Fishbone Artifact

	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I	J	K	L	M	N	O	P
1	Challenges in Students' Personal Lives	Family needs and responsibilities block students' focus on school	Family support and involvement varies	Mobility	Poverty	Trauma	Families lack access to resources	Students lack access to quality mental health resources	Physical & mental health issues
2	Curriculum & Instruction	Content is misaligned with SAT & PSAT	Implicit bias in curriculum & instruction	Instruction does not align to rigor of competency rubrics or assessments	Instruction is focused on tasks, not on learning	Lack of appropriate differentiation and supports for GT and SpEd	Teaching is not culturally responsive	Lessons are not engaging	Students are not asked to think critically	Students do not engage in independent practice aligned with grade-level rigor	Students don't understand the connection between competencies & postsecondary goals	Students don't know what it means to demonstrate grade level competency	Students don't receive feedback that will increase their mastery or competency	Teachers over-scaffold	We don't focus on the “soft” skills that need as much attention as content	Students aren't encouraged or empowered to own their own learning
3	Teacher Knowledge and Mindsets	Teachers don't understand formative vs summative assessment use	Teachers do not have a firm understanding of grade-level competencies	Teachers don't authentically engage students	Low expectations
4	Student Motivation	Acceptance of norm of failure	Students lack belief in themselves	History of discipline actions saps motivation to change behavior	Post-graduation options can seem either unattainable (e.g., college) or already available to them (e.g., low-wage jobs)	We don't provide clear rationale and "why" to students that motivates them in school	Students of color aren't motivated to meet demands of traditional “white” norms	Some students lack clear post-graduation goals that make school success worthwhile	Students don't trust the system	Students believe "good grades" aren't for them	The traditional education curriculum is not relevant for many students
5	Preparation for Rigorous Coursework	Students have inconsistent access to high-quality learning opportunities throughout their education careers	Students' past failures blur future success	Students have been moved through the system without demonstrating proficiency each year	Some students have never met grade level competency	Low expectations and accountability for students in elementary, middle, and high school	High schools often lack connection to feeder schools
6	School Culture	Bias regarding expected student behaviors	Dominant “college only” narrative is not inclusive or motivating to all students	Grade-level competency may not be a priority	Heavy focus on SPF vs. learning	High teacher turnover	School culture discourages risk-taking in the classroom	School culture doesn't align to community values	Some groups in the community feel marginalized	Stereotype threat experienced by students in historically marginalized groups	Students aren't engaged in established structures	Students lack relationships with adults in the building	Teachers’ beliefs about students’ abilities	Weak communications and connections between families and school
7	External Systems	District has not named competency a priority	Inadequate supports & training for working with students of color	Inadequate transportation	Intentional & unintentional tracking through a wide range of systems	Lack of knowledge, clarity, definition of grade-level competency	Low expectations and accountability for students in elementary, middle, and high school	Students of color disproportionately identified for IEP and 504 plans	Racial and cultural bias in assessments	Framing competencies around assessments exacerbates impact of bias in assessments	Rigorous coursework has an oversimplified definition	Students are tested too much
8	School Processes & Practices	Grading based on task completion over mastery	Grading practices lack relevance to authentic learning	Grades do not align with mastery of major standards	Lack of appropriate transition supports	Lack of language supports for students	Lack of supports for staff	Low-performing teachers placed in low-performing schools	Students of color have unequal access to advanced courses	Students of color not reflected in teachers or school staff (esp. In advanced courses)	Students of color aren't adequately supported in advanced courses	Schools don't provide for students' basic needs
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