Diversity and equity within the school

Dear Colleagues,

In order to complete an assignment for my internship course I must learn more about our school’s culture, specifically related to diversity and equity.  Think of school culture as the way things are done at a school, so it is the actions of the school that measure what a school values, not the words included in a school’s vision, but rather the unwritten expectations and norms that build up over time.  A survey has been developed by Capella University for this purpose.

Will you please complete this survey?  It will take about 15-20 minutes to answer the questions, and I would greatly appreciate your assistance!

Please respond by Oct. 30.

Thank you all for taking the time to participate in this survey.

Sincerely,

LaChanda Hawkins

 

Let's Begin:

When diverse populations are mentioned in this survey, please think of diversity in terms of language, race, ethnicity, disability, gender, socioeconomic status, and learning differences.  The results of this survey will be shared with our principal, and the information will be used for educational purposes to help understand current practice at our school (as part of my internship activities).  Please answer openly and honestly as responses will be confidential.

 

A. What is your role at our school?

1. This school is a supportive and inviting place for students to learn

2. This school sets high standards for academic performance for all students.

3. This school considers closing the racial/ethnic achievement gap a high priority.

4. This school fosters an appreciation and respect for student diversity.

5. This school emphasizes respect for all students’ cultural beliefs and practices.

6. This school gives all students equal opportunity to participate in classroom discussions and activities.

7. This school gives all students equal opportunities to participate in extracurricular and enrichment activities.

8. This school encourages students to enroll in rigorous courses (such as honors and AP), regardless of their races, ethnicity or nationality.

9. This school provides opportunities for students to engage in decision-making, such as class activities or rules.

10. This school obtains diverse student perspectives through regular leadership opportunities.

11. This school reviews achievement and assessment data regularly to monitor student progress.

12. This school looks at each students’ social, emotional and behavioral needs at least once yearly.

13. This school develops school programs and policies based on results from a variety of data.

14. This school provides staff with materials, resources and training needed to effectively work with diverse students.

15. This school has staff members examine their own cultural biases through professional development or other processes.

16. This school provides learning opportunities for family members, such as ESL, computer access, home literacy classes, parenting classes, etc.

17. This school communicates with family and community members in their home language.

18. This school has parent groups that attempt to include and involve all parents.

19. This school has high expectations for all students.

20. This school uses instructional materials that reflect the culture or ethnicity of all students.

21. This school engages in practices that address diverse learning styles.

22. This school invites students’ culture and experiences into the classroom.

23. This school emphasizes teaching lessons in ways relevant to students.

24. This school employs teaching strategies to differentiate and accommodate for the needs of special populations, such as English Language Learners and Special Education students.

25. This school uses textbooks that contain multiple or diverse perspectives.

26. This school employs interventions that are individualized and planned with sensitivity to linguistic and cultural issues.

27. This school is a supportive and inviting place for staff to work.

28. This school is welcoming to me and people like me.

29. This school includes a variety of staff perspectives.

30. This school supports my administrator in making changes regarding diversity and equity issues.

31. What practices are in place to ensure the promotion of trust between and among school administration, staff, students, and parents?

  1. no
  2. regular coordination meetings of parents, teachers, and management.
  3. healthy communication
  4. parents' teacher meeting or an annual function.
  5. teachers and administrators encourage students to discuss anything with them. there is also the school counselor.
  6. the administration maintains an open door policy and is welcoming to all staff to come in and discuss concerns.
  7. there is very much an "open door policy" where the promotion of trust is facilitated. i believe most teachers work to foster and encourage parent/teacher communication at any given time, especially when it is convenient for parents' schedules. team building and plc meetings ensure that administration and staff are aligned regarding goals and expectations for students, increasing teamwork and trust.
  8. the building leadership team provides opportunities in this area. members of the blt bring information, suggestions, and concerns from the population they represent. in turn, information, suggestions, and decisions are returned from members to their respective peers. this can only be a successful process through trust and cooperation.
  9. n/a
  10. confidentiality
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32. What practices are in place to ensure the promotion of fairness between and among school administration, staff, students, and parents?

