Equity – Urbana School District #116

Dr. Brandon Caffey
Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
bcaffey@usd116.org

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USD #116 EQUITY MISSION

We are a community devoted to dismantling inequitable practices so that all students reach their personal greatness; and success is no longer predictable by student identity: race, class, (dis)ability, language, religion, sexuality, gender, immigration status, among others.

To achieve equity (and excellence) in education, we must develop educators to be equity leaders who can…

UNDERSTAND that educational inequity is both relational and technical,

TRANSFORM our schools by eliminating inequitable practices and opportunity gaps,

CULTIVATE the unique gifts, talents, and interests of every child and

PREPARE all students for success in a complex world.

EQUITY AUDIT

During the 2022-2023 academic school year, Urbana School District 116 consulted with Systemic Equity, LLC to conduct a comprehensive equity audit. The purpose of the Equity Audit was to identify those areas of strength and areas for needed improvement when it comes to our efforts to advance educational equity.

Over the course of 12 months, the consultant conducted focus groups and administered surveys to various stakeholders including students, staff, and families. Additionally, the auditor examined our historical data in critical areas of discipline, student achievement, attendance, etc. The final version of the audit is now available to the public which includes the recommendations for addressing educational equity within our district based on the qualitative and quantitative findings of the auditor.

EQUITY ACTION PLAN

The USD116 Equity Action Plan (EAP) was formed as a direct result of the Equity Audit and developed in collaboration with members of the District Equity Leadership Team (DELT). The EAP is an accountability framework to identify, measure and sustain actions to advance equity. It is a collaborative process developed with district stakeholders and relies on a systemic commitment to best serve all students. All findings in the EAP are categorized using an accountability framework – Five Strands of Systemic Equity© – which serves as a roadmap to educational equity.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION RECOGNITION

Urbana School District affirms that diversity, equity, and inclusion will not be achieved if it consists of merely inviting students and families into spaces that already exist. Instead, it requires us to be intentional with our efforts to create new spaces and opportunities that are founded with the diverse backgrounds of our historically marginalized students/families in mind. Consequently, it is also our desire to be intentional in recognizing students and staff members that are leading the way in respect to diversity, equity, and inclusion. To submit a nomination for a Diversity Champion, please fill out the nomination form.

HISTORY

In December 2020, the Urbana School District #116 Board of Education discussed the Administration’s proposal to establish a special board committee in the form of an Equity Task Force. This initiative will help identify the disparities in educational opportunity and outcome for our students.

The goal of the Task Force is to ensure that all students receive the resources, supports, and opportunities they need to achieve success in school by identifying inequities in access and possible barriers. The Task Force will analyze District policies, practices, and beliefs for any disparities that may exist. The Task Force will also look afresh at the Resolution of Commitment to Racial Equity, and the Equity Mission approved by the Board in November 2018. The Task Force will be asked to make recommendations for action steps, both short term, and long term, and develop action teams for implementation, progress monitoring, and student outcomes. This information will be vital and align with future Strategic Planning efforts and priorities.

View Full Equity Task Force Board presentation | View Equity Task Force Agendas

The Board of Education approved a draft of the Equity Task Force Policy to be included in the Board of Education Policy Manual at its October 19, 2021 meeting. The Board approved this policy as a draft to be revisited once the equity assessment audit is done and additional stakeholder feedback is collected.

Beginning in 2022-23, the District Equity Leadership Team will meet as needed for the purpose of completing tasks for the equity audit.

Dr. Brandon CaffeyDirector of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusionbcaffey@usd116.org