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North Shore school districts to implement numerous equity policies

In the wake of recent protests around the country related to racism, local school districts are re-evaluating their current inclusionary policies and assessing opportunity gaps in the form of new policy.

School districts that cover the North Shore are no exception, and have been busy in their policy implementation. Specifically, North Shore School District 112 and Township High School District 113 officials said they have been taking steps in assessing where their district policy can improve opportunities and outcomes for minoritized students, and lead to more equity in the student and staff body.

District 112

D112 is implementing a series of policies aimed at tackling inequity within the district, which begins with an equity audit. Lindsey Rose, the director of language for D112, said they are preparing for the audit to take place this upcoming school year, but the timeline could be flexible based on the pandemic.

“What we’d like to do with an equity audit is identify concrete needs for action planning across three core areas,” Rose said. “Teaching and learning, community, and school culture.”

They are introducing the Inclusive Curriculum Act, which will ensure LGTBQ contributions to U.S. and state history are taught in the curriculum, according to district material. They will also look to implement a Gay-Straight Alliance organization within the school this fall, officials said.

The district is also analyzing their current instructional framework and looking for how it can be used for anti-bias teachings and practices. Rose said preliminary district information shows there is a clear opportunity gap based on student achievement data that is being perpetuated based on race.

The Inclusivity, Acceptance and Equity Committee, which was originally formed last winter, is being reformed after it was cut short because of the coronavirus pandemic. In a June 30 presentation to the board, officials said the committee will have a say in the equity initiative and what steps are taken going forward.

Another program being started is a community-wide anti-racism book study. Started in July, the program invites participants to sign up for one of three book titles, Rose said. The participant receives a copy of the book, a reader’s guide and access to a virtual board discussion. There will also be a discussion on the books at the end of August, she said. It has so far garnered more than 300 participants.

District 113

In the fall and winter, D113’s School Board began working on the district’s goals, which were ultimately adopted on April 6, District Spokeswoman Karen Warner said.

One of the goals outlined was equity, which stated is to build and maintain an environment that ensures each student has the resources, support and activities they need to achieve their goals. Culture and climate, as well as the social-emotional well-being of students were also outlined as goals.

But the board elected to take further action in July, approving the creation of the Equity Committee. This will be a board committee, which means Board President Jodi Shapira will appoint the members, Warner said.

But Warner said in light of everyone getting ready for the return of school, attention is spread thin so it is taking longer to get the committee up and running. It is also hard to say exactly what this committee will cover at this time, as the scope of it has not been hammered out yet, Warner said. That said, all seven board members have indicated they want to participate in the committee formulation.

D113 also had a diverse learners audit conducted earlier this year. Some of the findings reported in July show there is an over reliance on level of course at both high schools within the district, recommending the district reduce its number of low-level courses and raise expectations in all levels. It also found what it called significantly lower SAT scores for under-served populations when compared to white students.

The report did also praise the district for many of its students achieving at a high level, and the steps and actions being taken by the schools to better serve the needs of their students. This includes saying the district has provided schools with ample resources and the staffing they need to support students.

“The work of equity in schools is the most important work of our generation,” Superintendent Dr. Bruce Law said of the audit. “The DMGroup audit has given us a roadmap for the work we need to do.”