I. DEFINITIONS
For the purposes of this policy, the following terms have the meaning given to them in this section;
A. Culturally competent means skilled in ways to teach and serve a racially and ethnically diverse student population and serve racially and ethnically diverse families and communities.
B. Culturally relevant means programs and materials that use a student’s cultural references in order to empower the student intellectually, socially, emotionally, and politically.
C. Culturally responsive means learning from and relating respectfully with people from one’s own and other cultures.
D. Educational Equity or equity is the removal of barriers that can disproportionately affect a student because of the student’s characteristics such as race, culture, class, language, ethnicity, ability or other difference so that each student can benefit equally.
E. Equity-focused training is professional development to enable staff members to develop personal, professional and organizational skills and knowledge to address inequities leading to racially predictable disparities.
F. Racially predictable disparities are those differences in measurable student outcomes such as test scores, graduation rates, identification for special education, and discipline between groups of students that are predictable based on the students’ race, culture, class, language, ethnicity, or ability.
II. SCHOOL BOARD ACTION
A. The school board will examine and assess policies to ensure that the policies are consistent with equitable student achievement.
B. The school board will provide and allocate resources for educational equity.
III. SCHOOL DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION RESPONSIBILITY
A. School district leaders will make recommendations for allocation of resources and priority results consistent with educational equity.
B. School district hiring managers will hire the best employees of all racial and ethnic backgrounds who will bring their unique talents and skills into the school system. Hiring managers will provide opportunities for employee training and professional development.
C. Each school district employee will be provided with the opportunity to improve his or her culturally responsive practices.
D. School district employees will be provided with training and support to engage students in positive ways that demonstrate understanding and appreciation of each student’s race, culture, class, language, ethnicity, ability and other differences. School district employees will make use of positive behavior intervention strategies, restorative justice practices and other culturally responsive methods.
IV. STUDENT MATERIALS, ASSESSMENTS AND EVALUATIONS
A. Instructional staff and leaders will examine student materials and assessments to identify and eliminate practices that result in predictably low academic performance for any student group.
B. Instructional staff and leaders will identify and adopt student materials, instructional practices and assessments that are designed to eliminate racially predictable disparities.
C. Instructional staff and leaders will evaluate student programs and services using culturally relevant practices and tools, and employ assessments designed to eliminate racially predictable and disproportionate identification of students as eligible for special education programs.
Created/Revised
Created: 11/22/16
Cross Reference
Policy 104 – School District Mission Statement