JBB - Educational Equity

Code:  JBB

Adopted:    6/18/18, 3/3/23

Orig. Code(s):  ADA

The district is a community of learners committed to equity and the success of every student.  This commitment means that students success will not be predicted based on race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, immigration status, language, family economics, age, culture, geographic location, mobility, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, or initial proficiencies. Equity in education is about inclusiveness and social justice and not to be used interchangeably with the principles of equality. The principle of educational equity goes beyond formal equality where all students are treated the same. Instead, educational equity fosters a barrier-free environment in which all students have the opportunity to benefit equally.  Equity is achieved when there is sufficient evidence that each child has a high-quality educational experience, and outcomes and successes are not predicted by student subgroup membership.

The benefits of inclusive and socially just education are immense. Education is a determining factor in our students’ future health, means of economic support, successful parenting, civic involvement, and contributions to society. The creation of a more equitable and just society hinges on actualizing the principles of educational equity.

In order to break the predictive link between student demographics and student achievement, the district must apply the principle of equity to all policies, programs, operations, and practices and ensure all students have access and opportunity to high quality education.

In order to achieve educational equity for each and every student, the district will:

1. Use data, when available, disaggregated by race, ethnicity, language, special education, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and mobility to inform all district decision-making;
2. Create and nurture an inclusive and welcoming environment for all students, families, and staff;
3. Provide students with equitable access to a high-quality curriculum, effective teachers and principals, support, facilities, and sufficient support services by allocating resources equitably, not equally, to maximize the academic achievement of every child.  
4. Recruit, hire and retain high quality personnel that reflect student demographics at all organizational levels;
5. Support personnel at all organizational levels to engage in culturally relevant practices and to develop skills for eliminating opportunity gaps and other disparities in achievement.
6. Identify and mitigate culturally biased instructional materials, assessments, and pedagogies that result in achievement disparities;
7. Incorporate the voice and perspectives of students, families and communities that reflect student demographics into decisions that impact student success and;
8. Ensure that the District Strategic Plan embraces the principle of equity as a key feature and outlines measurable outcomes to attain the goal of preparing all students for college and career readiness.
9.  Provide multiple pathways to success in order to meet the needs of a diverse student body and shall actively encourage, support and expect high academic achievement for each student.

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ORS 332.075
ORS 332.107
ORS 342.437 to 342.449