Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging

December 6, 2023

Interim Commissioner of Education Robin Fields Kinney talks with participants in the Special Olympics Kentucky Unified Champion Schools initiative during the Kentucky Board of Education meeting in October. Photo by Joe Ragusa, Oct. 11, 2023

Kentucky Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools Brings Students Together, With and Without Intellectual Disabilities

Stories like that of Macgregor Hansgen, a Special Olympics athlete, show the importance of Special Olympics Kentucky (SOKY) and its Unified Champion Schools program.

“I love playing Unified Sports with Special Olympics Kentucky because I have met many great people, and they socialize with me. We are great teammates, and we make a great team,” Hansgen said.

Unified Sports bring Special Olympics athletes together with athletes outside special education.

Hansgen started participating in SOKY in 2018 while he was a student at Westport Middle School (Jefferson County). He then continued as an athlete in high school and participates in Unified cornhole and basketball as well as track and field at the University of Louisville.

“By playing Unified Sports, I have learned how to encourage people while playing sports,” said Hansgen. “I have learned the rules of each game that I have played. I have learned how to play new sports such as running a relay in track and playing cornhole.”

SOKY provides sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Partnered with the Unified Champion Schools initiative, it strategically supports youth with and without intellectual disabilities in inclusive sports and youth leadership, and in engaging the whole school.

The United Champion Schools initiative is a Special Olympics program offered on the state level and supported with funding by the U.S. Department of Education. SOKY assists schools in Kentucky with implementing the three pillars of a Unified Champion School:

• Inclusive sports – These schools include Unified Sports programs such as interscholastic/Kentucky High School Athletic Association Unified Sports, Unified physical education or Unified intramurals, and Special Olympics Unified Sports. Inclusive sports support all ages. Special Olympics Young Athletes has an inclusive play activity program for ages 2-7.
• Youth Leadership – Students with and without intellectual disabilities at these schools work together to lead and plan advocacy, awareness, Special Olympics and other inclusive activities throughout the school year.
• Whole School Engagement – These schools hold awareness and education activities that promote inclusion and reach the majority of the school population.

Read the complete story: Kentucky Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools brings students together, with and without intellectual disabilities – Kentucky Teacher.

Video: McCracken County Schools Make Strides with Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) Efforts

Check out this video about McCracken County's diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging efforts.

The video shows the district's journey, which started with acknowledging a need for the work to putting in intentional, strategic work toward creating and enhancing a sense of belonging for each student.

McCracken County's DEIB work started during the pandemic and now the district's goal is for the work to become all encompassing. They are working to provide students not just with great academics, but also with great character development. District leaders note that when students feel like they belong, they feel more confident and comfortable to use their voice. 

"Just because our perspectives are different doesn't mean we can't find common ground," said student Quinterious Bailey.

McCracken County's goals around this work are to focus on their program's DEIB tenets – which include teaching effective problem solving, communication and teamwork skills – to students so they become caring, productive citizens within a diverse community.

DEIB Connects with United We Learn

The Kentucky Department of Education's (KDE's) Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging team works in alignment with other KDE divisions to promote the United We Learn vision and provide guidance on equity concerns, presentations, data discussions and more! The team's alignment to United We Learn can be seen through promoting the creation of inclusive environments that establish belonging and allow students to engage in vibrant learning experiences.

The image above illustrates the many ways the team serves the department, as well as the different levers KDE, Kentucky school districts and schools have to advance equity. 

Leveraging and Modeling a Culture of Being Data-Driven

There is no lack of data in Kentucky. As a matter of fact, we are data-rich.

What are some ways educators can use data to improve results?

The DEIB team at the Kentucky Department of Education uses data in several ways. There also are several tools educators can use that are unique to Kentucky. 

Start with the Problem Solving Analysis Tool and Equity Dashboard. This tool helps guide district or school level teams through the four-step problem solving process (see KyMTSS Implementation Guide pp 14-19).

The process should look the same at each tier of prevention across all domains with district data, school data, grade level data, small groups or individual students. The questions in the second column help administrators or team leaders guide discussion and think systematically in each step of the problem-solving process. The discussion column is for notetaking and capturing key points as teams identify barriers, determine action steps, set goals for implementation and evaluate effectiveness.

Possible Data Sources: Universal screening, Equity Dashboard, office referrals, suspensions, measures of academic achievement and growth, behavior screening, early warning systems, school climate surveys (staff, student, family), focus group data, etc.

The Student Equity Dashboard has been moved from the Tableau visualization link to a new aggregated-only link under Tableau visualization on the Infinite Campus Index tab.

