Executive Limitation-16 (EL-16)
The School Board adopted EL-16 to ensure an environment and culture that values and respects the diversity of its students and staff, addressing factors affecting student achievement and wellbeing. This document addresses six key areas of equity work that will take place in the Issaquah School District.
See full Executive Limitations Monitoring Report here: Executive Limitations-16 Equity
Environment and Culture
Promoting an environment and culture that is committed to every student having the opportunity to reach their full potential through educational equity.
Interpretation
- Recognize the existence of systemic and institutional inequities for students.
- Actively encourage, support and expect high achievement and social-emotional well-being for students from all racial groups and other identified subgroups.
- Provide equitable access and academic support throughout our educational system.
- Provide curriculum that prioritizes diverse viewpoints and cultural relevance.
- Promote an environment and culture that supports and encourages effective engagement of all students and fosters cultural competency in students.
- Provide professional development, training, and engagement opportunities to inform and practice cultural competence, and increase awareness of personal and systemic bias and inequities in teaching, counseling, advising, and coaching practices, as well as in discipline, staff – student interactions, and staff – parent interactions.
- Provide equitable access and an inclusive, welcoming, and safe environment to school activities, clubs, and athletics.
Evidence of some of this work in during the 2020-21 school year
- Worked with the Student Information department to create access for educators to access a family's preferred language.
- Has secured professional interpreter and translation services and trained staff on how to use them (Alboum, Language Line, Google Voice, etc.)
- Facilitating staff professional development on how to communicate with families during parent/teacher conferences during remote learning
- Set up a district wide system for how to pay for interpreters and translations
- Provided professional development on culturally responsive teaching
- Worked with Executive Directors at different levels to get Hybrid Handbooks translated
- Our linguistically diverse families cannot access our registration system without support from translators as Skyward only communicates in English.
- Worked with IEA to start the school year at Elementary with a conference to build relationships, understand family resources, and ensure access.
- Provided an IHS Counselors and Family Partnership event for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse families - evening event.
- Created multiple partnerships with community organizations in order to support our students and families. We know that inequities begin long before and continue well after students enter/leave our schools. Community involvement and support is essential to addressing inequities that our students and families face as well as creating a culturally competent community that is welcoming.
Community Partnership
Develop and implement strategies for effective partnerships between home, school, and the district, seeking out diverse perspectives on district initiatives, practices, and school climate
Interpretation
- Establish and maintain meaningful school and family partnerships.
- Provide accessible opportunities for parents/families to give input and feedback in order to incorporate diverse perspectives on District decisions.
Evidence of some of this work during the 2020-21 school year
- Provided parent professional development to develop and foster a welcoming environment and promote relevant engagement opportunities for all families.
- Worked with the Student Information department to create access for educators to access a family's preferred language.
- Has secured professional interpreter and translation services and trained staff on how to use them (Alboum, Language Line, Google Voice, etc.)
- Facilitated parent conversations on how to talk with kids about race
- Held an AAPI parent listening session
- Trained our AAPI parents on how to report racist or biased incidents at school
- Created a family FAQ document for starting the year with remote learning
- Middle School Daily Schedule support for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse families - September's newsletter
- Worked with Executive Directors at different levels to get Hybrid Handbooks translated
- Our linguistically diverse families cannot access our registration system without support from translators as Skyward only communicates in English.
- Helping families on how to access and navigate Canvas and Family Access
- Supporting IHS PTSA with Cultural Awareness presentation to parents
- Provided a PTSA Equity Presentation
- Provided an IHS Counselors and Family Partnership event for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse families - evening event
- Provided ISD Family Connections Meeting - Welcome New Families to the ISD- ongoing meetings throughout the school year 3-4 times a year.
- Held Family Partnership Advisory Committee meetings with district families to gain feedback and insight into their experiences in our district
- Provided Resources and Tips for Middle School Families new to public US Middle School system Event
- Provided Resources and Tips for High School Families new to public US High School system Event
- Held Listening events with Issaquah Equity and Inclusion Community Group - 3-4 events (AAPI, Voices of Change Youth, etc.)
