Culturally Responsive Schooling

Parents / Caregivers Rubric

Individual Version

Instructions: Use the guiding questions below to estimate where your school or child’s classes are on the progression. Be candid – all responses are reported in aggregate, and individual responses are never identified.  We recommend spending about 20 minutes completing the rubric. Your ratings and comments will not be saved until you click SUBMIT at the bottom of the page. ​

Progression of Engagement

Exploring

Cultural Responsiveness (CR) is in its initial phase

Growing

CR is practiced in some situations

Utilizing

CR is practiced in most situations

Transforming

CR is continuously practiced and promoted

Welcoming and Affirming Environment

A welcoming and affirming school environment is where the school community is represented and treated with dignity and respect. The environment ensures all cultural identities are affirmed and valued.

Welcoming and Affirming Environment

School Environment Reflects Students & Community

Guiding Questions:

What do I see in the school that connects to the languages, and of students and the community? Do I see materials that students created and that celebrate the identities of all students? How often are these displays updated?
Exploring

Displays in the hallways and common areas of the school (e.g., outside classrooms, in the cafeteria, hallways, libraries, etc.) represent a few of the identities of students.

Growing

Displays in the hallways and common areas of the school represent some of the languages, cultures, and identities of students and the community.

Utilizing

Displays in the hallways and common areas of the school represent most of the languages, cultures, and identities of students and the community.

Transforming

Displays in the hallways and common areas of the school celebrate all languages, cultures, and identities of students and the community, and they are regularly updated with student input.

Selected Rating: None
Welcoming and Affirming Environment

Home Communications are Inclusive & Accessible

Guiding Questions:

What are some of the ways that the school communicates with me? Do we communicate in languages that I understand and in ways that are easy for me to access?
Exploring

The school rarely communicates with me in a language and way (e.g., website, text messages, email, robocalls, flyers, etc.) that is .

Growing

The school sometimes communicates with me in a language and way that is accessible.

Utilizing

The school always communicates with me in a language and way that is accessible.

Transforming

The school always communicates with me in a language and way that is accessible and ensures that I receive and understand the information.

Selected Rating: None
Welcoming and Affirming Environment

School has a Policy for Welcoming Families

Guiding Questions:

How do I feel when I interact with school-based staff? Is there consistency in how the school interacts with families when we call or enter the school?
Exploring

The school is often not welcoming nor receptive to me when I call or come to the school.

Growing

The school is sometimes welcoming and receptive to me when I call or come to the school.

Utilizing

The school is always welcoming and receptive to me when I call or come to the school.

Transforming

The school is always welcoming and receptive to me and all parents/caregivers when we call or come to the school, and the school places an emphasis on kindness and transparency when they communicate with us.

Selected Rating: None
Welcoming and Affirming Environment

School Rules & Expectations are Clear and Fair

Guiding Questions:

How clear and fair are the school's rules and expectations for all students and families? How receptive are school staff to my input on the rules and expectations?
Exploring

I am vaguely aware of the rules and expectations at my child's school.

Growing

I know the rules and expectations at my child's school, but they are inconsistently or unfairly enforced.

Utilizing

I understand the school's rules and expectations, and they are consistently and fairly enforced.

Transforming

I understand the school's rules and expectations and they are consistently and fairly enforced, and I have opportunities to discuss necessary adjustments with teachers and administrators.

Selected Rating: None
Welcoming and Affirming Environment

School Encourages Family Involvement & Participation

Guiding Questions:

How welcome do I feel to come to the school and participate in events? To what extent do school staff and administrators encourage my involvement in both the planning of and participation in events?
Exploring

The school makes little effort to encourage my attendance at school-wide events (e.g., book fairs, field trips, concerts, sporting events, social events, etc.).

Growing

The school makes an active effort to encourage my attendance at school-wide events.

Utilizing

The school makes an active effort to encourage me to be involved in the planning of and participation in school-wide events.

Transforming

The school makes an extensive effort to encourage me and all parents/caregivers to be involved in the planning of and participation in school-wide events.

