalive in the present, right?
that history was reallyintegral in terms of how
leaders and educators wereresponding to making sense
of their racial disparitiesin special education.
(07:42):
So one of the things that welearned, for example, that
many of the leaders spoke aboutwas this time of around 20
years ago, 25 years ago now.
where the principal, well, thesuperintendent of the school
district tried to integratethe elementary school.
So in this school districtthat we were in, there
were two elementary schoolsand one middle school and
one high school, and theelementary schools were located
(08:05):
in very different areas.
So the one elementary school wascloser to the urban community
and had mostly students of colorand multilingual students, and
the other was predominantlywhite and wealthier.
And so the superintendent atthe time tried to create, K
1,2, school and then another3,4,5 school with this idea
of if you create the schoolsbased on grade, then it would
(08:27):
foster racial integration.
but what happened was there wasa lot of resistance, from the
white families who wanted tomaintain the school that they
had and were really againstthis, form of integration.
And so they pushed thatsuperintendent out.
So what was very clearamong the leaders that we
interviewed was that moment,taught them that you have
(08:48):
to be very careful abouthow you engage in equitable
kind of practices, right?
That you can't push toohard or do too much.
And so that story helped us tounderstand that that history
and that historical context wasinforming what they were doing
and how they were doing it.
so that role of historyas an important context
to understanding responsesto disproportionality
was really important.
(09:09):
the second finding wasreally around, how.
Space was important andgeography was important
in terms of responsesto disproportionality.
So the relationship againbetween the urban community
and the suburban communityinformed a lot of deficit
perspectives, right?
So many of the teachersthat we talked to, referred
(09:31):
to the students and theirfamilies in very deficit ways.
So one teacher just I willnever probably forget talked
about this idea of quote unquote"urban creep" that we have
disproportionality because wehave a lot of black students
and families moving into ourcommunity, where they, don't
understand the norms of ourcommunity, they're not prepared
(09:55):
academically and they sort ofengage in disruptive behavior.
Right.
So the response was not aboutwhat am I doing as a teacher?
How might we change ourpractices on what kinds
of structures are in placethat may not be supporting a
diverse kind of student body?
And instead, it was reallyabout focusing on these
deficit perspectives.
And then finally, our thirdfinding was, around this idea
(10:19):
of kind of compliance with thelaw or special education policy.
And so what we found wasthat the school district was
complying with individualswith disabilities education act
mandate saying that they neededto use part of their funding
to address these disparities,but they did it in ways
that were really ineffectiveand inadequate, right?
(10:39):
So they would hire a specialed teacher to be in the in
school suspension room, right?
That's really not doing anythingto disrupt or change practice.
They would have a computerprogram for the students
to learn about like social,emotional learning, right?
That might be something that'shelpful, but is it really gonna
change these citation patterns?
one of the key ways thatthey talked about responding
(11:01):
was around this culturallyresponsive training and,
you know, the researchdemonstrates the promise of
and the importance of thinkingabout and understanding
and engaging in culturallyresponsive strategies.
The challenge was that thiswas only for around 20 teachers
and leaders in a district ofaround 300, and, and part of
(11:23):
that was because teachers wereresistant to being forced to
be a part of that training.
And so that resistanceled to just fewer people
being a part of it.
And the idea was like, Oh,that, for many of the teachers
that were in the prominentlylike white elementary school
or wealthier elementaryschool, didn't think it was
quote unquote, their problem.
And so what we learned fromthat finding was that they
(11:45):
were adhering to what thepolicy was requiring as a
way to, disrupt or addresstheir racial disparities,
but those practices reallyweren't fundamentally changing
beliefs or structures orpractices and meaningful ways.
So those were ourthree main findings.
Jeffrey Anthony (12:04):
I want to move on to, uh, this idea that you
present in the paper, which iscalled defectcraft, which is
one word, and you describe itas a sociocultural process that
both protects and marginalizeindividuals with disabilities.
