New Board Policy: Equity

New Equity Policy to Guide Shifts in Mindset and Practice

Concerned about achievement disparities between white students and students of color and disproportionalities in participation, discipline, and graduation rates, the Lawrence school district began implementing a systemic equity transformation process during the 2009-10 school year. “It’s important to acknowledge that the district’s achievement gap exists because of gaps in opportunity and access,” said Leah Wisdom, director of equity, instruction, and student services. Wisdom said that through access, representation, meaningful participation, and high outcomes, the district can dismantle systemic inequities and remove barriers.

Working with the Pacific Educational Group (PEG), the district began involving the school board, staff, and community partners in Beyond Diversity training. Staff teams began attending and presenting at the PEG National Summit for Courageous Conversations, participating in book studies, and involving students and families in equity discussions using PEG’s Courageous Conversations about Race tools. The district hired an equity facilitator, supported several staff members in earning PEG affiliate practitioner licenses, and created a Staff of Color affinity group. Each school developed an Equity Team.

The district also began collaborating with the Midwest and Plains Equity Assistance Center (MAP Center) around the development of a Culturally Sustaining Resource Criteria. Staff use this tool when selecting, reviewing, or adopting instructional resources. It helps to guide staff in ensuring equity-centered curriculum that builds consciousness, reflects students’ cultural repertoires and views them as worthy of sustaining, and stimulates social improvement.

This year the district engaged the MAP Center in an Equity Context Analysis Process (ECAP). The ECAP involved several data collection activities, including staff, student, and parent/guardian questionnaires; school site visits, and staff interviews. The MAP Center will develop from the data a district summary of elements of educational equity that are currently evident and areas that may be opportunities for growth.

At the request of Superintendent Dr. Anthony Lewis, the board’s Policy Committee has developed an equity policy. The Committee researched policies from other districts and sought feedback from the board’s Equity Advisory Council, and Parents of Color and Native American Student Services Parent Advisory Committees; building leaders and staff who serve in leadership roles supporting the district’s ongoing equity work, and the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council. Board President Kelly Jones calls the result an umbrella policy to provide direction for the development, implementation, continuous improvement, and board monitoring of systemwide equity and justice strategies. The policy directs the board and staff to work together to “aggressively and efficiently eliminate inequitable practices, systems, and structures that create advantages for some students and families while disadvantaging others.” It states, “Lawrence Public School employee behaviors shall contribute to a school district 1) where students’ educational outcomes cannot be predicted by race, socioeconomic status and/or other historically marginalized identities; and 2) where all students and staff are engaged in a positive and academically rigorous environment where educational equity is woven into every single department or division.”

“I think it is a strong policy. We’ve looked at a lot of examples of equity polices from school districts across the country. I’m excited with the direction we’ve taken,” said board member Shannon Kimball, who serves on the Policy Committee.

The board approved the policy May 10, 2021. The public may review the new policy at www. usd497.org/SchoolBoard. “I appreciate the board bringing this policy forward and taking it from the boardroom to the classroom. If we choose to leverage this policy, not just as another sheet of paper, we really can ensure that, as the policy indicates, some of those predictable reasons that students underperform are no longer a concern. Really putting this policy in action can truly be part of our legacy work,” said Dr. Lewis.

Baker Partnership Expands Virtual Options

Through a new partnership, Baker University will provide dual credit opportunities for Lawrence Virtual School (LVS) students in eight college history, science, English, and math online courses next year. The district began offering inperson concurrent credit courses to Free State and Lawrence High School students last year through its Jayhawk Blueprint partnership with the University of Kansas. LVS students cannot access those courses online.

Dr. Lanie Fasulo, Baker’s concurrent credit coordinator, said that a goal of the new partnership is to provide opportunities for students opting for virtual or homeschool education to receive college credit in high school and to benefit from the rigor of college courses. LVS students can take the courses at a reduced college tuition of $113/credit hour. Dr. Fasulo adds that Baker offers a $50,000 scholarship to any student earning concurrent credit who then enrolls at Baker. “We’re really excited that Baker can offer a lot of options so we’ve talked about what it might look like for year two as we work with our LVS teachers, students, and families to expand the partnership,” said Dr. Jennifer Bessolo, USD 497’s director of curriculum and federal programs. LVS is the first virtual school in the state to offer concurrent credit courses. “There is a vision for expanding virtual education opportunities districtwide so there are a lot of exciting conversations and partnerships on the horizon,” Dr. Bessolo said. She continues to work with Haskell Indian Nations University on building a third partnership to offer dualenrollment opportunities for the district’s Native American high school students.