Selected Rating: None

High Expectations and Rigorous Instruction

Culturally responsive rigorous instruction and high expectations center intellectual challenges, and are responsive to the different ways students learn. Instruction includes opportunities to use critical reasoning, take academic risks, and leverage a growth mindset that encourages a positive self-image and empowers students to succeed.

High Expectations and Rigorous Instruction

School holds High Expectations for All Students

Guiding Questions:

Do my student's teachers have different expectations for different students? How do they communicate and uphold their beliefs?
Exploring

Teachers have different expectations for different students.

Growing

Teachers have different expectations for a subset of students.

Utilizing

Teachers have high expectations for all students.

Transforming

Teachers have high expectations for all students, and they consistently uphold these expectations in their words and actions.

Selected Rating: None
High Expectations and Rigorous Instruction

Children are Interested in School

Guiding Questions:

How interested is my child(ren) in what they learn at school? Are they able to make connections at home to what they are learning in school?
Exploring

My child(ren) is disinterested in what they learn at school.

Growing

My child(ren) is interested in some of what they learn at school.

Utilizing

My child(ren) is interested in most of what they learn at school.

Transforming

My child(ren) is interested in most of what they learn at school, and they make connections at home to what they learn at school.

Selected Rating: None
High Expectations and Rigorous Instruction

School Staff Collaborate with Parents for Student Success

Guiding Questions:

To what extent do school staff want me to be involved in my child(ren)'s education and experiences in school? How does the school communicate these expectations of collaboration with me?
Exploring

School staff rarely work with me to improve my child(ren)'s academic performance (e.g., discussion of academic/personal situations during check-ins and/or parent-teacher conferences, creation of specific plans/strategies, etc.).

Growing

School staff sometimes work with me, but only when my child(ren) is academically underperforming.

Utilizing

School staff often work with me to support and enhance my child(ren)'s academic performance.

Transforming

School staff often work with me to support and enhance my child(ren)'s academic performance, and we keep in close communication to address identified issues.

Selected Rating: None

Inclusive Curriculum and Assessment

Inclusive Curriculum and Assessment provides the opportunity to learn about perspectives beyond one's own experiences and elevates historically marginalized voices. It includes opportunities to learn about power, bias, and inequity and empowers learners to be agents of positive social change.

Inclusive Curriculum and Assessment

Social & Emotional Learning Infused into School Day

Guiding Questions:

To what extent does the school teach my child(ren) how to regulate their emotions, manage their behavior, and respect and work together with their classmates? Do I see these skills reflected in my child(ren)'s behavior?
Exploring

The school rarely (about 1-2 times per year) incorporates social and emotional learning experiences (e.g., how to manage emotions and behavior, how to respect and work with classmates, etc.) into the school day for my child(ren).

Growing

The school sometimes (about 3-4 times per year) incorporates social and emotional learning experiences into the school day for my child(ren).

Utilizing

The school regularly (about 4+ times per year) incorporates social and emotional learning experiences into the school day for my child(ren).

Transforming

The school regularly (about 4+ times per year) incorporates social and emotional learning experiences into the school day, and I see these skills in my child(ren)'s behavior.

Selected Rating: None
Inclusive Curriculum and Assessment

Parent/Community Collaboration on Curriculum & Assessment

Guiding Questions:

What opportunities do I parents/caregivers, and community members (e.g., youth leaders, librarians, coaches, local nonprofit organizations, etc.), have to give input on class content and assessments? When we give input, do teachers and administrators listen and take it seriously?
Exploring

I have few (about once per year) opportunities to give input (e.g., feedback forms, surveys, informal conversations, etc.) on class content and assessments.

Growing

I have some (about 2-3 times per year) opportunities to give input (e.g., feedback forms, surveys, informal conversations, etc.) on class content and assessments, but I am unsure if my input is used.

Utilizing

I have frequent (about 3+ times per year) opportunities to give input on class content and assessments, and my input is occasionally taken into consideration.

Transforming

I have frequent (about 3+ times per year) opportunities to give input on class content and assessments, and I feel my input is taken seriously.

Selected Rating: None

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