Progress Report on Racial Equity and Access for All Students. June 5, 2018 Update to Needham School Committee

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1 Progress Report on Racial Equity and Access for All Students June 5, 2018 Update to Needham School Committee

2 REAL COALITION (Race, Equity, Access, Leadership) The REAL Coalition provides leadership and guidance on eliminating barriers to racial equity and supporting the advancement of all learners in the Needham Public Schools. We are committed to engaging staff, students, families, and community members in conversations and actions that promote equitable practices for all in our community.

3 REAL COALITION (Race, Equity, Access, Leadership) SENSE OF URGENCY TO ADDRESS ISSUES RAISED IN THE EQUITY AUDIT AND ANSWER ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS: How do we engage and educate the community, staff, students and parents on the importance of supporting educational practices that provide equity and excellence for all students? What do we need to do in order to have an interdisciplinary approach to race and equity that becomes part of the fabric of who we are as a school system? How do we create a safe environment for having difficult conversations? How do we create an environment where all members of our community feel safe and valued?

4 Where Are We Now?

5 Response to 2017 Equity Audit Consultant conducts Equity Audit Preliminary findings presented to School Committee Presentation shared broadly with district faculty and community REAL Coalition coordinates additional professional development for district to increase awareness and prepare staff to respond to findings of the audit Equity Audit Report submitted Report disseminated to all faculty members Superintendent and REAL Coalition members hold meeting for district staff members to react to report

6 Response to 2017 Equity Audit March May 2018 June 2018 September 2018 June 2019 And beyond REAL Coalition expands to include members of student body, teachers, parents, and school committee REAL Coalition holds first meeting and finalizes Goals and next steps REAL Coalition meets 3-4 times to address challenges, to check in on district progress towards prioritized goals, and to deepen members understanding of issues related to race, equity, and access as a leadership group The district continues commitment to build on our assets and tackle the issues and challenges of race, equity, and access. Hold ourselves accountable through district and school improvement goals Continue to report on progress

7 Embedding best practices in what we do every day and for the long term: UPDATE on the ongoing work: District Progress Communications and Community Engagement Culture and Climate Professional Learning Curriculum, Programs & Data Policies, Procedures & Practices Hiring/Employment Practices

8 COMMUNICATIONS and COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT REAL Coalition expanded and met monthly throughout the school year to address findings and recommendations from the Equity Audit Equity Audit shared and discussed broadly with District Leadership Team, Faculty, and School PTCs Written communications from the Superintendent and School Administrators -- to all staff with invitations to join the learning about equity; and to all students and families for a swift response to acts of discrimination, intolerance, or hate School Registrar, METCO Director, and ELL Coordinator collaborated to strengthen registration process so that it is inclusive and welcoming for all families

9 COMMUNICATIONS and COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ELL Family Potluck event - brought families and faculty together to strengthen sense of community Needham Clergy Association (NCA) and SLT - met to develop/nurture relationships and discuss our efforts around equity and social and emotional learning Broadmeadow PTC FORUM - Equity & Inclusion: Striving to meet the needs of our increasingly diverse community Eliot PTC launched Multi-Cultural Night program District participation in community events - The Diversity Summit, NCA Community Potluck on Equity, Human Rights Committee Meetings

10 CULTURE and CLIMATE Building and strengthening a system-wide culture of equity where all students & staff feel safe & respected, know that they matter, and that they add value Increased opportunities for difficult conversations around race and equity with students and faculty Pollard Hot Chocolate, Hot Topics High School Join The Conversation formed for staff and students to address challenging issues on race, sexuality, and equality in Needham and around the country Own Your Peace met to brainstorm and plan for new opportunities to engage students in courageous conversations and affinity groups STA Day, Own Your Piece/Peace, One Day, Reach Out

11 CULTURE and CLIMATE Dedicated time at faculty meetings & during professional development for deepening our thinking and understanding on matters of equity and inclusion Expanded libraries to include more diverse resources; made cultural arts more inclusive; displayed culturally diverse materials and posters in schools and health offices Reinforced the Social Emotional Learning framework and practices to create a model platform Social Awareness: The ability to take perspective of and empathize with others across diverse cultures and backgrounds. Relationship Skills: The ability to establish and maintain healthy and rewarding relationships with diverse individuals and groups

12 PROFESSIONAL LEARNING Opportunities for staff to deepen understanding and strengthen competencies: IDEAS courses (Initiatives for Developing Equity and Achievement for Students) throughout the school year and over the summer; and school based consultation EMI to IDEAS 30 Years Later, Persisting in Challenging Times Transforming Difficult Conversations Into Opportunities for Learning - Teachers21 Emerging Best Practices Preventing and Addressing Bias Based Incidents in Schools 2-day conference for administrators Leadership for Inclusive Practices Series: Re-thinking Behavior - Collaborative Problem Solving, Design for variability of all learners, Building community through Justice