Data
Collect, disaggregate, analyze, and utilize data
Interpretation
- Identify inequities
- Develop and implement strategies and allocate resources towards eliminating those inequities
- Establish and sustain equity-based accountability systems across the district
Evidence of some of this work during the 2020-21 school year
- Corridor School TOSAs (Teachers on Special Assignment) - Worked with Sunset Elementary, Issaquah Valley Elementary, and Clark Elementary on Equity, Allison Ilgenfritz - monthly meetings
- Enrollment Verification Process (EVP) 2020-21 Cultural and Family Partnership Registration Event - Data collected for August 2020 event
- Cultural and Family Partnership Events 2020-21 Data collected
- BASC (Before and After School Care) Support to families to help students engage during remote learning
- Participated in the Engagement Task Force
- Data and Disproportionality Proposal
- Participated in the MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports) Executive Committee
- SWIS (School-Wide Information System) and Microaggressions
- Adoption Process review - Equity Audit - template created in October 2020
- Partnered with ISF (Issaquah Schools Foundation) and Asst. Superintendent of Elementary Education to secure funding to provide transportation to Summer School for all students
- Racial Trauma All Admin Presentations by Ashley McGirt, WA Therapy Foundation founder and psychotherapist. 12/8/2020 survey results collected
- Survey on Equity Professional Development for School Buildings - Staff were asked what Equity topics they would like to see for 2020-2021. 631 responses received with their top 3 choices.
- School Building Equity PD with ISD Equity Specialist - exit tickets collected
- Building Equity Leads with ISD Equity Specialist - exit tickets collected
- Equity Department Timeline of Professional Development, Equitable opportunities, Retention, Parent/Family Engagement, Curriculum Development and Implementation
Recruitment
Promote hiring practices to attract a highly-skilled and diverse workforce
Interpretation
- Actively seek out through promoting recruiting and selection hiring practices highly skilled staff from diverse backgrounds.
- Actively seek out through promoting recruiting and selection hiring practices highly skilled staff who are culturally responsive and possess a commitment to equity and inclusion.
Evidence of some of this work during the 2020-21 school year
- Equity focused interview questions
- Purposefully have diverse representation at recruiting events
- Reach out to locations to recruit people from diverse backgrounds or who are sensitive to diversity
- Additional cultural competency training specifically for Human Resources department.
Family and Community Engagement
Promote an environment and culture that supports and encourages effective engagement of all families, including those from diverse backgrounds
Interpretation
- Develop and foster a welcoming environment and promote relevant engagement opportunities for all families
Evidence of some of this work from the 2020-21 school year
- Provided parent professional development in order to develop and foster a welcoming environment and promote relevant engagement opportunities for all families.
- Worked with the Student Information department to create access for educators to access a family's preferred language.
- Has secured professional interpreter and translation services and trained staff on how to use them (Alboum, Language Line, Google Voice, etc.)
- Held an AAPI parent listening session
- Created a family FAQ document for starting the year with remote learning
- Middle School Daily Schedule support for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse families - September's newsletter
- Helping families on how to access and navigate Canvas and Family Access
- Supporting IHS PTSA with Cultural Awareness presentation to parents
- Provided a PTSA Equity Presentation
- Provided an IHS Counselors and Family Partnership event for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse families - evening event
- Provided ISD Family Connections Meeting - Welcome New Families to the ISD- ongoing meetings throughout the school year 3-4 times a year.
- Held Family Partnership Advisory Committee meetings with district families to gain feedback and insight into their experiences in our district
- Provided Resources and Tips for Middle School Families new to public US Middle School system Event
- Provided Resources and Tips for High School Families new to public US High School system Event
- Held Listening events with Issaquah Equity and Inclusion Community Group - 3-4 events (AAPI, Voices of Change Youth, etc.)
- Created multiple partnerships with community organizations in order to support our students and families. We know that inequities begin long before and continue well after students enter/leave our schools. Community involvement and support is essential to addressing inequities that our students and families face as well as creating a culturally competent community that is welcoming.
Retention
Promote a workplace environment and culture that supports retaining a highly-skilled and diverse workforce
Interpretation
- Foster a culturally competent and emotionally safe work environment and learning culture to enable highly skilled staff who are from diverse backgrounds to thrive and connect as employees of the Issaquah School District.
- Develop and empower culturally responsive staff who possess a commitment to equity and inclusion.
Evidence of some of this work during the 2020-21 school year
- Provided professional development on Exploring racism and social justice through media
- Provided and equity summer book study (Blindspot)
- Provided a fall summer book study (Blindspot)
- Provided professional development by building cultural awareness through films and documentaries
- TOSA participated on the IEA bargaining team to help provide an equity lens
- Held monthly educators of color meetings to help retain educators of color
- Met with staff of color on an individual basis to provide encouragement and support
- Held a support meeting for AAPI staff members
- Led a book study on How to Be an Antiracist with staff