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January 21, 2020

School Committee Presentation:

Updates on 2019-20 Priorities

District Plan: Vision

Every CPS student experiences:

CAMBRIDGE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Rigorous, Joyful & Culturally Responsive Learning

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Personalized Support �

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Builds Postsecondary Success & �Engaged Community Members

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CPS District Plan 2017-2020: Strategic Initiatives

EQUITY &

ACCESS

WHOLE

CHILD

ENGAGED

LEARNING

PARTNERSHIP

IMPROVEMENT

1.1. Create a district-wide system for setting goals with students that support their postsecondary success and aspirations. Connect students to supports within and outside of school, and reflect on and monitor progress with students, teachers, families, and partners.

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1.2. Provide all CPS educators with cultural proficiency training and implement ongoing cultural proficiency professional learning in all schools.

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1.3. Implement the Dynamic Diversity program to recruit, hire, and retain a CPS workforce that reflects the diversity of Cambridge.

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1.4. Identify priority standards within the culturally relevant CPS curriculum that communicate what a student should know and be able to do by content and grade level.

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1.5. Provide all students with access to challenging curriculum and technology, such as the Grade 9 Level Up and CRLS 1:1 programs.

2.1. Expand integrated, hands-on, real world learning opportunities for all students across the district and provide necessary support to teachers.

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2.2. Expand rigorous, joyful, culturally responsive learning experiences across the district.

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2.3. Establish student-centered, collaborative, and transformative professional learning that supports the CPS vision.

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2.4. Support student, educator, school and district innovation through the Design Lab, in order to improve student success.

3.1. Implement a PK-12 social, emotional, and behavioral learning framework and vision.

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3.2. Develop and expand effective inclusive practices in all classrooms through professional learning.

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3.3. Improve student engagement by strengthening student experiences in all classrooms, improving existing programs, exploring mentorship programs, and providing relationship building professional learning.

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3.4. Continue to develop multi-tiered systems of support for academic and social-emotional learning, such as Response to Intervention.

4.1. Engage families as partners with a formal, ongoing feedback mechanism that creates differentiated opportunities for family voice and engagement.

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4.2. Create a coordinated system of partnerships to support students and families, establishing criteria, aligning with CPS vision, ensuring equity across schools and students.

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4.3. Create a common evaluation process for partnerships with explicit expectations grounded in equity and connected to evidence-based practices.

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4.4. Pursue and expand partnerships with businesses, higher education, city, and community organizations that are aligned with school and student needs and support postsecondary success.

5.1. Institute a continuous improvement process that supports implementation of the district plan: monitoring, evaluating, and sharing progress.

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5.2. Conduct grade-span reviews based on defined criteria and act on recommendations, beginning with the elementary and upper school spans.

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5.3. Conduct a Special Education review, analyzing referral and disciplinary data by student group, including types of disabilities

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5.4. Establish a clear process for vetting, prioritizing, and implementing initiatives in a realistic way.

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5.5. Provide targeted support to schools identified as in need based on specific, pre-determined criteria.

CPS Equity Definition: Adopted August 2018

Racial equity means the absence of institutional and structural barriers experienced by people based on race or color, that impede access,

opportunities, and results.

RACIAL EQUITY

Achieving racial equity requires proactive and continuous investment in communities of color, who have endured centuries of systemic oppression. CPS is committed to dismantling structures rooted in white privilege, to hearing and elevating underrepresented voices, and recognizing and eliminating bias.

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CAMBRIDGE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Equity means that each student, regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, religion, or socioeconomic status will have access to the opportunities, resources, and support they need �to attain their full potential.

EQUITY

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2018-2020 School Improvement Plan Priorities

EQUITY &

ACCESS

WHOLE

CHILD

ENGAGED

LEARNING

PARTNERSHIP

IMPROVEMENT

1.1. Create a district-wide system for setting goals with students that support their postsecondary success and aspirations. Connect students to supports within and outside of school, and reflect on and monitor progress with students, teachers, families, and partners.

​

1.2. Provide all CPS educators with cultural proficiency training and implement ongoing cultural proficiency professional learning in all schools.

​

1.3. Implement the Dynamic Diversity program to recruit, hire, and retain a CPS workforce that reflects the diversity of Cambridge.

​

1.4. Identify priority standards within the culturally relevant CPS curriculum that communicate what a student should know and be able to do by content and grade level.

​

1.5. Provide all students with access to challenging curriculum and technology, such as the Grade 9 Level Up and CRLS 1:1 programs.

2.1. Expand integrated, hands-on, real world learning opportunities for all students across the district and provide necessary support to teachers.

​

2.2. Expand rigorous, joyful, culturally responsive learning experiences across the district.

​

2.3. Establish student-centered, collaborative, and transformative professional learning that supports the CPS vision.

​

2.4. Support student, educator, school and district innovation through the Design Lab, in order to improve student success.

