Equity Playbook Launch
The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) Team has partnered with engage2learn (e2L), an education consulting firm, and Kentucky’s regional educational cooperatives to lead the Equity Playbook in the Commonwealth.
The Equity Playbook provides district and school leaders with personalized executive coaching on evidence/research-based practices, content and resources to address opportunity gaps in one or more of the following areas:
- Student achievement;
- Utilization of funding and resources;
- Disproportionality relative to student discipline;
- Culture and climate; and
- Highly effective staff and high-quality instructional resources.
Kentucky schools, districts and regional educational cooperatives participated in the launch this fall. According to Education Week, Kentucky is the first to offer professional development of this kind in the country.
Boone County is in the first cohort for the equity playbook’s coaching. Superintendent Matt Turner shared that all of the high and middle school principals in his district are participating in this coaching model.
"They are very, very pleased and very excited and really like some of the work, especially the coaching aspect." Turner said.
The second cohort begins in January and the third in the fall of 2023.
There are still opportunities for new districts to sign on to participate in Kentucky’s Equity Playbook for cohorts 2 and 3. To sign up, email Damien Sweeney and Florence Chang.
U.S. Department of Education Special Event
The Kentucky Department of Education's Nicole Fields, left, and Florence Chang, right, attended a U.S. Department of Education conference focused on strnegthening educator effectiveness. Also attending was Ronique Hicks of Discovery Education. Submitted photo
School systems are finding new and innovative ways to encourage, invest in and lift up teachers across America by pursuing strategies to increase teacher collaboration, reduce teacher workload, attend to dimensions of teacher wellness and enact inclusive practices to attract and retain high-quality teachers.
The U.S. Department of Education’s Effective Educator Development Division hosted a special Powered by Teach to Lead event – Reimaging Our Investments for Strengthening Educator Effectiveness conference. This event convened P-12 school districts focused on strengthening educator effectiveness through projects aligned with:
- Increasing teacher collaboration through innovative scheduling;
- Supporting educator wellness using targeted practices; and
- Investing in a talented and diverse teacher pipeline.
Florence Chang, Ph.D., and Nicole Fields, Ed.D., participated in this conference on behalf of the Kentucky Department of Education’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) Team.
Kentucky’s biannual teacher working conditions survey indicated concerns related to educator well-being. The DEIB Team within the Kentucky Department of Education's Office of Teaching and Learning is focused on educator well-being, among several other topics.
In order to support United We Learn, Kentucky’s vision for education, one of the fundamental precursors to a vibrant learning environment is creating a sense of belonging for all students and educators. The DEIB Team is excited to partner with other KDE offices to address the needs of our educators. Stay tuned!
2022 Student Voice Data Now Available
“We can choose a pedagogy of voice that transforms everything from our classrooms to our adult cultures to our policies.” (Safir and Dugan, Street Data, p. 99)
By using student voice, we can begin to create positive, inclusive school environments that see students thrive. We can begin by using student voice data that is now available on the Kentucky School Report Card.
The Quality of School Climate and Safety indicator is one of the state indicators in the state's accountability system and is located on the Kentucky School Report Card under School Accountability. The indicator uses the perception of the school environment data from students in 3rd grade through high school. Data was collected in the spring of 2021 and again in the spring of 2022.
Several items related to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging are included in the survey. Students rated items such as:
- I feel like I am part of my school.
- My school is a place where students feel encouraged.
- Students from this school respect each other’s differences (gender, culture, race, religion, ability).
- Adults from this school respect each other’s differences (gender, culture, race, religion, ability).
The Opportunity to Learn Survey results are located under the Educational Opportunity area on the Kentucky School Report Card. This survey data includes items such as:
- I was able to keep up with my schoolwork when I was out of school.
- When I returned to school after being out, I was ready to work on what the rest of the class was learning.
Data are disaggregated by student groups if the sample size is 10 or higher.
As schools and districts are working on their Improvement Plans, these survey results provide valuable information on how their students are connected to school, teachers, peers and their learning.
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Religious Observances – October 2022
Below is a list of religious observances. It is not an exhaustive list and we appreciate your feedback. We are committed to equity and inclusion respecting the religious observances of all community members
- Oct. 4: St. Francis Day (Christianity), Blessing of the Animals (Christianity)
- Oct. 5: Navaratri Ends (Hinduism)
- Oct. 4-5: Yom Kippur (Judaism)
- Oct. 6: St. Thomas Day (Christianity; specifically Eastern Orthodox)
- Oct. 9-16: Sukkot (Judaism)
- Oct. 16-18: Shemini Atzeret (Judaism)
- Oct. 18: St. Luke Day (Christianity)
- Oct. 17-18: Simchat Torah (Judaism)
- Oct. 20: Installation of Scriptures as Guru Granth (Sikh)
- Oct. 24: Diwali (Hinduism)
- Oct. 25: Vikram New Year (Hinduism)
- Oct. 25-26: Birth of the Bab (Baha’i)
- Oct. 26-27: Birth of Baha’u’llah (Baha’i)
- Oct. 31: All Hallows Eve (Christianity), Reformation Day (Christianity; specifically Protestant), Samhain (Wicca/Neo Pagan)
Courtesy of Envision Equity (Jefferson County)
DEIB October Highlights
- Oct. 4: DEIB regional coordinators met at the Kentucky Valley Educational Cooperative
- Oct. 10: DEIB Team collaborated with the Kentucky Collaborative for Families and Schools - Leading Family Friendly Schools
- Oct. 12-13: CASEL Social-Emotional Exchange for State Leaders conference
- Oct. 13: DEIB Team provided a mental health check-in for the Commissioner's Student Council Advisory
- Oct. 14: Crowned...Empowering Youth to Overcome conference at Maryhurst Academy (Jefferson County)
- Oct. 19: DEIB provided trainings to Clark County counselors
- Oct. 24-25: DEIB Team and Ohio Valley Educational Cooperative are partnering together to help implement Equity Playbook at Coleridge Taylor Elementary (Jefferson County)
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