Betsi Jackson
University of Kansas, Special Education, Graduate Student
- Washburn University, Social Work, Graduate Studentadd
- I'm a licensed social worker, with a graduate degree from Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas. I have a special interest in school social work, and I completed the school social work track at Washburn University. My interest in school social work began when I was working at an alternative high school, Center for Restorative Education. It is a credit recovery program based on restorative practices, which are int... moreI'm a licensed social worker, with a graduate degree from Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas. I have a special interest in school social work, and I completed the school social work track at Washburn University.
My interest in school social work began when I was working at an alternative high school, Center for Restorative Education. It is a credit recovery program based on restorative practices, which are interested in repairing relationships, not just punishing bad behavior. I learned how to use circles to create community, which in turn created a safe place for students to recover, not only credits, but also their self-esteem and respect.
I am the research assistant to Dr. K.M. Kwong, of Washburn University. We are currently working on a pilot study--Validation of the Clinical Social Work Competency Checklist. This checklist will be used to both help students to learn how to be better clinical social workers, and may be used as a summative measure of competency.
My interest in research has also led me to survey the teachers at Shawnee Heights High School. I asked them to rate what are the most important traits a student can display in order to succeed in their classrooms. This information will then be used to create an assessment and monitoring measurement that is not only qualitative, but quantitative. In other words, it will give us data to measure a student's progress as well as the teacher's anecdotal information.
I am looking forward to using the skills I've learned in my experiences and my classes to join a work force that is challenging and rewarding. I not only have skills from working at the alternative high school, my practica, and my classes, but also my experiences before them. I have an undergraduate degree in English and worked as an editor and proofreader for a publishing company. Also, I owned my own photography business. All of these experiences, plus creativity, come together to give me a skill set that is an asset.edit
Context: Girls of Color are overrepresented in school disciplinary actions based on subjectively judged, minor infractions. Studies have consistently shown that this exclusionary discipline has long-lasting impact on Girls of Color and... more
Context: Girls of Color are overrepresented in school disciplinary actions based on subjectively judged, minor infractions. Studies have consistently shown that this exclusionary discipline has long-lasting impact on Girls of Color and their educational outcomes, including increased risk for pushout and involvement in the criminal legal system. Focus of Study: We sought to uncover the processes that animate the statistics of overrepresentation of Girls of Color in disciplinary actions. Said differently, we sought to understand where, how, and why Girls of Color were being disciplined in schools. Using a Disability Critical Race Theory (DisCrit) lens and centering the voices of Girls' of Color, this empirical study was guided by the question, What mechanisms propel and dispel disciplinary inequities for Girls of Color? Research Design: The qualitative research took place in a suburban school district in the Midwestern United States marked by increasing racial, cultural, and linguistic diversity. This was part of a larger two-year study that Conclusions/Recommendations: Our analysis revealed the ways in which discipline disparities were animated by inequitable academic and behavioral responses of teachers to classroom interactions, which we name debilitating practices. Further, Girls of Color embodied repositioning as ways of maintaining their integrity and individuality when experiencing academic and behavioral injustices. We conclude with major implications for school personnel: (a) academically, educators must reflect on how ability is distributed and withheld in the classroom along racialized and gendered lines, and (b) behaviorally, positive behavior supports should be imagined and implemented through a race and gender conscious lens. Though we focus on classroom interactions, we also understand that public schools, schools of education, and society all have a role to play in dismantling the school-prison nexus. However, classroom interactions continue to be identified as the source of disciplinary disparities in both quantitative and qualitative studies. Consequently, teachers have an opportunity to change their classroom practices to academically and behaviorally support Girls of Color.
Research Interests:
Context Girls of Color are overrepresented in school disciplinary actions based on subjectively judged, minor infractions. Studies have consistently shown that this exclusionary discipline has long-lasting impact on Girls of Color and... more
Context Girls of Color are overrepresented in school disciplinary actions based on subjectively judged, minor infractions. Studies have consistently shown that this exclusionary discipline has long-lasting impact on Girls of Color and their educational outcomes, including increased risk for pushout and involvement in the criminal legal system. Focus of Study We sought to uncover the processes that animate the statistics of overrepre-sentation of Girls of Color in disciplinary actions. Said differently, we sought to understand where, how, and why Girls of Color were being disciplined in schools. Using a Disability Critical Race Theory (DisCrit) lens and centering the voices of Girls’ of Color, this empirical study was guided by the question, What mechanisms propel and dispel disciplinary inequities for Girls of Color? Research Design The qualitative research took place in a suburban school district in the Midwestern United States marked by increasing racial, cultural, and linguistic ...
Research Interests:
Context: Girls of Color are overrepresented in school disciplinary actions based on subjectively judged, minor infractions. Studies have consistently shown that this exclusionary discipline has long-lasting impact on Girls of Color and... more
Context: Girls of Color are overrepresented in school disciplinary actions based on subjectively judged, minor infractions. Studies have consistently shown that this exclusionary discipline has long-lasting impact on Girls of Color and their educational outcomes, including increased risk for pushout and involvement in the criminal legal system. Focus of Study: We sought to uncover the processes that animate the statistics of overrepresentation of Girls of Color in disciplinary actions. Said differently, we sought to understand where, how, and why Girls of Color were being disciplined in schools. Using a Disability Critical Race Theory (DisCrit) lens and centering the voices of Girls' of Color, this empirical study was guided by the question, What mechanisms propel and dispel disciplinary inequities for Girls of Color? Research Design: The qualitative research took place in a suburban school district in the Midwestern United States marked by increasing racial, cultural, and linguistic diversity. This was part of a larger two-year study that Conclusions/Recommendations: Our analysis revealed the ways in which discipline disparities were animated by inequitable academic and behavioral responses of teachers to classroom interactions, which we name debilitating practices. Further, Girls of Color embodied repositioning as ways of maintaining their integrity and individuality when experiencing academic and behavioral injustices. We conclude with major implications for school personnel: (a) academically, educators must reflect on how ability is distributed and withheld in the classroom along racialized and gendered lines, and (b) behaviorally, positive behavior supports should be imagined and implemented through a race and gender conscious lens. Though we focus on classroom interactions, we also understand that public schools, schools of education, and society all have a role to play in dismantling the school-prison nexus. However, classroom interactions continue to be identified as the source of disciplinary disparities in both quantitative and qualitative studies. Consequently, teachers have an opportunity to change their classroom practices to academically and behaviorally support Girls of Color.