1. USD 497’s Equity Journey

2. Why?
Disparities in the achievement and graduation rates of students of color when compared to their white peers
Moral imperative: ALL kids deserve an excellent education
District Mission: “Lawrence USD 497 is a learning community committed to ensuring educational equity and excellence so that students of all races and backgrounds achieve at high levels and graduate prepared for success in college, careers and life in a diverse and rapidly changing world.”

3. Racial disparities in graduation rates

6. Four Agreements What I do when we have a Courageous Conversation:
Stay engaged
Speak my truth
Experience discomfort
Expect/accept non-closure

7. Six Conditions How to have a Courageous Conversation:
Focus on personal, local and immediate
Isolate race
Normalize social construction & examine multiple perspectives to reach critical understanding
Monitor agreements, conditions and establish parameters
Use a “working definition” for race (skin color)
Examine the presence and role of “whiteness”

8. Key Steps Excellence, equity, engagement goals
Educational Equity and Excellence Plan
Beyond Diversity training
National Summit participation
District Equity Leadership Team
School Equity Teams
Staff of Color support group
Equity facilitator
School equity participation audits
Efforts to recruit, develop and retain a more diverse staff
Culturally relevant rubric for curriculum evaluation
LGBTQ+ student supports
Bond issue to address equitable facilities
Learning Forward, Future Ready
Personalized learning
Equitable access to technology
Culturally relevant teaching

9. Narrowing of Gaps

10. Graduation Year Total Graduates Non-Graduates 2009 794 609 185 2010
815
676
139
2011
761
647
114
2012
828
737 91
2013
745
670 75
2014
783
720 63
2015
705
649 56

11. Equity work in our school…