The new link limits access to aggregated visualizations that do not include student-level detail. Users who had access to the dashboard in the prior location will need to be added to the new Tableau Aggregated Only Infinite Campus security group for access to the equity dashboards in the new location. Users who need access only to the equity dashboards should have rights removed from the previous Tableau visualization link. The new link can be shared with district staff who need access to aggregated-only data.

For more information, reference the Infinite Campus Data Analysis Portal User Guide

What Data Does KDE's DEIB Team Collect to Show Impact?

KDE and Regional DEIB Coordinators, Through 4th Quarter (2022-2023)

We capture the number of touches we have with our stakeholders in the Commonwealth. While quantitative data is important, we also capture qualitative data. We need to hear from the people that we've supported about their perceptions of the support they received.

• "Loved the time to work and implement immediately after getting the content. This can really benefit all students."
• "Acknowledging all of the things that make us different as human beings and how each of us may value these characteristics at different levels in their importance to us."
• "Great information! I had no idea how to use the equity dashboard until today."
• "The speaker was so knowledgeable and really great explaining techniques and things that will better prepare me."

Safe Students, Empowered Educators: Dismantling Hate and Violence in Schools Conference

Equity Playbook Continues to Make Connections

Research shows that coaching is the best way to increase capacity and transform daily practice. With coaching support, adult learners have a 95% rate for acquiring and retaining skills, along with knowledge and information transference in daily practice (Joyce & Showers, 2003).

During the 2022-2023 school year, the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) team partnered with engage2learn, 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.

According to an article in Education Week, Kentucky is the first state in the country to offer an opportunity like this to educators.

The third cohort for Kentucky's equity playbook began in the fall of 2023. We are up to 352 participants who get free, personalized coaching! 

For more information on the equity playbook, contact Damien Sweeney.

Educator Spotlight: Michelle Sircy, Ed.D.

Michelle Sircy is the newest member of KDE's DEIB team. She serves as the program coordinator for comprehensive school counseling. Here is the press release that went out when Sircy joined the team.

While formal introductions are important, getting deeper into who someone is will always be important. For a short glimpse of who Sircy is, take a look at words of wisdom she left her 320-plus school counselors when she decided to transition to this position from her role as Jefferson County Public School’s counseling services specialist.

1. Do not let anyone diminish the work that you do. What you do as school counselors holds this district together. You are the heart and soul of each and every school and the voice for our students – especially those who do not have a voice or a seat at the table.
2. Advocate for yourself. If you don’t, no one else will.
3. Work as a team in your counseling departments. We experience greater success and support when operating together. We need each other. Meet regularly and move from someone being the “lead” at your school to a “team” at your school. 
4. Set boundaries. We all work to get the job done and go above and beyond. However, every day cannot be an emergency. Burnout is real. Your family, your health, your faith and friends are the things that are most important. You can be replaced in your job, but not with those that love you. 
5. Your job doesn’t define you. You are so much more than what you do for a living.
6. Know your worth. You deserve to be respected and treated with kindness. If you do not have that in your work life, it is OK to look elsewhere.
7. Don’t reply all on email. No one has time to read a bazillion replies. (Those that have been with me for a while knew this would make the list!)
8. Identify healthy habits to cope with the stress of this work. Your body, mind and those you love will benefit.
9. Connect with others. It is easy to be isolated in the current world. Reach out to other counselors that will lift you up and support you. You need each other.
10. It is OK to not have all the answers. None of us do. Research, participate in learning opportunities outside and in the district, and get involved in professional organizations. They are your lifeline!  

Welcome to the team, Michelle Sircy!

Recent and Upcoming Events by KDE's DEIB Team

Recent professional learning opportunities offered by KDE's DEIB team:

• Presentation on hip hop counseling at Loyola University in Baltimore
• Presentation on DEIB updates to Prichard Committee
• Presentation to South Oldham High School's Leadership Team about the Equity Playbook. South Oldham is the newest high school to join cohort 3.
• Kentucky Association of School Administrators' presentation on compassionate leadership
• Presentation at Association of Counselor Education and Supervision conference on tier 2 school counseling
• Facilitated presentation on trauma-informed practices and positive childhood experiences for Bounce Coalition
• Facilitating statewide cadre among school-based mental health practitioners

Upcoming professional learning opportunities offered by DEIB team:

• Dec. 6: New school counselor training at Kentucky Educational Development Corporation, Ashland
• Dec. 19: American School Counseling Association webinar: "Using Data to Address Equity"

Thank you for being a champion for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. We always need devoted community members like yourself to become involved in Kentucky schools. If you're interested in becoming a teacher or simply learning more about the education profession, we invite you to register for our "Becoming a Teacher" newsletter below.