Public Policy and Arts Administration (PPAA) Column: Summer 2023

A Sense of Belonging and Public Policy

Public policy influences all aspects of education, including what we teach in a classroom. What is taught or—more critically—what is left out of a lesson can impact a sense of belonging for students who have been historically marginalized. For example, according to Schwartz (2023), Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed a law in June 2021 that limits the ways teachers can discuss race and gender. A bill proposed in 2023 would mandate that the state’s Department of Education create a website for students and parents to report violations. If the department finds a violation credible, and the district doesn’t take action to correct it, the district could be fined between $500 and $5,000. Similarly, in Maine, Republicans introduced a bill in the 2023 session that would prohibit teaching “critical race theory, social and emotional learning, and diversity, equity, and inclusion” (as cited in Schwartz, 2023, Table). Schwartz states that “the trend has proved to be an ongoing minefield for teachers and school districts, some of whom have already faced challenges to lessons and professional development courses in states where these laws have passed” (2023, para. 2). Including some groups in the curriculum while excluding others sends a silent message about whose group is most important. When students see themselves represented in a curriculum, it signifies that their culture is worthy of inclusion.

Cemalcilar (2010) studied 799 middle school students in hopes of better understanding what contributes to a student’s sense of belonging. The author found that students’ satisfaction with social relationships in the school and the school environment directly impacts their sense of school belonging. Korpershoek et al. (2020) found that a student’s sense of belonging plays a vital role in a student’s school life. Murphy & Zirkel (2015) “explore how concerns about belonging in academic contexts may have different meaning for—and thus differentially affect the academic outcomes of—White students compared with underrepresented racial and ethnic minority students” (p. 1). Ultimately, students experience a sense of belonging through an inclusive and positive school environment.

Leaders for equity seek ways to create an educational environment where all students feel they belong. Leaders can disrupt the status quo by viewing current educational institutes and policies through a critical multicultural lens. Steinbach (2013) suggests that using a critical multicultural pedagogy can encourage teachers and school leaders to use school practices to uncover personal attitudes toward racial, ethnic, linguistic, religious, and cultural groups, as well as design lessons that require students to acquire knowledge of histories and cultures of diverse groups (p. 43).

Public policy influences all aspects of education. As art leaders and educators, we are responsible for advocating for our students for fair and equitable policies. Doing so will contribute to a sense of belonging for students who have been historically marginalized.

References

Cemalcilar, Z. (2010). Schools as socialisation contexts: Understanding the impact of school climate factors on students’ sense of school belonging. Applied Psychology, 59(2), 243–272. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1464-0597.2009.00389.x

Korpershoek, H., Canrinus, E. T., Fokkens-Bruinsma, M., & de Boer, H. (2020). The relationships between school belonging and students’ motivational, social-emotional, behavioral, and academic outcomes in secondary education: A meta-analytic review. Research Papers in Education, 35(6), 641–680.

Murphy, M. C., & Zirkel, S. (2015). Race and belonging in school: How anticipated and experienced belonging affect choice, persistence, and performance. Teachers College Record, 117, Article 120304. https://doi.org/10.1177/016146811511701204

Schwartz, S. (2023, May 5) Map: Where critical race theory is under attack. Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/map-where-critical-race-theory-is-under-attack/2021/06

Steinbach, K. A. (2013). Arts education in an urban school district: Principals’ perspectives and practices in a standards-based environment coupled with an economic downturn [Doctoral thesis, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee]. UWM Digital Commons. https://dc.uwm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?httpsredir=1&article=1316&context=etd

Column by:

Beth Dobberstein, PPAA President. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Email: bethel@UWM.edu

Nina Unitas, President-Elect
Susan Buss, Communication Liaison
Phyllis Roybal, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Commissioner
Clara Murray, Critical Friend
Amanda Galbraith, Critical Friend