Welcoming and Affirming Environment

Students Rubric

Individual Version

A Welcoming and Affirming Environment reflects the physical and social climate of the school where all cultural identities (including race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, language, religion, socioeconomic background) are affirmed and valued.

Instructions: Use the guiding questions below to estimate where (begin italics) you (end italics) think your class or classes fall overall on each element of the rubric. Be honest – this activity is most valuable as a learning experience. We recommend spending about 25 minutes on the rubric. Save your notes and ratings for future discussions.

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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

The extent of school community members’ dedication to culturally responsive practices across the school experience

Commitments

School Environment

Guiding Questions:

What do I see in the common areas of my school (outside classrooms, such as displays or posters in the hallway or office) that shows my language, culture, and identities? Do I see materials that were created by students and that celebrate my identities and the identities of all my classmates?
Exploring

Displays in the hallways and common areas of my school don’t represent my languages, cultures, and identities. 

Growing

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

Utilizing

Displays in the hallways and common areas of my school feature my languages, cultures, and identities. 

Transforming

Displays in the hallways and common areas of my school celebrate my languages, cultures, and identities and include materials that students created.

Selected Rating: None
Commitments

Classroom Environment

Guiding Questions:

What do I see in my classrooms (such as posters, displayed work, or books) that show my language, culture, identities, and accomplishments? Do I see materials that I created? Are all of my classmates represented?
Exploring

My classrooms don’t represent my cultures, identities, interests, and accomplishments.

Growing

My classrooms have some things that represent my cultures, identities, interests, and accomplishments.

Utilizing

My classrooms feature my cultures, identities, interests, and accomplishments.

Transforming

My classrooms celebrate my cultures, identities, interests, and accomplishments with special attention to include student-created materials from all my classmates.

Selected Rating: None

Empowerment

School practices include all school community member voices

Empowerment

Language Diversity

Guiding Questions:

What languages can I speak in school? Am I allowed and encouraged to speak my first language? Are there certain classes or spaces where I’m allowed to use any language I want?
Exploring

I am only allowed to use formal English at school.

Growing

I sometimes am allowed to use the language I am most comfortable with at school.

Utilizing

I am almost always allowed to use the language I am most comfortable with at school.

Transforming

I am encouraged to use the language I am most comfortable with at school because multiple languages are valued at my school.

Selected Rating: None
Empowerment

Input on School & Classroom Culture

Guiding Questions:

How much input do I have in developing the community of my classes, including the ways I interact with and respect my classmates and teachers?
Exploring

I have almost no opportunities to share my opinions on what happens in my classroom(s)/school.

Growing

I have some opportunities to share my opinions on what happens in my classroom(s)/ school.

Utilizing

I have frequent opportunities to share my opinions on what happens in my classroom(s)/school.

Transforming

I have frequent opportunities to share my opinions on what happens in my classroom(s)/school, and adults in my school take my opinions seriously. 

Selected Rating: None

Relationships

The quality of connections amongst school community members

Relationships

Empathy

Guiding Questions:

Do I feel like my teachers care about me as a person, not just as a student? What do my teachers do to make me feel that they care about me as a person? 
Exploring

I don’t feel like my teachers care about me beyond my learning.

Growing

I sometimes feel like my teachers care about me beyond my learning.

Utilizing

I mostly feel like my teachers care about me beyond my learning.

Transforming

I always feel like my teachers care about me beyond my learning and they make efforts to show me they care.

Selected Rating: None
Relationships

Teacher-Student Dialogue on Social Issues

Guiding Questions:

How do my teachers respond when I try to talk about things that are important to me, like things that are happening in my family, community, or world around me? How often do teachers take time to listen and talk to me about these things?
Exploring

When I try to talk about things that are important to me, my teachers are not interested.

Growing

When I try to talk about things that are important to me, my teachers sometimes listen. 

Utilizing

When I try to talk about things that are important to me, my teachers listen and respond.

Transforming

When I try to talk about things that are important to me, my teachers listen, respond, and make time to talk about it further. 

Selected Rating: None
Relationships

Peer Relationships

Guiding Questions:

What opportunities do I have to build relationships with other students during the school day (e.g. home room, time during lunch, group projects etc.)? Do teachers and administrators give me time to get to know all of my classmates?
Exploring

I have almost no opportunities to build relationships with my classmates during the school day.

Growing

I have some opportunities to build relationships with my classmates during the school day.

Utilizing

I have many opportunities to build relationships with my classmates during the school day.

Transforming

I have many opportunities to build relationships with my classmates during the school day and the adults make efforts to give me a chance to get to know all my classmates.

Selected Rating: None

Collaboration

The extent of cooperation amongst school community members

Collaboration

Classroom Organization

Guiding Questions:

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

My teacher(s) arrange my classroom(s) with no input from me.

Growing

I have some input in the arrangement of my classroom(s).

Utilizing

I have some input and work together with my teacher(s) to arrange my classroom(s).

Transforming

I have some input and work together with my teacher(s) to arrange my classroom(s) to fit the learning needs of all my classmates.

Selected Rating: None
Collaboration

Classroom Rules & Expectations

Guiding Questions:

How much do I work together with my teachers to set the rules and expectations for our classrooms? How do we work together to make sure everyone follows the rules and expectations?
Exploring

My teachers set the rules and expectations that we  follow in my classroom(s) with no input from me.

Growing

I have some say in setting the rules and expectations that we follow in my classroom(s).

Utilizing

I have some say and work together with my teacher(s) to set the rules and expectations that we follow in my classroom(s).

Transforming

I work together with my teacher(s) to set the rules and expectations in my classrooms and together we make sure everyone feels responsible for them.

Selected Rating: None
Collaboration

Student Participation in School Activities

Guiding Questions:

How much do I feel encouraged and supported to participate in, and plan, school wide activities (e.g. assemblies, morning announcements, etc.)?
Exploring

I barely participate in school wide activities.

Growing

I feel encouraged to participate in school wide activities

Utilizing

I feel encouraged and supported to participate in school wide activities and am occasionally able to contribute to the planning of school wide activities.

Transforming

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

Selected Rating: None

Submitter Details

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