Welcoming and Affirming Environment

District Leaders and Administrators Rubric

Individual Version

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.

Instructions: Use the guiding questions below to estimate where your district or schools are overall 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

Commitments

Dedication to culturally responsive practices across the school experience

Commitments

Hiring/Retention Reflects District Diversity

Guiding Questions:

How important is it that a candidate’s background (e.g., language, etc.) reflects the diversity of our community in hiring decisions and retention efforts? 

Exploring

Our district rarely considers how candidates’ backgrounds reflect the diversity of our community during hiring decisions and retention efforts. 

Growing

Our district sometimes considers how candidates’ backgrounds reflect the diversity of our community during hiring decisions and retention efforts.

Utilizing

Candidates that reflect the diversity of our community are an important consideration during hiring decisions and retention efforts. 

Transforming

Candidates that reflect the diversity of our community are a central component in our district’s hiring decisions and a priority in our retention efforts. 

Selected Rating: None
Commitments

Review & update district policies about students

Guiding Questions:

How often, and with whose input, do we review and revise our district policies about students? Do these policies reflect the values and needs of our full community?

Exploring

It has been a long time since we reviewed and updated district policies about students (e.g.,dress code, conduct, discipline and behavior interventions and supports, restorative justice approaches, etc.).

Growing

We periodically review and update district policies about students. 

Utilizing

We regularly review and update district policies about students in collaboration with school personnel, parents, and community members so they reflect our community values

Transforming

We regularly review and update district policies about students in collaboration with school personnel, parents, and community members so they reflect our community values with attention to marginalized students.

Selected Rating: None

Empowerment

School practices include all voices

Empowerment

Home Communications are Inclusive & Accessible

Guiding Questions:

When communicating with families in our district, what are some of the ways we attend to their languages, cultures, and identities? How are we using multiple modes (e.g., website, text messages, email, robocalls, flyers, etc.) to ensure we’re reaching all families?

Exploring

District information and communications for families pay limited attention to the language, culture, identity, and  of our community. 

Growing

District information and communications for families sometimes attend to the language, culture, identity, and accessibility of our community..

Utilizing

District information and communications for families attend to language, culture, identity, and accessibility, and are available in multiple modes (e.g., website, text messages, email, robocalls, flyers, etc.) to best meet community needs.

Transforming

District information and communications for families attend to language, culture, identity, and accessibility, are available in multiple modes, and emphasize connecting with  difficult-to-reach families. 

Selected Rating: None

Relationships

The quality of connections amongst school community members

Relationships

District fosters authentic collaboration amongst teachers, families, & community members

Guiding Questions:

How does our district encourage and support school leaders to hold spaces (e.g., community forums, social events) that foster authentic collaboration among teachers, families, and community members and provide insight into the assets that exist within the school community?

Exploring

Our district rarely encourages and supports school leaders to hold spaces for collaboration amongst teachers, families, and community members (e.g., community forums, social events, etc.).

Growing

Our district sometimes encourages and supports school leaders to hold collaborative spaces amongst teachers, families, and community members, but these efforts are not consistently prioritized or attended.

Utilizing

Our district regularly encourages and supports school leaders to hold collaborative spaces amongst teachers, families, and community members and they are well attended because community insights are recognized as an important part of school improvement.

Transforming

The district prioritizes, supports, and provides resources for school leaders to create inclusive, ongoing spaces for authentic collaboration amongst teachers, families, and community members and they are well attended because community insights are recognized as an essential part of school improvement.

Selected Rating: None

Collaboration

The extent of cooperation between and amongst school community members

Collaboration

District-Wide Expectations Are Collaborative and Equitable

Guiding Questions:

To what extent and in what ways does the district involve school leaders, faculty, staff, and students in setting district-wide expectations, rules, and procedures for students? How do we ensure that the rules and expectations are clearly understood, and embraced by everyone in the district community?

Exploring

We set and enforce district-wide expectations, rules, and procedures for students.

Growing

We set and enforce district-wide expectations, rules, and procedures for students with some input from school leaders.

Utilizing

We work together with school leaders and community representatives to set and enforce district-wide expectations, rules, and procedures for students.

Transforming

We work together with school leaders and community representatives, including students, to construct district-wide expectations, rules, and procedures that are equitable and, when possible, restorative.

Selected Rating: None

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