The district recognizes that all learners do not currently have equitable outcomes, resulting in disproportionality.

Connections

Connections with teachers and staff members are the greatest indicator of student success in the classroom. Teacher-student relationships present a platform to have conversations, share experiences, mentorship and participate in activities that, in sum, create opportunities for engaged learning. The relationships between students and teachers embraces the whole student and assists teachers in recognizing each student’s unique story. It is imperative that educators understand the importance of establishing strong connections with all students, particularly with students of color, where cultural differences can present barriers to forming relationships.

Staff Diversity

Currently, the mosaic of Gates Chili students outlined in the introduction is not reflected in the current teaching staff, which is more than 90% white. Students of color do not have the same opportunities to connect with staff members, which can lead to increased academic disengagement and/or behavioral misunderstanding. Educators of color are assets to the community as role models and advocates for affecting positive outcomes for students of color⁵.

Staff Perception Survey

The district surveyed its teachers and other staff members in October 2019 to gain a better understanding of their beliefs and perceptions about race and equity. Of the more than 850 staff members districtwide, 66% of them responded to the survey. The survey had five focus areas that included intervention and referral processes, self-efficacy, practitioner’s perspectives on culture and race, and administrator and program director perceptions of teaching.

Survey respondents indicated the following:

• Fewer than half said materials provided to support teachers were culturally responsive and assessments were standardized for the population within the district.
• Fewer than 20% said they felt current intervention systems provide them with feedback on how to better support students.
• Only 30% of staff reported having enough training to deal with multiple learning needs.
• Nearly 60% feel they may not be able to reach all students.
• Almost half of staff reported that they do not have the appropriate level of racial awareness or knowledge.

A critical step in forming positive relationships is being responsive to students as individuals. For this to occur, staff members must engage in the work of understanding their own implicit biases.

Disproportionality

The Root Cause Team also examined a pattern of disproportionality seen in academics and behavior. Across all grade levels, students of color are not achieving at the same rate as their white peers in the areas of literacy and numeracy. This disproportionality is evident through students performing below grade-level benchmarks, the number of failing grades, and a lack of participation in advanced placement courses.

In addition to academics, the district is disproportionately disciplining and suspending Black and Latinx students, including students with disabilities. An unintended impact of the current discipline disparity is that oftentimes, students miss valuable instructional time, further increasing the achievement gap.

A review of policies, including the Student Code of Conduct and Character, also revealed subjective and punitive language that has resulted in inconsistent responses to supporting the behavioral needs of students of color.

According to data from the 2018-19 school year*:

• For grades 8-12, Black students are two times more likely to fail English courses.
• Only 5.35% of Black students and 2.69% of Latinx students were enrolled in advanced courses.
• A higher percentage of Black students receive more referrals than their white peers.
• Latinx males are 22% more likely to be suspended than any other male group, followed by Black male students, who are 12% more likely to be suspended.

*The Root Cause team met in the 2019-20 school year and analyzed data from the 2018-19 school year in order to have a complete data set.

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