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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