13 PROFESSIONAL LEARNING District Wide Mandated Training on Bullying, Discrimination, and Harassment: Ensuring a Safe Non-Discriminatory Environment: Responding to Claims of Discrimination & Harassment School Leadership Team and District Leadership Team meetings agenda dedicated to SEL and Equity including: CASEL framework; DCAP, Culturally Responsive Teaching, Equity Audit, Supporting English Language Learners with consultant Sarah Ottow from Confianza Consultation, Closing The Achievement Gap, with Consultant Adrian Mimms Coalition of Schools Educating Boys of Color (COSEBOC) For Leaders Only Institute with Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings: Squad Goals: Culturally Relevant Approaches to Liberating, Empowering, and Educating Young Men and Boys of Color

14 PROFESSIONAL LEARNING Dr. Kim Parker provided training and consultation to High Rock s ELA teachers on diversifying texts, demonstrating cultural competence in ELA classes, and identifying skills that students need to study texts with diverse experiences and viewpoints Jeff Peroti, Safe Supportive Schools, facilitated PD on Understanding and Supporting LGBTQ students and families at Hillside, nursing department, district-wide workshop Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain presented by author Zaretta Hammond - Team of 15 district and school leaders and educators attended ; book study group and 2 day in-district course also planned LEAP Conference: Inclusive Practices; Culturally Responsive Practices Mental Health and Behavioral Practices

15 PROFESSIONAL LEARNING School Based Consultation and PD from Adrian Mimms, founder of the Calculus Project - Pollard, Mitchell, High Rock Faculty meetings and professional development focused on anti-bias and understanding differences Teaching Tolerance Safe Supportive Schools Linguistically and Culturally Responsive Practices District and School Based Consultation from Sarah Ottow, founder of Confianza Consulting on English Learner Education and Linguistically and Culturally Responsive Practices Supporting Gender Diverse Students - SAYFTEE provided half day workshop to K-12 Guidance Department

16 CURRICULUM, PROGRAMS, and DATA Curriculum Leaders met in vertical teams and focused on alignment and strengthening curriculum and instructional practices History & Social Studies Curriculum Leaders held professional development and faculty meetings with their departments to: Consider marginalized voices in the curriculum Reimagine narratives or approaches to historical inquiry Make our curriculum more personally relevant to a diverse student population Middle and High School ELA teachers presented curriculum projects at joint ELA department meetings. Projects included: Controversial Contemporary Discourse; Examining LGBTQ & Protagonists; Teaching 21st Century Skills through the Greater Boston Project; and Project-Based Learning

17 CURRICULUM, PROGRAMS, and DATA Curriculum Leaders participated in a 2-day seminar on Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) and held ongoing meetings to deepen their understanding and application of CRT Middle School Social Studies Department in partnership with METCO engaged in professional learning to focus on race-conscious US History. PD included in-district consultant L Merchie Frazier scholar and MAAH Ed. Director, day long retreat at the Museum of African American History in Beacon Hill, and follow up sessions as a department Launched English Language Education (ELE) Annual Program Evaluation to strengthen district capacity to meet the needs of English Language Learners and their families

18 CURRICULUM, PROGRAMS, and DATA Summer curriculum projects include: Alignment of ELL & Special Education Practices to Increase Access to Grade Level Curriculum Including more Diverse Voices in the Grade 10 English Curriculum through Jesmyn Ward s Fiction Launching Scholars at NHS Greater Boston Project - Data, Equity, and Education Synergy - Freshman Interdisciplinary Program Women in History Curriculum Proposal Needham High School Cultural Proficiency Developing Professional Developers Newcomer Guide for families new to Needham & the USA (to be prepared by ELL department)

19 CURRICULUM, PROGRAMS, and DATA Enrichment Programs designed to optimize students educational experiences: Jumpstart Summer program for entering Boston kindergarten and first graders and their families to introduce curriculum and build community Carpe Diem project based math, literacy, and cultural enrichment program for elementary students that meets every other Saturday in Boston Tenacity Challenge Needham team of Latino and African-American students competing in annual academic scholarship competition Launching Scholars starting in 7 th grade, program focused on reducing achievement gap in math of sub-populations of students as indicated by MCAS data (based on work of Dr. Adrian Mims and The Calculus Project) Castle Program focused on increased representation of students of color in Honors, Accelerated and AP courses

20 POLICIES, PROCEDURES, & PRACTICES Policies and Handbooks updated: Non-discrimination & Harassment, Bullying Prevention; Equal Educational Opportunities; Equal Employment Opportunities REAL Coalition expanded to subcommittees to set goals for District Equity Plan and develop action plans SEL Steering Committee reviewed Equity Report and identified alignment of school culture with the SEL framework LEAP Project supported effort: Leading Educational Access Project (since 2015) LEAP s commitment to promote educational access and equity to all students, especially the most historically marginalized, including students from poverty, English learners, students of color, and students with disabilities.

