Equity Action Items

Action Item 1- Professional Development

Develop and implement a professional development plan for all staff that includes professional learning about foundational concepts of equity, culturally proficient practices, and strategies to ensure every student is safe and included at school.

Expected Results

1. Identifiable procedures and practices that address educational equity

2. District administrators, building administrators, and teacher leaders will lead improvement efforts focused on educational equity and cultural proficiency at every level of the school system

Strategies to Achieve Expected Results

1. Continue staff learning

2. Identify cultural proficiency skills and behaviors that can be observed during walkthroughs

3. Include more diverse voices in decision-making

4. Sustain positive building cultures through relationships among staff, students, family, and community members

Action Item 2- Subgroup Achievement

Utilize a district and building protocol using summative and formative data to monitor the progress of identified subgroups.

Expected Results

1. Quarterly reports using identified data by building

2. Highlight the progress of schools with most significant gaps in academic and behavior achievement

3. Provide quarterly update of 2-3 specific action items identified in the school’s improvement plan

4. 10% increase in the number of students in identified subgroups performing proficient or higher on state and local assessments

5. Increased performance level of staff members in addressing the learning needs of all students with specific attention to students in identified subgroups

Strategies to Achieve Expected Results

1. Identify metrics for monitoring

2. Establish schedule for meetings among administrators and partners

3. Determine key factors for individual students with the largest gaps in achievement and establish site-level and student-level resources to supplement classroom engagement

4. Review existing data dashboards to include equity-based data

Action Item 3- Engage the Community

Increase community involvement/engagement to support District-wide initiatives and building School Improvement Plans.

Expected Results

1. Establish an Equity Community Walk protocol for schools

2. Design and implement a parent advisory group which mirrors the District’s diversity

Strategies to Achieve Expected Results

1. Conduct Equity Community Walks at each school. 

2. Create and implement training to support Equity Walks

3. Identify community partners and inventory their current support for student learning. 

4. Develop parent advisory group that represents and reflects the diversity of learners in the district.

5. Evaluate the accessibility of community services and resources including satisfaction surveys.   Identify unmet needs.

Action Item 4- Hire a Diverse Workforce

Develop and monitor a system to recruit, hire, retain, and promote a diverse workforce within the District.  We want to employ people who may be different from each other and who do not all come from the same background. The differences may be those of national origin, physical appearance, religion, education, age, gender, or sexual orientation.

Expected Results

1. Cultural make-up of administrators, teachers, and support staff mirrors student make-up

2. New staff of non-dominant cultures will remain in the district a minimum of 5 years

3. The percentage of staff of non-dominant cultures in each classification is the same as the student body and staff of non-dominant cultures are promoted to leadership positions within their classification

4. District administrator and teacher recruiting efforts are targeted areas to recruit high quality educators from non-dominant cultures

5. New teachers being hired will participate in equity/cultural proficiency trainings as part of their professional growth

Strategies to Achieve Expected Results

1. Cultivate homegrown talent – Monitor and support students from non-dominant cultures who have shown interest in teaching.  Partner with colleges to promote local efforts.

2. Recruit community members to participate in the district hiring process.

3. Recruitment of students from non-dominant cultures from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)

4. Cohort program – Mentors in the district will take support new hires to achieve success and retention.

5. Ensure more diversity among district-level personnel

Action Item 5- Culturally Responsive Practices

Infuse culturally responsive practices in our classrooms and school buildings. Culturally responsive practices include those practices that are free from discrimination and bias while being welcoming, inclusive and responsive to the diverse experiences and needs of our school community.

Expected Results

1. Staff will respect and seek to understand diverse perspectives.

2. Learners will feel valued as individuals.

3. Parents/Community members will feel welcomed and valued as individuals.

Strategies to Achieve Expected Results

1. Knowing self through district provided shared belief experiences and other ongoing professional development for all staff

2. Share resources with staff in order to recognize their own biases, blind spots, strengths, and challenges

3. Cultural proficiency professional development for staff

Action Item 6- School Climate

Grow and support positive trusting relationships across all district stakeholder groups and individuals. All staff members will work to build trusting relationships between learners, staff, parents, and community members.

Expected Results

1. Staff will interact responsively with all learners, parents and community members.

2. Staff will facilitate dialogue that builds trust among all groups.

3. Learners will feel physically, intellectually, culturally, and social-emotionally safe and included in the school environment.

4. Parents and community members will appropriately engage and interact in the school setting.

Strategies to Achieve Expected Results

1. Ongoing professional development for all staff related to developing trusting relationships with learners and families

2. Provide and promote varied opportunities to interact positively with all stakeholders so that staff will understand family systems;  Families will understand staff perspectives and backgrounds

3. Utilize student leadership clubs at all levels to provide a safe environment for all learners

4. Disaggregated perceptual surveys will be developed for learners, staff and parents/community

5. Refine building discipline models to include restorative practices

Action Item 7- Curriculum and Instruction

Assure that curriculum, materials, instructional practices, and assessment are free of discrimination and bias and celebrate the diversity of humankind.

Expected Results

1. Staff will provide and deliver culturally responsive curriculum and materials to learners.

2. Learners will use their knowledge and experiences to understand diverse perspectives and integrate skills and information.

3. Parents and community members will be aware of the curriculum and materials being used and appropriately share any concerns or questions that arise.

4. All stakeholders will advocate for a greater understanding and appreciation of the contributions and enrichments of a diverse society through curriculum, instruction and assessment.

Strategies to Achieve Expected Results

1. Collect disaggregated course enrollment data to share and discuss yearly. 

2. Develop an action plan to increase access to AP courses and career opportunities for all learners, specifically focusing on historically marginalized populations.

3. Staff development to enhance skills in seeking and utilizing diverse materials and resources in an integrated meaningful and sensitive manner.

4. Develop a diverse team of learners, staff and community members to review new and existing educational materials.

Action Item 8- Student Involvement & Recognition

Provide equitable opportunities for all learners to take part in co-curricular activities and scholarships/awards that address their strengths and interests.

Expected Results

1. Staff will encourage and support the involvement of all learners in co-curricular activities.

2. Learners will engage in appropriate co-curricular activities.

3. Parents and community members will encourage and support learners to engage in appropriate co-curricular activities.

4. Staff and community members will be encouraged to support learners through the scholarship process.

Strategies to Achieve Expected Results

1. Collect disaggregated co-curricular and scholarships/awards data to share and discuss yearly.

2. Create attendance records for clubs at all levels

3. Student leaders in all areas will share information about co-curricular experiences with parent and community groups. Staff will gather feedback from students and families.

4. Acknowledge all scholarships 

5. Expand upon the diversity/breadth of awards given in schools