At the Jan. 22 meeting of the Hopewell Valley Regional School District Board of Education meeting, we passed the first reading of a significant revision to Policy 5755 – Equity in Educational Programs and Services to pledge our philosophical belief in the importance of equity, as well as our intention that each student will have the same opportunities and bias-free access to an educational experience. The second reading and adoption is scheduled for Feb. 12.
Since the district already states that its mission “is to provide a comprehensive, caring educational experience which nurtures the unique talents of each individual,” the Hopewell Valley community may be wondering why a comprehensive equity policy is needed.
As the least diverse school district in Mercer County, ours is a district where equity disparities are more likely to go unnoticed. One of the more noteworthy policy revisions states that our district administration will annually review data to determine that all subgroups of students sharing certain characteristics (e.g., race, religion, gender, socio-economic status, special needs) are equitably represented in certain areas, including among others, access to AP courses or assignment to suspensions.
It is safe to assume that no staff members intentionally act in a discriminatory fashion. I believe that is generally true for most educators, and yet national studies provide a sobering reality.
According to the Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, students of color are disproportionately suspended from school as early as preschool. The numbers get even worse when you add gender, disability, or English learning information to the mix.
Further, additional studies indicate widespread issues related educational access and other limitations.
If staff is not intentionally discriminating, what factors would account for such alarming national trends? Much of the problem is attributed to “implicit bias,” or unconscious attitudes that may affect our understanding or actions.
For an interesting self-test Google “Harvard implicit bias” and check out your own results.
As a district, we have promoted the equity conversation through many channels including character education, the superintendent-led cultural competency committee, CHS participation in the Mercer County Day of Dialogue, and the character education framework found at hvrsd.org.
Yet strong actions need to match our words. All of those separate initiatives address pieces of a larger matter. Our superintendent and board of education believe that we must set overarching expectations throughout the district and that it is important to self monitor.
The old saying, “To measure is to know,” helps explain our logic.
In the best case, we will evaluate our annual rates and determine that our resources are assigned in a fair and just allocation. The measurement will provide a reassuring confirmation that our educational strategies are effective.
In a worse case, annual evaluations will indicate areas of focus and improvement. Our administration can work on a plan to ensure that our district is properly positioned to better foster success for every student.
Like most other districts, we have had past indications of achievement gaps that needed addressing. We are revising this policy to acknowledge, address, and take proactive steps to progress.
While most neighboring districts may not have comprehensive equity policies, we are not afraid to take the lead in actions intended to improve the outcome and experiences for all of our students.
Lisa Wolff is vice president of the Hopewell Valley Regional School District Board of Education.
from the schools,