  1. no
  2. regular coordination meetings of parents, teachers, and management.
  3. equality
  4. that school principal will decide this can be developed by mutual understanding.
  5. meetings that include school administration, other staff, students, and parents to discuss events where the issue of unfairness is addressed and how to handle it better or promote fairness.
  6. i haven't seen any specific practices in place to promote fairness; however, i have spoken to the administrators, and they seem to keep an open mind in all situations.
  7. i think our school does a good job of making equitable decisions when students, staff, and parents are involved. while decisions might not technically be "fair" or "equal", i believe that we try to take many aspects of a situation into account and strive to meet an individual's specific needs so that they are given an equal opportunity for success.
  8. the blt process is also beneficial for fairness within the school community concerning individuals and/or populations. concerns may also need to be addressed on a case-by-case basis. our school operates somewhat on a system of checks and balances. there are always many individuals or groups to support one another in ensuring that everyone is treated fairly.
  9. n/a
  10. not sure
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33. What practices are in place to ensure that the school principal ensures the promotion of respect between and among staff, students, and parents?

  1. no
  2. management is eager to monitor the performance of all the staff.
  3. discipline
  4. talk to each and every person in an assembly.
  5. first of all, the principal speaks every morning to all staff, basically calling the staff by name. the principal, when in the building, can be counted on to be seen in the hallway. she also talks to students. now, it would be nice if assistant principals could do the same things.
  6. the administrator has not taken any specific actions to encourage faculty to be respectful to others. i believe there is an unspoken expectation that everyone will remain respectful and professional.
  7. i believe that because our principal is present in team building, professional development, as well as in hallways and classrooms, she is ensuring the promotion of respect. she welcomes any and all ideas when it comes to decision making that affects both students and teachers.
  8. overall, a climate of respect prevails among these named populations. many of the staff members have been around since a time when this was not the case. therefore, many staff members "have each other's backs" and understand that respect is crucial for day-to-day "survival" in a school setting. our principal promotes an open-door policy, encourages feedback for improvement, and welcomes praise when deserved. she is willing to act on suggestions and insists that an atmosphere of respect among all should prevail.
  9. n/a
  10. not sure
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34. What can our school do differently to better support student needs?

  1. no
  2. conduct sports camps.
  3. none
  4. routine check-up of the items that can be used in different classes.
  5. be consistent. i know that each situation should be treated individually, but i think i am talking about iss. children who have been in iss 3-4 times in a quarter, especially in the first semester or even the first month, need more in-depth examination as to why. this practice of passing students to the next grade when they do next to nothing in a classroom needs to stop! we are not helping students because in high school they have no background knowledge. also, this is athletic. you can get poor grades up until game day, then overnight they can improve just so they can play. cheerleaders are also included.
  6. engage with the community and celebrate the cultures of everyone. i also believe it would be beneficial to have a more diverse group of teachers on staff. students need to see that there are successful people who look like them.
  7. i believe it would be beneficial to our school to have a larger mediation outlet, including more school counselors as well as a student mediation team.
  8. we need to do a better job of addressing the academic needs of students according to their ability to function in a classroom. we are daily dealing with students who are suffering from mental illnesses or behavioral disorders that consistently disrupt the learning environment. there must be alternative educational environments to meet the needs of these students as well as protect learning for the students who are able and willing to follow expectations. also, many special education students do not improve academically in the regular education classroom regardless of adaptations and iep mandates. many special education students with numerous goals would thrive with small group, individualized support. just because inclusion is politically correct does not mean the student is receiving what they need academically and behaviorally in some cases. while social promotion is the norm in our district, students with failing classes should be mandated to summer school, saturday school, or a similar program to ensure skills mastery before enrolling in the next grade. many of our students continue failing subject after subject and then find themselves lacking the academic background to be successful in high school.
  9. n/a
  10. not sure
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Comments or Concerns

  1. no
  2. no comments.
  3. none
  4. you see why i didn't want to do this survey. too wordy.
  5. individual technology has been detrimental to the learning environment of middle school. it is too much of a distraction for many of our students who already struggle with issues of staying on task. youtube, games, facebook, and listening to music are far more interesting and pleasantly time-consuming than teacher-led instruction or collaborative learning.
  6. i took this questionnaire as a functional sped teacher in a self-contained setting. i do not know much about general education classrooms and how other sped teachers work with students within those classrooms.
  7. i would have my student attend here if given the chance.
  8. i marked "do not know" for #15 simply because i have not had a professional development session where we examined our own cultural biases, but it may have been offered.
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