3.1. Implement a PK-12 social, emotional, and behavioral learning framework and vision.

​

3.2. Develop and expand effective inclusive practices in all classrooms through professional learning.

​

3.3. Improve student engagement by strengthening student experiences in all classrooms, improving existing programs, exploring mentorship programs, and providing relationship building professional learning.

​

3.4. Continue to develop multi-tiered systems of support for academic and social-emotional learning, such as Response to Intervention.

4.1. Engage families as partners with a formal, ongoing feedback mechanism that creates differentiated opportunities for family voice and engagement.

​

4.2. Create a coordinated system of partnerships to support students and families, establishing criteria, aligning with CPS vision, ensuring equity across schools and students.

​

4.3. Create a common evaluation process for partnerships with explicit expectations grounded in equity and connected to evidence-based practices.

​

4.4. Pursue and expand partnerships with businesses, higher education, city, and community organizations that are aligned with school and student needs and support postsecondary success.

5.1. Institute a continuous improvement process that supports implementation of the district plan: monitoring, evaluating, and sharing progress.

​

5.2. Conduct grade-span reviews based on defined criteria and act on recommendations, beginning with the elementary and upper school spans.

​

5.3. Conduct a Special Education review, analyzing referral and disciplinary data by student group, including types of disabilities

​

5.4. Establish a clear process for vetting, prioritizing, and implementing initiatives in a realistic way.

​

5.5. Provide targeted support to schools identified as in need based on specific, pre-determined criteria.

Building Equity Bridges findings

Barriers to Equity (published Spring 2019)

1. Inequitable School and Classroom Experiences
2. Lack of Focus on Relationships
3. Existing Structures and Practices Perpetuate Inequities
4. Lack of Coherence has Disproportionate and Inequitable Impacts
5. Educators of Color are not Being Valued, Centered, and Supported
6. Whiteness, Privilege, and Bias
7. Power in Decision-Making is Inequitably Distributed
8. Equity Work has Lacked Commitment, Coherence, and Accountability
9. Youth are Not Centered

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IE Equity Lens

2019-20 Priorities

Initial Anti-Racist Actions

in progress

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• Addressing current policies and practices

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• Building staff and district capacity

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• Community engagement and capacity building

On January 30, CPS will launch a new newsletter focused on equity, sharing more details on a broader set of specific actions.

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Each month, we will provide regular updates on progress and ways for stakeholders to be involved.

On December 20, we communicated our commitments to three initial actions.

1. Improve investigation & response system for racist incidents and other inappropriate behavior reported by students regarding adult staff members.

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• Design mandatory staff training strategy on anti-racism and racial equity issues.

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• Center the voices of students and families of color, while actively engaging with our broad community of parents and caregivers around issues of equity and racial equity.

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January 21, 2020

School Committee Presentation:

Updates on 2019-20 Priorities

Building Equity Bridges: Call to Action

Proposed Commitments (published December 2019)

1. A clear, written, public, and transparent course of action for investigating and responding to reports of racist behavior, including clear steps for: communication; restorative practices; professional learning; and accountability, up to and including termination.
2. Immediate creation and ongoing investment in healing spaces and mental health supports for community members harmed by racism.
3. Mandatory professional learning for Cambridge Public Schools staff and School Committee members in: anti-racism; histories and perspectives of people of color; systems of oppression; culturally responsive practices; and relationship-building; along with anti-racist criteria and measurable anti-racist evaluation goals for all district educators, administrators, and staff.
4. Comprehensive review of all school-based discipline policies and practices, including heavy investment in restorative practices.
5. Elevating and supporting direct youth power. This will include direct youth input and feedback in hiring, educator accountability and school/district accountability. It will also include sharing and building power with youth and youth organizations – including adults yielding power to center youth agency, particularly among black and brown youth.
6. Creation and ongoing investment in councils of youth, families and educators from traditionally marginalized groups (including our American-born black, Latinx, indigenous and immigrant communities). This includes a direct role in district planning and accountability, as well as explicit power to develop additional commitments.

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7. A new districtwide anti-racism statement with common language and expectations for all district community members, including concrete criteria for what anti-racism looks like in practice. All schools and departments will develop plans to become anti-racist.
8. Creation of an Office of Anti-Racism and Equity to provide coordination, accountability, and support for all CPS stakeholders to act on the anti-racism statement.
9. Comprehensive and ongoing review of all School Committee, district, Cambridge Education Association, and school-based policies and practices using the Anti-Racism Statement and criteria.
10. Comprehensive and ongoing review of all K-12 curriculum and assessments (including high-stakes testing) for anti-racism and cultural responsiveness.
11. Trainings, workshops and other opportunities for families to learn, reflect, act, and build community toward anti-racism and equity.
12. A community accountability plan for these commitments, including: timelines; visible action steps; monthly community updates from the superintendent and Cambridge Education Association; and monthly meetings for direct community feedback about commitment implementation.

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IE Equity Lens

2019-20 Priorities