1
October 15, 2019
School Committee Presentation:
Update on Building Equity Bridges project findings and next steps
Agenda
Part 1: District Plan Context
Part 2: Action & Outcomes
Part 3: Looking Ahead
Part 4: Discussion
2
⭑ Note: follow-up workshops with School Committee in early 2020
3
Part 1: District Plan Context
District Plan: Vision
4
Every CPS student experiences:
Rigorous, Joyful, & Culturally Responsive Learning
Personalized Support �
Builds Postsecondary Success & �Engaged Community Members
5
CPS District Plan 2017-2020: Strategic Initiatives
EQUITY &
ACCESS
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.
WHOLE
CHILD
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.
6
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.
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
7
Part 2: Action & Outcomes
Highlight: student survey data on diversity, belonging, and inclusion
8
Things to consider as we review these results
Panorama uses a five-point scale, typically: Extremely/Quite/Somewhat/A Little/Not at all
Panorama uses the top two categories to suggest �a “favorable” response. This is what we use in �this presentation.
Almost 1,000 (80%) students responded in our upper schools.
Three Question Banks:
9
Diversity &�Inclusion
74%
Favorable
10
Questions (ordered most favorable to least)
2019
% Favorable
How often do you spend time at school with students from different races, ethnicities, or cultures? | 86% responded favorably |
At your school, how common is it for students have close friends from different racial, ethnic, or cultural backgrounds? | 77% responded favorably |
How fairly do adults at your school treat people from different races, ethnicities, or cultures? | 75% responded favorably |
How fairly do students at your school treat people from different races, ethnicities, or cultures? | 70% responded favorably |
At your school, how often are you encouraged to think more deeply about race-related topics? | 62% responded favorably |
Diversity & Inclusion by Demographic Group
Most favorable results
Least favorable results
11
8th Graders
Students Receiving Free/�Reduced Lunch
Students with IEPs
African-�American/Black students
78%
65%
69%
70%
83%
English Learner students
White�students
The group size in the following results was 10 or more students. The number shown is the % of students in that demographic group responding favorably to the diversity & inclusion question construct.
74%
Overall
Favorability
Cultural Awareness & Action
51% Favorable
12
Questions (ordered most favorable to least)
2019
% Favorable
How often do teachers encourage you to learn about people from different races, ethnicities, or cultures? | 65% responded favorably |
How well does your school help students speak out against racism? | 60% responded favorably |
How comfortable are you sharing your thoughts about race-related topics with other students at your school? | 52% responded favorably |
When there are major news events related to race, how often do adults at your school talk about them with students? | 48% responded favorably |
Cultural Awareness & Action Continued
51% Favorable
13
Questions (ordered most favorable to least)
2019
% Favorable
To what extent do you agree that what you learned in school is connected to your ethnic, racial, gender and cultural identities? | 47% responded favorably |
How often do students at your school have important conversations about race, even when they might be uncomfortable? | 35% responded favorably |
Cultural Awareness & Action Results by Demographic Group
Most favorable results
Least favorable results
14
Students receiving reduced lunch
African-�American / Black students
56%
45%
3
62%
English Learner students
8th Graders
The group size in the following results was 10 or more students. The number shown is the % of students in that demographic group responding favorably to the cultural awareness and action question construct.
51%
Overall
Favorability
Sense of Belonging
46% Favorable
15
Questions (ordered most favorable to least)
2019
% Favorable
Overall, how much do you feel like you belong at your school? | 57% responded favorably |
How much respect do students in your school show you? | 49% responded favorably |
How much do you matter to others at this school? | 48% responded favorably |
How well do people at your school understand you as a person? | 45% responded favorably |
How connected do you feel to the adults at your school? | 32% responded favorably |
Sense of Belonging Results by Demographic Group
Most favorable results
Least favorable results
16
African-�American / Black students
55%
43%
73%
English Learner students
Asian�students
3
The group size in the following results was 10 or more students. The number shown is the % of students in that demographic group responding favorably to the sense of belonging question construct.
46%
Overall
Favorability
Building Equity Bridges Findings
An overview
17
Here’s where we left you last time
18
Steering Committee
Sense Making Teams
Youth
Grant Working Team
Families
Educators
Other Stakeholders
CEA
CPS
Grant Steering Committee
YPAR
Organizers
Focus
Groups
CPAR
Survey data
Quantitative Data
(visual from December 2018 presentation)
BEB website launches tomorrow
19
www.cpsd.us/equity/buildingequitybridges
CPS Voices from Across BEB
“We have to eradicate the toxic environment that exhausts Black teachers/teachers of color, thus discouraging them on continuing and/or advocating for others to enter this district.” (CPAR Study 4)
“Students HAVE opinions. But when we’re told to fill out another survey, and we’re NEVER given any indication that those surveys are even read, it’s only natural that we lose hope in the administration’s ability to take our opinions into consideration.”[1] (CRLS Student Quote, Youth Sense Making Team)
“I think public processes are inherently - and the research shows, they’re inherently designed to empower people with more money... Public processes are racist, right?” (Caregiver quotes, Focus Group Report)
“Parenting for the common good” is not yet a prominent aspect of district culture, or of most schools’ cultures. (Student-Educator Relationships Sense-Making Team)
Educators and administrators emphasize that School Committee systems, policies, and practices often have inequitable impacts. Local electoral and political processes -- as well as School Committee processes, practices, and mandates -- often provide differential access and influence to people with power and privilege, thus perpetuating inequity. (June 2019 Feedback on First-Draft Barriers to Equity)
“The more affluent, the more present. Our school is basically represented by higher-income families -- decisions are made by those families. Other families tend not to feel included.” (Educator quote, CPAR Study 1)
Building Equity Bridges - Overview Video
21
Findings Part 1: Barriers to Equity
22
Findings Part 2: How we do this equity work?
BEB Core Principles
Equity work is community work!
23
“The number of people and various ways that folks have given input and been able to participate has been so impressive. I work with a lot of districts trying to do equity work, and this work has been the most in depth and has the most potential for systems change from my point of view.”
24
Part 4: Looking Ahead
Key Leadership Takeaways
25
Where do we go from here?
26
Step 1. Systems-level commitment to advancing racial equity |
Step 7: Continuously evaluate effectiveness in addressing barriers |
Step 2. Build understanding of racial diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging principles |
Step 3: Engagement with affected populations & stakeholders to build understanding, trust and power |
Step 4: Conduct systems analysis of root causes of inequity |
Step 6: Identify strategies and target resources to address root causes of inequity |
In each of these steps, we seek to embody the value of centering those who are most impacted - taking the time to hold authentic opportunities for collaboration, input, and reflection.
Step 5: Engagement around the findings |
27
Foster trust and relationships that support a positive student-centered culture
Deliver culturally responsive instruction to all students
Build capacity and accountability at all levels to address systemic barriers to racial equity
Improve district-wide systems and processes to be more transparent, inclusive, evidence-based, and equitable
1
2
3
4
2019-20 PRIORITIES to DISRUPT BARRIERS
BARRIERS to EQUITY
28
Deliver culturally responsive instruction to all students
1
Foster trust and relationships �that support a positive student-centered culture
2
Build capacity and accountability at all levels to address systemic barriers to racial equity
3
2019-2020 Priorities to Disrupt Barriers >> Action Areas
Improve district-wide systems & processes to be more transparent, inclusive, evidence- based, and equitable
4
Highlight: Selected Actions
29
30
Part 5: Questions & Discussion