It's evident that thislens offers a nuanced
way of understanding howracial disparities are
constructed and perpetuated,especially in the realms of
disability and education.
(12:26):
Can you elaborate on whyadopting the defectcraft,
lens is crucial forunpacking these disparities?
And moreover, how doesit challenge conventional
narratives surroundingracialized learners and
their intersectionalidentities, especially in
the context of spatial andcultural historical factors?
Dr. Adai Tefera (12:44):
So one of the things that we wanted to do was
move beyond simply asking doesdisproportionality exist or
not, and instead really thinkabout what we call a situated
nature of disproportionality.
So really understanding howthe context that a school
is in shapes responsesto and understandings
about disproportionality.
And my co author and co P.
(13:05):
I Alfredo Artiles haswritten about this
concept of defect craft.
Thank As a way of making visibleon and critically examining the
ways that racial disparitiesand special education emerge.
So this includes examiningthe role of history and of
space as important contextualdynamics to inform the ways
(13:28):
disproportionality exists.
Defectcraft also speaks tothe ways intersectionality,
intersectional identities,related to race and disability
are often not considered, whenthinking and understanding and
examining racial disparitiesin special education.
and then finally, it.
It makes visible the ways thatothering processes and practices
(13:50):
through things like deficitperspectives, become apparent in
the study of disproportionalityand racial disparities,
in special education.
So in effect, Ithink what we are.
So what we're trying to dois to draw on these different
aspects to understand, someof the complexity and the,
and make visible and makeclear some of the complexities
(14:10):
around, how and why disparitiesin special education emerge.
Jeffrey Anthony (14:15):
I'm hearing here, I'm going to riff
a little bit, is that acontext is really important.
I think one thing thatwe've, kind of rely on.
I'm making a broadgeneralization here, though,
is like we want to try tofind universal rules or
are universalized kind ofmoral ways that we should
interact with each other.
But I've noticed fromyour paper is that, that
necessarily isn't helpful.
What's helpful is looking atthe context, which includes
(14:37):
the history, uh, the actualmakeup of the school, the
surrounding communities.
And that's, just asimportant as the findings
that you may come up with.
so now this is one of myfavorite questions, which is,
so during the course of yourresearch, has there been any
discoveries or outcomes thathave taken you by surprise?
Dr. Adai Tefera (14:52):
I mean, I think this speaks to
what you just shared.
I have always been interestedin history and understanding the
role of history and the storiesthat people tell, to shape our
current understandings, right?
Like, I think oftentimes it'seasy, especially in education,
to focus on, like, what are thepolicies we need now to improve
(15:15):
learning or improve outcomes?
But we tend to have anahistorical perspective when it
comes to these things, right?
Like, how many policies dowe see recycled and trying to
do the same sorts of thingsas have been done in the
past without really learningfrom those challenges.
So I don't know that Iwould say, there was a
discovery per se, but Iwould say that it helped me.
(15:38):
More clearly, understandthe importance of history.
And so even if you don't havea research question or you're
not specifically interestedin the history of the space,
I think it's critical to stillbe informed to still understand
how historical dynamics areshaping educational practices.
Jeffrey Anthony (15:58):
Well, thank you for sharing that.
It reminds me a bit ofJohn Dewey's conception of,
keeping things contextualized.
I think it's really important.
And your paper really spoketo the, to that power as well.
Uh, so I want to bring this backto the institutional context.
Why do you believe thisresearch is important to
the community here at theuniversity of Arizona?
Dr. Adai Tefera (16:16):
I love the idea of thinking about the community.
We conducted this study andengaged in the project in a very
different region of the country.
But I, I'm from the Southwestand love Tucson and really think
about, our context in terms ofbeing a border state, being a
state with rich history aroundmultiple languages and cultures.
(16:41):
and so I think what this workhelps bring to the forefront
is, continuing to think about,like you said, context and, how
issues around special educationand maybe multilingual learners,
and students of color and allof these different identities,
come into play in schools in ourcommunity and how the dynamics
(17:03):
around the border and politicaldynamics and historical
dynamics shape those studentslives and outcomes as well.
