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Facilitating a Group Discussion Guide (opens in new tab)
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: Meet with the school leadership team. Use the guiding questions to discuss the item and estimate together where your school or classes are overall on the progression. Be candid – this activity is most valuable as a formative learning experience. If you cannot come to agreement, add comments and go to the next item. We recommend spending about 45 minutes discussing and completing the rubric. If needed, use the CRS Facilitation Guide for Adult Group Rubrics. Your ratings and comments will not be saved until you click SUBMIT at the bottom of the page.
Cultural Responsiveness (CR) is in its initial phase
CR is practiced in some situations
CR is practiced in most situations
CR is continuously practiced and promoted
Dedication to culturally responsive practices across the school experience
What do we see in the common areas of our school (e.g., outside classrooms, cafeteria, hallways, libraries, etc.) that connect to the languages, cultures, and identities of students and the community? Do we see student-created materials that celebrate the identities of all students? How often are these displays updated?
Displays in the hallways and common areas (e.g., outside classrooms, in the cafeteria, hallways, libraries, etc.) of our school represent few of the identities of students.
Displays in the hallways and common areas of our school represent some of the languages, cultures, and identities of students and the community.
Displays in the hallways and common areas of our school represent most of the languages, cultures, and identities of students and the community and are sometimes updated.
Displays in the hallways and common areas of our school celebrate all languages, cultures, and identities of students and the community and are regularly updated with student input.
What kinds of things are included in classrooms that reflect students' languages, cultures, and identities? Are there materials that were created by students? What particular attention is given to marginalized students?
There is little visible evidence (e.g., books, displays, student work, etc.) in classrooms that affirms student interests, identities, and/or personal/academic experiences.
There is some visible evidence in classrooms that affirms student interests, identities, and/or personal/academic experiences.
There is a great deal of visible evidence in classrooms that affirms student interests, identities, and/or personal/academic experiences with attention to representing marginalized students.
There is a great deal of co-created and visible evidence in classrooms that affirms student interests, identities, and/or personal/academic experiences with attention to representing marginalized students.
How important is it that a candidate's background (e.g., languages, cultures, identities, etc.) reflects the diversity of society in hiring decisions and retention efforts?
Candidate backgrounds that reflect the diversity of society are rarely considered in our hiring decisions and retention efforts.
Candidate backgrounds that reflect the diversity of society are a minor consideration in our hiring decisions and retention efforts.
Candidate backgrounds that reflect the diversity of society are a major consideration in our hiring decisions and retention efforts.
Candidate backgrounds that reflect the diversity of society are a requirement in our hiring decisions and a priority in our retention efforts.
School practices include all voices
When communicating with families, what are some of the ways we attend to their languages, cultures, and identities? How are we using multiple modes (website, text messages, email, robocalls, flyers, etc.) to ensure we're reaching all families?
Information and communications for families pay limited attention to language, culture, identity, and accessibility.
Information and communications for families sometimes attend to language, culture, identity, and accessibility.
Information and communications for families attend to language, culture, identity, and accessibility, which are available in multiple modes (e.g., website, text messages, email, robocalls, flyers, etc.).
Information and communications for families attend to language, culture, identity, and accessibility, which are available in multiple modes, and focus on engaging difficult-to-reach families.
What opportunities do we provide to students and families to give input and feedback about school and classroom culture? How do we incorporate their input and feedback to make adjustments?
We rarely (around once per year) provide opportunities for input and feedback about school and classroom culture from students and families.
We sometimes (about 2-3 times per year) provide opportunities for input and feedback about school and classroom culture from students and families.
We regularly (about 3+ times per year) provide opportunities for input and feedback about school and classroom culture from students and families with efforts to include marginalized groups.
We regularly (about 3+ times per year) provide opportunities for input and feedback about school and classroom culture from families and students with efforts to include marginalized groups, and we regularly use all the input to inform adjustments going forward.
What is our view about students speaking the language(s) they are comfortable with at school? Are there specific times, spaces, or contexts (e.g., recess, hallways, group work, talking amongst peers, etc.) where students' preferred languages and dialects are more valued?
We expect students to use standard academic English at all times in school.
We sometimes allow students to use the languages and dialects they are most comfortable with at school (e.g., recess, hallways, group work, talking amongst peers, etc.).
We allow students to use the languages and dialects they are most comfortable with at school.
We encourage students to use the languages and dialects they are most comfortable with at school because multiple languages are valued.
The quality of connections amongst school community members
How much do we value learning about our students' and staff's interests outside of school contexts? Do we make an effort to build relationships with staff and students from various backgrounds?
Relationship building with students and staff rarely (about 2-3 times per year) extends beyond academic contexts.
We sometimes (about 1-2 times per month) take time to learn about student and staff interests outside of academic contexts.
We consistently (about daily) take time to learn about student and staff interests outside of academic contexts.
We consistently (about daily) take time to learn about student and staff interests outside of academic contexts with particular effort to engage marginalized students.
Is there a policy for how we interact with families when they call or enter the school? How do we think family members feel when they interact with school-based staff?
We follow an unclear policy for how to meet and greet family members when they call or come to school.
We follow a clear policy for how to meet and greet family members when they call or come to school, but the policy is inconsistently applied.
We follow a clear policy for how to meet and greet family members when they call or come to school, and the policy is consistently applied.
We follow a clear policy that emphasizes kindness and transparency for how to meet and greet family members when they call or come to school, and the policy is consistently applied.
The extent of cooperation amongst school community members
To what extent do we involve faculty, staff, and students in setting school-wide expectations, rules, and procedures? How do we ensure that the rules and expectations are equitable, transparent, and restorative?
We set and enforce school-wide expectations, rules, and procedures.
We set and enforce school-wide expectations, rules, and procedures with some faculty and staff input.
We work together with faculty and staff to construct school-wide expectations, rules, and procedures that are transparent.
We work together with faculty, staff, and students to construct school-wide expectations, rules, and procedures that are equitable, transparent, and, when possible, restorative.
To what extent and in what ways do we provide support and encouragement for our students to create and participate in school-wide activities?
We observe that students are passive participants in school-wide activities (e.g., assemblies, morning announcements, spirit weeks, social events, etc.).
We encourage our students to be active participants in school-wide activities.
We encourage and support our students to be active participants and occasional co-creators in school-wide activities.
We develop and support our students to be active participants and regular co-creators in school-wide activities.
To what extent and in what ways do we provide support and encouragement for our parents/caregivers and families to attend and plan school-wide activities?
We make little effort to encourage parent/caregiver attendance at school-wide events (e.g., book fairs, field trips, concerts, social events, etc.).
We make an active effort to encourage parent/caregiver attendance at school-wide events.
We make an active effort to encourage parents/caregivers to be involved in the attendance at and planning of school-wide events.
We make an extensive effort to encourage parents/caregivers to be involved in the attendance at and planning of school-wide events, with particular attention to involving marginalized families.
