Journey to Excellence

Ideas that Work

Ideas for Institutional Self-Assessment:

  • Review and revise the school mission statement to ensure inclusion of common goals for education.
  • Utilize surveys and focus group feedback guidelines to provide an institutional  self-assessment on diversity.
  • Establish a diversity taskforce to:  1) examine school programs and policies for bias, 2) research constituent perceptions about the schools approach to diversity, and 3) develop positive relations with all diverse constituent school groups.
  • Develop a tracking system to study academic achievement, attendance patterns, and discipline referrals to ensure unbiased school practices or develop intervention strategies.
  • Review textbooks and instructional resources for stereotypical images.
                       

Ideas for Actively Promoting Respect, Acceptance and Unity:

  • Promote openness to enrolling a diverse student body.
  • Develop student and parent orientation programs that focus on diversity skills.
  • Utilize seminars and workshops to train teachers and staff to recognize stereotyping and develop strategies to teach respect.
  • Institute an instructional program that holds teachers accountable for integrating diversity awareness and acceptance into their curriculum.
  • Diversity training that teaches respect for diverse backgrounds and viewpoints.
  • Ensure employment practices that model diversity.
  • Plan and encourage the interaction among schools with diverse backgrounds.
  • Plan and implement a school-wide annual calendar of events focused on respect for diverse backgrounds.  (See Celebrating Diversity)
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