In the 2022-2023 school year, the Equity Advisory Team is focusing on the following items:
 

• Practice the five abilities of equity literacy using case studies from example scenarios at schools and the text, Case Studies on Diversity and Social Justice Education.
• Review student data from Panorama Survey and make recommendations regarding areas of disparity or inequity to actively cultivate equity
• Review course and program data by student subgroups to identify areas of disproportionality and to identify possible root causes and action steps to take
• Review current discipline data by subgroup, identify disproportionalities and discuss possible ways to address at the school level.
• Continue to expand professional development opportunities for team members - a group of members from the Equity Advisory Team attended the National Alliance for Black School Educators (NABSE) Conference in December 2022 and shared information back with the team.
• Provide support to building equity team members for specific areas of focus for their building.
• Continue to expand our own knowledge and expertise through reading and discussion.  The team is currently reading Bridges to Heal US, by local author Erin Jones
• Some members of the team will lead equity book studies this summer and next year to continue to offer equity professional development opportunities for staff.
• Some members of the team are also working with our Teaching and Learning department as part of the annual review of curriculum, specifically History classes and for 5th-12th grade ELA classes.  Members of this sub-committee work with grade level teams as they select supplemental materials and design relevant student tasks.  They also read novels and other supplemental materials and provide feedback that can be used in the design of equity resources.  These members are also part of the Instructional Materials Committee (IMC) approval process and work alongside IMC members to review supplemental equity materials prior to IMC approval.  

The purpose of each Equity Advisory Team is to coordinate and provide guidance regarding the district's efforts related to promoting anti-racist practices and equity literacy. The team will monitor and evaluate student outcomes related to student experiences, access, academic achievement, attendance, and discipline.

Building and district equity teams will use the Equity Literacy Framework from the Equity Literacy Institute and the five abilities (recognize inequity, respond to inequity, redress inequity, actively cultivate equity, and sustain equity) as a guide to their work.

Coordinate and guide district efforts to promote anti-racist practices and equity literacy that support all students and families across the district. This includes but is not limited to:
 

• Review data in a holistic manner including with an equity lens including student experiences, academic achievement, attendance, discipline, and program access with a focus on student subgroups.
• Participate in collection of student and family experience data using surveys, student focus groups, or other means.
•  Make recommendations and participate in action to redress areas of disparity or inequity and to actively cultivate equity.
• Review district and building policies and practices with an equity lens to address inequities where they exist to actively cultivate equity in the district.
• Support building principals with professional development for their staff.
• Participate on committees related to curriculum review, approval, etc.

Beginning in 2021, all schools also established a site-based equity team to support work at the building level.  These teams look at data, plan events, engage in professional development and review procedures at each school. Each school has been provided financial resources in the budget to help fund their work.  Below are examples from each grade band of work that building equity teams are engaging in in the 2022-2023 school year:
 

• All building equity teams are reviewing Panorama Survey Data from their students.  This data includes information related to students’ sense of belonging as well as how inclusive their school environment is.  The District has only collected this data for two years. Primary building equity teams are focusing on increasing equity related to PTSA events like Book Fairs as well as ensuring more diverse voices are elevated during different cultural months of recognition like Black History Month.  Primary teams are also reviewing and implementing best practices related to strategies and supports to support students who are historically marginalized. One primary school’s team is also leading a book study - Being the Change: Lessons and Strategies to Teach Social Comprehension, to give staff resources and ideas regarding how to build stronger relationships with students.
• Intermediate building equity teams are collecting information from staff and/or parents regarding resources that would be beneficial to support this work as well as parents’ experiences at their schools.  Intermediate teams also are reviewing when and how SEL curriculum - Second Step - is implemented to ensure all students have access to these lessons.  Similar to the primary schools, these teams also shared resources with staff to highlight diverse voices during different recognition months.
• Equity teams at CJH and CHS have reviewed Panorama data, focusing particularly on student sense of belonging and how to increase and foster this for students.  CJH also engaged in a focus group with their Black Student Union, where they listened to student perspectives and experiences at their school.  CHS has focused on student participation and ownership of recognition of the diversity months - including AAPU hosting a Luau, reading books for primary students, BSU hosting a Black History virtual assembly and Cultures United hosting an all school Cultural Assembly in February.  The CHS equity team also engaged in a book study, Despite Best Intentions: How Racial Inequality Thrives in Good Schools, to continue to expand their own knowledge-base.