10/12/2020

Black Excellence Resolution: Overview

DPS Statement

Our Superintendent and the Senior Leadership Team stands with the Board as we take action and speak about our commitment to justice and support for our Black and African American students. Equity starts from the top. We have outlined below an acknowledgment of harm that has been done, what we believe is foundational to change and what we commit to do now, and for years to come, because we know one message, one statement, one training will not undo years of harm, trauma and racism. If we take action now for our Black students, leaders and educators, we will achieve our vision and ensure All students succeed.

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DPS Equity Statement

Racial and Educational Equity is our collective responsibility. We will achieve equity when we dismantle deeply rooted systems of oppression that have historically resulted in inequitable access and distribution of opportunities and resources for those who represent marginalized identities, including race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, language and ability. We will create conditions where we all belong, are included, have clear purpose (why) and have the autonomy to lead in our respective areas. By creating these conditions, we will eliminate the predictability of success or failure for our students and team members.

Our Equity Approach

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When we,

• recognize, acknowledge and honor communities, cultures and lived experiences
• know the public education system is inequitable and historically rooted in white, heteronormative, Eurocentric culture
• accept that our equity work is a journey and not a destination
• center and respond to the lived experiences of our most marginalized communities to create equity for all

Then we will be able to,

• commit to decentering these systems as the norm and to unlearn the beliefs, mindsets, and practices that create these structural and institutional barriers
• lead from an asset based mindset to eliminate predictability of student outcomes and success
• redistribute resources to our most marginalized students, families and team members

So that we,

dismantle oppressive systems and structures rooted in racism, and center our most marginalized students and team members, with a focus on racial and educational equity.

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Dismantle oppressive systems and structures rooted in racism, and center our most marginalized students and team members, with a focus on racial and educational equity.

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• Build asset based mindsets centering lived experience and unlearn beliefs, mindsets and practices that create barriers

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• Address inequitable systems, structures policies and practices

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• Establish a culture of shared ownership for equity

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Equity Cornerstone Goal

Aligned Work

Indicators and Measures

Under Construction

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Black Excellence Resolution (BER)

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In response to the Black Excellence Resolution, the Culture, Equity and Leadership Team (CELT) is leading work and collaborating with other teams in DPS to respond to the asks.

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This includes:

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The Equity Experience

• A 9-month personal journey to dig deep into our beliefs, mindsets, histories, and behaviors

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• Build our internal capacity to self-reflect and uncover biases and hidden spots to transform the way we think and act.

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• An opportunity to build foundational knowledge, common expectations and terminology across DPS

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The Equity Experience

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Mindset Survey Results

• 68% of Equity Experience participants completed all nine modules and the average completion rate for each participant was 88%.
• On average, there was a four percentage point increase in team member asset-based and culturally responsive mindsets after completing the Equity Experience (as measured by pre-/post- mindset survey data)
• Larger shifts occurred in recognition of being color-brave vs. color-blind.
• Greater percent of participants reported shifts in beliefs and/or actions following completion of the later modules.
• The percent of team members reporting shifts occurred to a moderate or great extent increased with each module, ending with around three-quarters reporting so in module 9.
• Many reported greater awareness and understanding or that they learned something new
• Some participants expressed concerns with technical challenges, while several expressed that content was review of previous knowledge, and a smaller number expressed pushback on the experience itself

Equity Experience Summary

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Mindset Survey Results

81% of Equity Experience participants indicated that they have become more asset-based and culturally responsive over the past year.

In open-ended responses, nearly half of participants expressed changes by having greater awareness and knowledge.

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Mindset Survey Results

...After this module, I am more aware of how often we accept single stories and how they shape our view of the world.

I already feel that I accept individuals with other gender and cultural identities

Learning about the appropriate use of pronouns was very helpful

Based on how I was able to relate to this module, I did not experience a large shift in my beliefs

I am more conscious now that I have many biases and need to work on identifying them

Being complacent is contributing to the problem

I am more conscious of being “ableist”

It was interesting to reflect on my previous behaviors in the different roles I have played in the district

I appreciate the sentence stems to help continue or being a dialogue. I will be working to employ those in my conversations.

Understanding that being in silence is not being polite - it is being complicit to inequalities

this was not at all new to me

this was the most impactful module

for me.

I have become more active in my day-to-day life in addressing racist actions and attitudes in my friends and families. We talk on our DPS team more about race/racism white supremacy than previously.

confronted beliefs I was unaware of

gave words and legitimacy to my experiences as a person of color

I didn’t realize the damage I contribute myself when internalizing racism while interacting with my white counterparts. It shows up in ways that I didn’t realize in all my pro blackness. I am a contributing member of the broken system

I always thought that white supremacy was limited to group of radical individuals but as a white male I see that I’m part of the non radical white supremacy group. This means that I need to make changes to my fundamental beliefs.

I think the sentence stems are a useful and applicable tool to give space and validate the perspective and lived experiences of people of color.

...the strategies of facilitating difficult race conversations is a useful tool that can be realistically implemented in teams and classrooms

science behind our thinking helped explain bias more deeply and how to interrupt those damaging thoughts.

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Equity Projects

• Focal point of year 2 of the Equity Experience

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• Provide team members an opportunity to apply their learning from year 1 to a project that will dismantle and rebuild an inequitable structure, practice or policy within their sphere of influence

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• Team members will learn more about the Equity Projects this Fall

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• We will officially launch Equity Projects in January, with design and development through the spring semester

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• Our goal is to showcase the progress of each team’s Equity Project

in June, 2021

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• In partnership with the Impact Team

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Black Excellence Plans (BEP)

Student Data Audits

Purpose: assess gaps and plan to increase academic excellence

• Disparity data
• School Strategic Planning Template
• BER Student Data Protocol
• Includes recommendations on:
• Unpacking disparity data
• Suggested resources to support the ‘why’ Black students
• Resources to conduct root cause analysis
• How to communicate and prep a team to engage in the work
• Additional Supports
• Open Houses
• Principal Consultancies

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BEP: Ongoing and Next Steps

• In partnership with the Schools Team

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• Recognize RAIS/RISE team are the experts and ultimately accountability is within their scope

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• Focused on finalizing district wide indicators and metrics to progress monitor through the school year

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• Will include the indicators, a system for monitoring and key dates for BEP review

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Thank you!

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Appendix

Mindset Survey Results

Did you experience a shift in your beliefs and/or actions after completing this module?

Participants reporting changes in beliefs and/or actions increased

with each module.

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Mindset Survey Results

Overall, there was a ~four percentage point increase in team member asset-based and culturally responsive mindsets.

Greatest shifts in DPS team member mindsets were related to color-blindness. Following completion of the Equity Experience, there was nearly a twenty point change in team member mindsets changing from color-blind to color-brave.

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Equity Experience Year 1 Completion Report

Overall Completion - 68% of participants (821/1208) completed the Equity Experience, meaning they completed each of the nine modules.

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Priority #4: Equity

We will know we are successful when we see team members across DPS:

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• Changing the ways in which they talk about and reference students and families
• Self-report shifts in their beliefs, mindsets and behaviors
• Engage in conversations centered on race and educational equity
• Know when they are perpetuating systems of oppression, and can disrupt and dismantle those practices
• Can articulate what it means for racial and educational equity to be our core identity
• Deepening their commitment to our Shared Core Value

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