Welcoming and Affirming Environment

Students Rubric

Group Version

Facilitation Guides:
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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 as a group of students. Use the guiding questions to discuss the item and estimate together where your school or classes are overall on the progression. 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, a teacher or other adult can use one of the facilitation guides to support students. The 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

School Environment Reflects Students & Community

Guiding Questions:

What do we see in the common areas of our school (outside classrooms, such as displays or posters in the hallway or office) that show our languages, and ? Do we see materials that we created ourselves and that celebrate the identities of ourselves and all our classmates?
Exploring

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.

Growing

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

Utilizing

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.

Transforming

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.

Selected Rating: None
Commitments

Classroom Environment Affirms Students' Identities & Accomplishments

Guiding Questions:

What do we see in our classrooms that shows our language, culture, identities, and accomplishments? Do we see materials that we created ourselves? Are all of our classmates represented?
Exploring

Our classrooms have few things that represent our identities, cultures, interests, and accomplishments (e.g., books, displays, student work, etc.).

Growing

Our classrooms have some things that represent our identities, cultures, interests, and accomplishments.

Utilizing

Our classrooms have many things that represent our identities, cultures, interests, and accomplishments of all our classmates.

Transforming

Our classrooms have many things that represent the identities, cultures, interests, and accomplishments of all our classmates, and our classrooms are decorated by both teachers and students.

Selected Rating: None

Empowerment

School practices include all voices

Empowerment

Student and Family Input on School & Classroom Culture is Encouraged

Guiding Questions:

How often do our teachers and school ask for our input and feedback about school and classroom culture? Do the school and teachers listen to our feedback and make adjustments accordingly?
Exploring

Teachers rarely (around once per year) ask for our input and feedback about school and classroom culture.

Growing

Teachers sometimes (about 2-3 times per year) ask for our input and feedback about school and classroom culture.

Utilizing

Teachers regularly (about 3+ times per year) ask for our input and feedback about school and classroom culture, and we feel they take our opinions seriously.

Transforming

Teachers regularly (about 3+ times per year) ask for our input and feedback about school and classroom culture, and we see our opinions reflected in the changes teachers make going forward.

Selected Rating: None
Empowerment

School Encourages Linguistic Diversity

Guiding Questions:

What languages can we speak in school? Are we allowed and encouraged to speak our first language? Are there certain classes or spaces (e.g., recess, hallways, group work, talking amongst peers, etc.) where we're allowed to use any language we want?
Exploring

We are only allowed to use formal English at school.

Growing

We are sometimes allowed to use the language we are most comfortable with at school (e.g., recess, hallways, group work, talking amongst peers, etc.).

Utilizing

We are allowed to use the language we are most comfortable with at school.

Transforming

We are encouraged to use the language we are most comfortable with at school because multiple languages are valued at our school.

Selected Rating: None

Relationships

The quality of connections amongst school community members

Relationships

Students Are Comfortable Discussing Broader Social Issues with Teachers

Guiding Questions:

How do our teachers respond when we try to talk about things that are important to us? How often do teachers take time to listen and talk to us about these issues?
Exploring

When we try to talk about things that are important to us (e.g., home life, local news, global events, etc.), our teachers are not interested.

Growing

When we try to talk about things that are important to us, our teachers sometimes listen.

Utilizing

When we try to talk about things that are important to us, our teachers listen and respond.

Transforming

When we try to talk about things that are important to us, our teachers listen, respond, and make connections to our learning activities.

Selected Rating: None
Relationships

Teachers Foster an Empathetic Environment for Students

Guiding Questions:

Do we feel like our teachers care about us as individuals, not just as students? What do our teachers do to make us feel that they care about us as individuals?
Exploring

We don't feel like our teachers care about us beyond our learning.

Growing

We sometimes feel like our teachers care about us beyond our learning.

Utilizing

We mostly feel like our teachers care about us beyond our learning.

Transforming

We always feel like our teachers care about us beyond our learning and they make efforts to show us they care.

Selected Rating: None
Relationships

School Fosters Strong Relationships Among Students

Guiding Questions:

What opportunities do we have to build relationships with other students during the school day (e.g., homeroom, lunch, group projects, collaborative work time, etc.)? Do teachers and administrators give us time to get to know all of our classmates?
Exploring

We have almost no opportunities to build relationships with our classmates during the school day.

Growing

We have some opportunities to build relationships with our classmates during the school day, but our opportunities are mostly limited to free time (e.g., break, lunch, transition, free periods, etc.).

Utilizing

We have many opportunities to build relationships with our classmates during the school day, both in class and during free time.

Transforming

We have many opportunities to build relationships with our classmates during the school day, both in class and during free time, and the adults make efforts to give us a chance to get to know all our classmates.

Selected Rating: None

Collaboration

The extent of cooperation between and amongst school community members

Collaboration

Student Collaboration in Creating the Physical Classroom Environment

Guiding Questions:

In what ways do our teachers involve us in setting up the physical organization of our classrooms? Are our classrooms set up in a way that works well for all of our classmates?
Exploring

Our teachers arrange our classrooms with no input from us.

Growing

We have some input in the arrangement of our classrooms.

Utilizing

We have some input and work together with our teachers to arrange our classrooms.

Transforming

We have some input and work together with our teachers to arrange our classrooms to fit the learning needs of all our classmates.

Selected Rating: None
Collaboration

School Encourages Student Participation in School Activities

Guiding Questions:

How much do we feel encouraged and supported to participate in and plan school-wide activities?
Exploring

We barely participate in school-wide activities (e.g., assemblies, morning announcements, spirit weeks, social events, etc.).

Growing

We feel encouraged to participate in school-wide activities.

Utilizing

We feel encouraged and supported to participate in school-wide activities and are occasionally able to contribute to the planning of school-wide activities.

Transforming

We feel encouraged and supported to participate in school-wide activities and regularly contribute to the planning of school-wide activities.

Selected Rating: None

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