Update on Strategic Plan Priority 2 Goals: Curriculum, Policy, and Practice Audit

1. Update on Strategic Plan Priority 2 Goals Curriculum, Policy and Practice AuditCompetencies for Culturally Responsive Practices Jaime Alicea, Superintendent June 24, 2019

2. Objectives of Tonight’s Presentation Update the Board of Education on Priority 2 of the Strategic Plan Share the findings and recommendations of the Curriculum, Policy and Practice Audit Present the Priority Cultural Competencies and recommendations

3. Building our FutureSyracuse City School District Strategic Plan 2018-2022

4. 5 Priorities Engage families and communities Implement culturally responsive practices Recruit, develop, support and retain the most effective diverse staff. Personalize learning for students Provide dynamic, rigorous curriculum and instruction

5. WhatWhyWhat We Must Do

6. Curriculum Meetings and Milestones All audit meetings will be held from 4:00-6:30 at the Professional Development Center

7. Competencies Meetings and Milestones Meetings were held in a variety of locations at a variety of times that meet the needs of stakeholders

8. Culturally Responsive Education

9. What is Culturally Responsive Education? Combination of teaching, pedagogy, curriculum, theories, attitudes, practices, and instructional materials that center students’ culture, identities, and contexts throughout educational systems.

10. Key Principles of Culturally Responsive Education? validating students’ experiences and values disrupting power dynamics that privilege dominate groups empowering students

11. Significance of Culturally Responsive Education CRE not only has a positive impact on all students’ academic experiences, but it can also have significant influence on racial attitudes and biases and provide the cognitive tools needed to critique and disrupt institutional racism. (Laird, 2005; Garth-McCullough, 2007)

12. Significance of Culturally Responsive Education Effective implementation of Culturally responsive curricula increase student academic engagement, attendance, grade point averages, graduation rates, civic engagement, positive racial self-images, and self-definition (Browman, 2011; Butler-Barnes, 2017; Cabrera, 2012; Carter, 2008; Dee & Penner, 2016; Morell, 2013)

13. Culturally Responsive Education and Curricula Curriculum is the WHOLE package! • Learning goals and standards • Units and lessons • Assignments • Activities and projects • Books, materials, videos, presentations, and readings • Influence how young people understand the world • Contribute to centering and normalizing people, cultures, and values

14. Curriculum Audit Culturally Responsive Scorecard

15. Explanation of Scorecard Representation Social Justice • Character and Author Tally • Diversity of Characters • Accurate Portrayals • Decolonization, Power, & Privilege • Centering Multiple Perspectives • Connect Learning to Real Life & Action

16. Diversity of Characters Tally

17. Diversity of Authors Tally

18. Diversity of Characters and Accurate Portrayals

19. Social Justice Orientation

20. Scoring Guidelines

21. Scorecard Calculations

22. Findings and Recommendations

23. Table of issues

24. Recommendations Replace texts from culturally destructive units for 2019-20 SY Review all English Language Arts Units in Grades K-2 Include Culturally Responsive Scorecard in Curriculum Adoption Process Adopt a District Equity Policy

25. Recommendations For Cultural Competencies Racial Self-Awareness Awareness of the world-views of culturally Diverse staff, students, and families Creating a Welcoming and Affirming Environment, Fostering High Expectations and Rigorous Instruction, Identifying Inclusive Curriculum and Assessment, and Engaging in Ongoing Professional Learning.

26. Recommendations For Cultural Competencies Provide Professional Development for ALL SCSD Stakeholders Racial Self-Awareness Awareness of the world-views of culturally Diverse staff, students, and families NYU Culturally Responsive Education Modules 1-5

27. Recommendations For Cultural Competencies Targeted Provide Professional Development for Students Creating a Welcoming and Affirming Environment, Fostering High Expectations and Rigorous Instruction,

28. Recommendations For Cultural Competencies Target Behaviors for Students Creating a Welcoming and Affirming Environment Practice empathy during all interactions. Acknowledge and try to incorporate the ideas of peers respectfully Challenge power and privilege in our society, respectfully and with care.

29. Recommendations For Cultural Competencies Target Behaviors for Students Fostering High Expectations and Rigorous Instruction Sustain the mindset that having high expectations also includes character development. Set high goals and continuously revise them to enhance academic comfort zone. Strive and take pride in producing high quality work.

30. Recommendations For Cultural Competencies Targeted Provide Professional Development for Teachers and Leaders Creating a Welcoming and Affirming Environment, Fostering High Expectations and Rigorous Instruction, Identifying Inclusive Curriculum and Assessment, and Engaging in Ongoing Professional Learning.

31. Recommendations For Cultural Competencies Target Behaviors for Teachers Creating a Welcoming and Affirming Environment Build rapport and develop positive relationships with students, and their families Create an environment to follow agreed upon norms, out of a sense of responsibility, not fear. Encourage students to take academic risks, capitalizing on mistakes as learning opportunities.

32. Recommendations For Cultural Competencies Target Behaviors for Leaders Creating a Welcoming and Affirming Environment Disaggregate data to evaluate trends, and create a strategic plan to address disproportionality. Assess school climate using a variety of measures to collect diverse stakeholder impressions. Create a policy statement about your commitment to culturally responsive-sustaining education, and include staff.

33. Recommendations For Cultural Competencies Target Behaviors for Teachers Fostering High Expectations and Rigorous Instruction Communicate high expectations and deliver rigorous instruction for all students regardless race. Reflect on your own implicit bias, and how that bias might impact your expectations for students. Provide parents information about what their child is expected to know, and ways to support at home

34. Recommendations For Cultural Competencies Target Behaviors for Leaders Fostering High Expectations and Rigorous Instruction Coach teachers to put the cognitive lift on students. Use tools to identify and recognize teachers using culturally responsive-sustaining practices across content areas. Partner with experts in the field to identify most effective, research-based, instructional strategies.

35. Recommendations For Cultural Competencies Target Behaviors for Teachers Identifying Inclusive Curriculum and Assessment Provide regular opportunities for social emotional learning strategies within lessons. Connect content with the daily lives of students by tapping into their culture and existing interests. Incorporate cooperative learning activities and highlight students’ unique strengths in a group.

36. Recommendations For Cultural Competencies Target Behaviors for Leaders Identifying Inclusive Curriculum and Assessment Incorporate social emotional learning (SEL) strategies into the school day and broader learning environment. Support staff in embedding grade-level, standards-aligned resources that emphasize cultural pluralism. Invest in curricular resources that reflect diverse cultures and voices of marginalized people.

37. Recommendations For Cultural Competencies Target Behaviors for Teachers Engaging in Ongoing Professional Learning Learn continuously about implicit bias and challenging your own biases. Set professional goals related to CR-S practices. Analyze discipline data to determine any trends across sub-groups or bias toward students.

38. Recommendations For Cultural Competencies Target Behaviors for Leaders Engaging in Ongoing Professional Learning Identify teachers with strong culturally responsive-sustaining practices and allow time to share practices. Provide opportunities for teachers and leaders to receive trainings on topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Create learning communities for teachers and students to engage in topics that directly address privilege.

39. WhatWhyWhat We Must Do

40. Professional Development and Ongoing Support New Educators Orientation Leadership Academy EWA Embedded Professional Development PLC Embedded Professional Development Performance Matters Options Webinars Coach Academy Embedded into Social Studies, English Language Arts, Health, Home and Careers Small Group Lessons

41. Professional Development and Ongoing Support Incorporate into standardized LookFors Incorporate into the Critical Attributes of Danielson Incorporate into evidence factors of Leadership Observations

42. Building our FutureSyracuse City School District Strategic Plan 2018-2022