21 POLICIES, PROCEDURES, & PRACTICES Cultural proficiency initiatives included in School Improvement Plans and District Goals Mitchell forming a School Council sub-committee to discuss issues of equity and nondiscrimination for LGBTQ students and staff District Curriculum Accommodation Plan (DCAP) finalized; training provided to DLT and school faculty. English Language Education (ELE) Program Evaluation Team formed and goals developed to build capacity to meet the needs of ELs

22 HIRING AND EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES Administrators working with Human Resources Department on assessing and achieving culturally proficient recruitment, hiring and retention practices Since 2011, hosted annual diversity hiring fair to recruit more staff of color Cultural proficiency questions incorporated into interview process Teacher evaluation providing platform to support and supervise teachers in the area of cultural competence Explicit reflective questions posed during evaluative conferences: How have your instructional practices reflected a lens of cultural proficiency?

23 Embedding best practices in what we do every day and for the long term: UPDATE on the ongoing work: REAL Sub-Committees for Goal-Setting, Action Planning, and Implementation Communications and Community Engagement Culture and Climate Professional Learning Curriculum, Programs & Data Policies, Procedures & Practices Hiring/Employment Practices

24 GOALS: COMMUNICATION & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Engage staff, students, families, and community members in conversations and actions that promote equitable and inclusive practices for students, families, and faculty with sensitivity to the needs of youth who have been traditionally marginalized Build an inclusive parent engagement model where everyone is welcomed including Needham residents, Boston resident parents, parents of English learners, and newcomers Clearly communicate vision, goals, and actions to ensure an equitable and inclusive educational experience for students, families, and faculty members of the Needham Public Schools

25 GOALS: CULTURE AND CLIMATE Build a system-wide school culture of equity where all students and staff feel safe and respected, know that they matter and that they add value Invest in system-wide clarification of values and shared definitions (e.g. Portrait of a Graduate) Align the school culture framework with the SEL platform that is easily understood, visible, and agreed upon by educators, parents, and students Build a system-wide school culture that supports ongoing difficult conversations around race and equity with students and faculty (e.g Join the Conversation; Staff Affinity Groups)

26 GOALS: PROFESSIONAL LEARNING Create a model of professional development related to race, equity, and access that is sustainable and impactful, linked to evaluation and expectations, and addresses all district employees, differentiating as appropriate Develop and implement a system-wide, evidence-based professional learning program that encompasses: Culturally responsive teaching Courageous conversations on race, ethnicity, LGBTQ, and other identities Effective interventions related to bullying, discrimination, and bias Determine the professional standard for racial equity, access, and leadership and provide explicit training for supervisors and teachers Provide professional development to all faculty that directly addresses implicit and explicit bias and that allows staff to engage consistently in difficult conversations around race and equity with students and faculty

27 GOALS: CURRICULUM, PROGRAMS, AND DATA Ensure our students receive a culturally responsive curriculum in all schools from grades PreK-12, with ongoing review of data as part of an evidence-informed approach to ensure academic equity and achievement Curriculum teams will conduct a self-assessment of the dominant narrative presented in their courses and explore opportunities to include counter narratives that promote inclusion and equity Identify the structural coordination necessary to develop our teachers capacity to reflect on, experiment with, and further develop culturally responsive teaching practices Teacher teams will be encouraged to create shared professional practice SMART goals directly linked to culturally responsive teaching

28 GOALS: POLICIES, PROCEDURES, AND PRACTICES Develop, implement, and evaluate a Needham Public Schools Equity Plan that is accessible to the community, accountable and reports to the School Committee Review policies and practices through the lens of equity and inclusion and recommend revisions where necessary Reconvene the REAL Team to review the student placement practice and consider recommendations from the Equity Audit specific to student placement

29 GOALS: HIRING AND EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES All students regardless of race, economic status, or English language proficiency will have equitable access to diverse high quality educators and school leaders Prioritize diversification of staff Hiring and retention practices Consistently use questions in interview process to understand candidates experience, skills, facility and work with diverse populations Leverage teacher evaluation system to clarify expectations and evaluate teachers competence with cultural proficiency and culturally responsive teaching practices Training for evaluators on what to look for Develop tools to support process of observation

30 DISTRICT PRIORITY Student-centered focus: Ensuring each learner s individual and racial/ethnic needs are met Commitment to working with staff, parents/guardians, community members, and students to build on our assets and tackle the issues and challenges of race, equity, and access Hold ourselves accountable through district and school improvement goals Continue to report progress

31 QUESTIONS? COMMENTS?