Rationale: The outcomes of historically-underrepresented and marginalized students are disproportionate to that of the total district population.  

Purpose: Support the district in strengthening a system that embraces culturally-responsive and inclusive approaches to education so that outcomes are no longer disproportionate.  

Charge: To serve as an advisory group and accountability partner with the district to ensure progress towards achieving the goals within the Strategic Plan for Equity. 

Suggested Actions: 

• Develop a foundational understanding of the District’s Strategic Plan for Equity including the core beliefs, rationale and purpose. 
• Begin or continue the personal journey of understanding unconscious bias, as well as systematic racism. 
• Examine the New York State Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education (CR-SE) Framework.
• Reflect on and support the work of the Focus Area Teams and School-Building Equity Teams.
• Serve as a liaison to the Gates Chili school community.  

Rationale: District curriculum, resources and instructional practices do not authentically represent or engage historically underrepresented students or provide an inclusive approach to learning by providing opportunities for all types of learners to experience academic success. 

Purpose: Identify curriculum, resources and instructional practices that authentically represent and meaningfully engage historically underrepresented students and all types of learners. 

Charge: Identify gaps and areas of opportunity to make district curriculum, resources and instructional practices culturally responsive and inclusive so historically underrepresented and academically underperforming students experience academic success that maximizes their potential.  

Suggested Actions: 

• Develop a foundational understanding of the District’s Strategic Plan for Equity including the core beliefs, rationale and purpose. 
• Begin or continue your personal journey of understanding your unconscious biases as well as systematic racism. 
• Unpack NYS CR-SE Framework 
• Research exemplars and guides for culturally responsive curriculum, resources, and instructional practices
• Complete a gap analysis between the exemplars and guides to district curriculum, resources and practices
• Identify and make recommendations for desired improvements and additions  

Rationale: District employees do not authentically represent the student population with more than 90% of staff reporting their race as white. Research states that student academic success rate, particularly for students who identify as historically underrepresented students, are higher when they can experience a teacher who represents the same race/ethnic identity in the classroom. Recruiting, hiring and retaining staff members of color provides an inclusive approach to learning by providing opportunities for all types of learners to experience academic success.  It is also important that the district hires individuals of color as one way to diversify the culture in work environments. Employees need to feel a personal and professional sense of belonging and see themselves within the structure of the organization. The retention of an employee begins with recruitment; the district must make sure it has the infrastructure in place to support the needs of staff members of color. This committee will assist in this process.  

Purpose: Identify procedures and practices that authentically represent and meaningfully engage historically-underrepresented employees.  

Charge: Identify gaps and areas of opportunity to make the district’s recruitment, hiring and retention culturally responsive and inclusive. This will allow historically-underrepresented employees to be more widely represented and increase everyday cultural and inclusive experiences.   

Suggested Actions:  

• Develop a foundational understanding of the district’s Strategic Plan for Equity including the core beliefs, rationale and purpose.  
• Begin or continue the personal journey of understanding your unconscious and implicit biases as well as the historical and current standing of systematic racism.  
• Unpack biases in recruitment, hiring and retention.  
• Research best practices for culturally-responsive and inclusive recruitment, hiring and retention structures.  
• Complete a gap analysis between resources, procedures and practices presented.  
• Identify and make recommendations for desired improvements and additions to the recruitment, hiring and retention practices.   

Rationale: Behavioral, social-emotional and academic systems of support are not consistently aligned nor implemented across our six schools and may not reflect a strength-based approach to teaching and learning for all students. The current systems are not yet sustained by ongoing data analysis that are horizontally or vertically aligned.  

Purpose: Identify and implement systems, practices, and data sources that consistently align and meaningfully support all students.  

Charge: Identify gaps and areas of opportunity to make district systems, practices and procedures, and data practices culturally responsive and inclusive so historically underrepresented and academically underperforming students experience academic success that maximizes their potential.  

Suggested Actions: 

• Develop a foundational understanding of the District’s Strategic Plan for Equity including the core beliefs, rationale and purpose 
• Begin or continue the personal journey of understanding your unconscious and implicit biases as well as the historical and current standing of systematic racism.   
• Build understanding of CRE Resources: NYS CR-SE Framework and NYBOR’s Framework on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in NY Schools 
• Research exemplars and guides for culturally responsive systems of support (EMTSS, Wisconsin model) 
• Complete a gap analysis between the exemplars and current state of GC 
• Identify and make recommendations for desired improvements and additions  
• Work regularly with the Restorative Practices team to ensure alignment and clear expectations of tasks 

Rationale: Current district discipline practices result in the disproportionate suspension of students of color and students with disabilities. The use of restorative practices within the school environment will improve school culture and reduce the need for suspension thereby increasing students’ time actively engaged in academics.    

Purpose: Utilize a restorative approach districtwide in order to create a welcoming and affirming environment for all students. Determine effective strategies and supports that empower staff to implement restorative practices throughout the district.  

Charge: Examine current discipline practices and disciplinary data to identify areas of need. Based on the findings, identify resources and supports to successfully implement restorative practices and strategies districtwide and revise the Code of Conduct and Character accordingly to ensure that it is strengths-based and assists in the creation of a welcoming and affirming environment for all learners. 

Suggested Actions: 

• Develop a foundational understanding of the district’s Strategic Plan for Equity including the core beliefs, rationale and purpose 
• Begin or continue the personal journey of understanding your unconscious and implicit biases as well as systematic racism 
• Unpack NYS CR-SE Framework 
• Research current disciplinary practices and disciplinary data
• Research effective strategies and support to implement restorative practices
• Develop an implementation plan which includes: building awareness, providing professional development, providing ongoing support and evaluating progress to identify and make recommendations for desired improvements
• Work regularly with the MTSS team to ensure alignment and clear expectations of tasks 

Rationale: Current district data systems are not consistently aligned nor implemented across the district and may not represent the school community demographics. The current systems are not yet sustained by ongoing data analysis practices within the school environment that will improve school culture and student achievement.   

Purpose: Develop and implement culturally-responsive data systems that provide accurate collection of demographic data to monitor and address disproportionality across the district for staff and students.   

Charge: Identify and examine district systems, identify data gaps, research and implement data protocols for collecting and analyzing data, and develop a comprehensive dashboard.  Examine current data systems, identify the gaps, and create a procedure for collecting and analyzing the data to impact school culture and student learning.  

Suggested Actions: 

• Develop a foundational understanding of the district’s Strategic Plan for Equity including the core beliefs, rationale and purpose 
• Begin or continue the personal journey of understanding your unconscious and implicit biases as well as the historical and current standing of systematic racism
• Build understanding of CRE Resources: NYS CR-SE Framework, Cultural Humility Model, and Building for Equity guidance document
• District data systems will be in place to accurately report demographic data 
• Create a culturally-responsive data dashboard that will collect disaggregated academic, behavioral, and attendance data to inform decisions at all levels of the district
• District and school personnel will use the data system to inform their teaching practices and interventions for students