In line with the Department of Education’s Title II programming,
UPstander International provides professional development geared
towards increasing academic achievement by improving teacher and
principal quality. UPstander International concentrates in the
areas of cultural competence as well as issues of black male
achievement. Increasing the effectiveness of teachers and
principals is seen as key to meeting the challenges of increased
diversity in classrooms. UPstander International trains
educators on strategies to decrease the educational gaps that
exist in our current educational environment. Depending on the
needs of the school, part of this professional development
concentrates on black males. Using long term data which indicate
that young black males are under-represented in rigorous
instruction, gifted and talented programs, honors/AP courses and
International Baccalaureate programs and over-represented in
discipline referrals and suspension/expulsion rates, this
workshop examines the societal perce