The Equity Review Process
Adams 12 Five Star Schools partnered with Arrow Performance Group to lead the district in a comprehensive evaluation focusing on racial equity. The district’s goal was to ensure access, opportunity and a sense of belonging for students and staff in their school community.
The Equity Review included analyzing existing data, reviewing current policies and practices, and developing a better understanding of the experiences of staff, students and families through surveys, listening sessions, focus groups and site visits. As we went through the process with a focus on racial equity, the lessons learned can and will be applied to other areas as a long-term commitment to ongoing equity work in Five Star Schools.
The district shared the findings, resulting recommendations and planned action steps that resulted from this review once it is complete.
Timeline
Feedback from students, families and staff will be crucial to conducting the district’s Equity Review.
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School Culture 360 Survey (October 2021): This survey of all families, educators and students in grades 6-12 was sent out in October. A total of 15,671 families, staff members and students completed this survey. The survey explored the following five areas:
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academic emphasis and excellence;
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whole-student development (including the practices associated with strong citizenship formation such as an open classroom);
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organizational coherence (the mission and practices align);
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sense of belonging (communality); and
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trust and support among adults across the school community.
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District Policy Review (October - November 2021): Arrow Performance Group reviewed 79 of 154 district policies for evidence, patterns of language and/or district direction that could be interpreted as inequitable and/or non-inclusive practices. Areas of growth were identified, and the resulting recommendations will be included in the report and recommendations that will be made available to all families and staff upon completion of the Equity Review.
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November 2021 - January 2022:
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Focus groups and interviews: Arrow Performance Group and Adams 12 Five Star Schools will partner to reach out to staff, teachers, students and community members to invite them to participate in focus groups to share their experiences and perspectives. (Completed)
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School site visits: Walkthroughs of school buildings throughout the district to assess how they reflect and celebrate culture and diversity. Schools will notify families ahead of time if their school will be visited during this process. (Completed)
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Spring Semester 2022 (Equity Review Completed)
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Click here to read the final report
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