Equity & Inclusion Assessment
Equity and Inclusion Assessment
Over the years, we have found that adults and young people have very different experiences of school climate and experiences. Unfortunately, the ways that members of a school community experience academics, policies, hallway interactions, getting to and from school, lunch, sports and other extra-curriculars, and more has a lot to do with identity. We have had a great deal of success with a listening-based and relational process for learning more about school culture. These sessions support all members of the school community to share their experiences and provide the opportunity for leaders to tend to concerns and challenges that get in the way of student belonging, emotional well-being, and academic excellence.
The methods below for gathering and assessing data are highly customizable to the needs and preferences of each community.
Custom School Climate Survey
Based on the findings from the Listening Sessions, we can work with your equity team or building/district leadership to determine further assessment activities that would aid in the understanding and monitoring of and climate issues affecting student and family engagement and the learning environment. If appropriate, the Listening Sessions will help in the design of surveys for families, students, and staff to get at essential issues that arise in the earlier phase (listening and reflection sessions).
- Design and administer climate and equity surveys for students, educators/staff, and guardians
- Analyze data and prepare findings for reflection and dissemination to stakeholder groups
- Facilitate data use/reflection session with equity team or building/district leadership
Listening Sessions for Equity
Listening sessions can be conducted in-person or using Zoom. We can accommodate large groups when working remotely. Our process includes welcoming participants, sharing guidelines and details about the process, and then creating breakout sessions for smaller groups of participants to dialogue and make notes about a structured set of questions. After the small group sessions, the participants return to the large group and representatives from small groups share highlights or questions that came out of their dialogue. CES provides an analysis of the listening sessions and form submissions that can be shared back with the community. Listening sessions have included educators, administrators, families, students, and members of the community, depending on the need.
Street Data Focused Equity Audit
The equity audit process is customizable and responsive to the needs, issues, and assets in each community.
Drawn from a foundation of practices from Safir & Dugan’s (2021) Street Data, each street data-focused equity audit is a unique process, designed through a collaboration with your district’s leadership team. The process itself is healing rather than transactional or extractive. Our team will provide a report outlining themes, challenges, and opportunities with specific recommendations to guide our work.
Examples of data might be:
- Satellite Data: like attendance rates, office referral rates, family engagement, academic assessments, demographics
- Map Data: like student performance, curriculum reviews, policy & culture reviews, surveys of students, caregivers, and staff
- Street Data: like listening sessions, ethnographies, classroom scans, student-led community walks
The process is designed to include:
Listening sessions with Students, Faculty & Staff, and Families: Organize, summarize, and integrate listening sessions that center the voices and experiences of the most disenfranchised in the school community
Academic leadership development: Reflect on curricular, pedagogical, grading and assessment practice with an equity lens, and support a continuous learning model for iterative improvements
Equity learning & instructional rounds: Facilitate an intergenerational team to co-create and implement observation and analysis tools based on Street Data practices.
Workshops for the leadership team
For More Information, Contact:
Angela Burke
Position: Professional Services Director
Email: aburke@collaborative.org
Phone: 413-530-3930