So I hope this work helpsto, raise new questions,
in thinking about thestudents in our context.
Jeffrey Anthony (17:17):
Thank you for sharing that.
So Dr.
Taffera, if you envisionan ideal future, for K 12
education, especially in thecontext of addressing and
redressing racial disparitiesin special education and
disciplinary actions.
What transformative changeswould you hope to witness?
Dr. Adai Tefera (17:33):
Yeah, I really love this question.
I'm thinking abouttransformative education,
and centering and focusingon youth of color students
of color with disabilities inmaking decisions related to
school policies and practices.
So we have incredible scholarsand folks in our college doing
(17:54):
work that centers young people.
I think about Julio Camarota.
I think about MelanieBertrand and Taucia Gonzalez.
and Taucia Gonzalez hasalso engaged with young
people with disabilitieswho are also multilingual.
as a key part of the schoolsto change and to advance more
(18:14):
equitable and just practices.
And so one of the things thatI'm looking forward to and
collaborating with Dr Bertrandand Dr Gonzalez is dreaming up
this project about how basedon their expertise related to
youth and engaging with youthand participatory methods,
and then some of the work I'vedone around disproportionality
(18:35):
and coming together, to workwith school districts in our
community, and work closelywith students to, engage and
with leaders and with teachersto, uh, change policies
and practices related todisproportionality in terms of
discipline and identification.
Jeffrey Anthony (18:52):
Well, as we near the end of our
conversation, we'd like toask our guests to recommend
a book or a paper that hasbeen meaningful to them.
Could you share one withour audience and explain
how this has impacted you?
Dr. Adai Tefera (19:02):
Yeah.
so I.
would say that, it's hardto choose one, I'm going to
say two, because there's somany foundational scholars.
But there's one scholar,Nirmala Ervelles, who I read
early on as a graduate student.
And her book, Disability andDifference in Global Context,
Enabling a TransformativePolitic, was one of the first,
(19:23):
maybe even the first that I readthat, discussed intersections
of racism and ableism and,um, and intersectionality.
So helped me think morecritically about like, what
does it mean, for students withdisabilities to embody multiple
intersectional identities?
whether they're multilingualstudents with disabilities
(19:43):
or students of colorwith disabilities.
and to think about specialeducation policy and the
ways that those policiesare or are not meeting
the needs of students atmultiple intersections.
So I would say herwork is really pivotal.
and then I would say AlfredoArtiles, who was a co author
on the paper, but was alsoreally foundational in, In
my own thinking, especiallyaround interdisciplinary work.
(20:07):
So his article Toward anInterdisciplinary Understanding
of Educational Equity andDifference, The Case of the
Racialization of Ability,also helps me to think
about drawing on theoriesfrom multiple disciplines,
not just in education.
So in sociology and politicalscience and in public policy, to
more deeply and in more complexways, examine these longstanding
(20:31):
issues in special education interms of equity and inequities.
so both of those scholarsand their work have been
really foundational andpivotal to my own work.
Jeffrey Anthon (20:42):
Well, fantastic.
Thank you for sharing thoseresources and those will
be in the show notes and Dr.
it has truly been an insightfuljourney today unraveling
the multifaceted intricaciesof racial disparities
in special education.
Your dedication to illuminatingthe intersections of race,
disability, and educationprovides a necessary beacon
in the vast landscapeof educational equity.
(21:02):
We anticipate the continuedtransformative impact of
your research in the broadercontext of education.
And thank you, listeners,for joining us today
in the Inquiry Oasis.
We hope ourconversation with Dr.
Tefera has enriched yourperspective and deepened
your understanding of thecomplexities surrounding racial
disparities in special educationand their broader implications.
Remember, we're back on thefirst and third Wednesdays
(21:22):
of every month with freshinsights and conversations,
so be sure to tune in.
Until next time, keep yourcuriosity alive and remember,
knowledge is our oasis.
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