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RPS Board Consider Updating District Equity Policy

 
Public Pinned Featured Report on Closing referral disparities (resolution agreement with Office of Civil Rights) led by Rochester Public Schools
Last modified: September 15, 2023

Contents

Highlights

 

RPS Board Study Session video recording; Proposed Equity Policy; PB Reporting

Contents

Abstracted from RPS School Board Study Session 9/12/2023 

 

 

Video Recording

 

 

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Proposed Equity Policy

 

 

 

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PB Reporting 9/14/2023

 

Highlights of PB Reporting 

 

Need for Clear Definition of Education Equity 

“There are some people who are outside our school district who are against equity in any form,” said Will Ruffin II, RPS director of equity and engagement. “So my first recommendation is for Rochester Public Schools to define what it means, so that people in our district or any other district understand what we stand for — so when that outside noise gets louder and louder, we can say ‘that is not what we’re about.’”

 

Proposed Definition

The definition Ruffin proposed — which was just one of the adjustments suggested — says that: “Equity in schools refers to the fair and just distribution of resources, opportunities, and support to ensure that all students, regardless of their background, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status or other characteristics, have an equal chance to achieve academic success.”

 

Barriers to Performance Parity 

The policy is rooted in the fact that there have been historical barriers affecting certain student groups.
For one, Black and Hispanic students have trailed their white and Asian counterparts in academic performance.
Another is that RPS was called out by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights in 2018 for disparities among its student discipline data.

 

2018 MN Human Rights 2018 Finding 

Another is that RPS was called out by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights in 2018 for disparities among its student discipline data.

 

RPS Staffing Status

Ruffin said people of color now make up 5.49% of the district’s certified teaching staff.
“It’s been hovering around 3% for many, many years,” Ruffin said.
“We are making strides in the right direction.”

 

 

 

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Impact Levels

  Impact Lvl 1: Children & Youth ; Diversity and Inclusion ; Education
Lvl 2: C2C: 3rd Grade Reading C2C: 8th Grade Math C2C: Post-Secondary C2C: Workforce Participation

 

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Related Reports

 

Other Closing referral disparities (resolution agreement with Office of Civil Rights) Pinned Reports

July 26, 2023 : 2022-2023 RPS Disipline Data
Impact Lvl1: Children & Youth, Diversity and Inclusion, Education
Impact Lvl2:

According to the district’s data, suspensions increased from 1,224 in 2021-22 to 1,523 in 2022-23, representing a jump of 24.4%."


July 20, 2022 : Outcome and Discipline Data 2021-2022
Impact Lvl1: Children & Youth, Diversity and Inclusion, Education
Impact Lvl2:

RPS 2021-2022 Monitoring Reports


July 21, 2020 : Closing referral disparities (resolution agreement with Office of Civil Rights) 2019 -2020
Impact Lvl1: Children & Youth, Diversity and Inclusion, Education
Impact Lvl2:

2019 and 2020 RPS Data: July 14, 2020 School Board Meeting, 2019-2020 First Semester, Achievement and Integration Plan Updates 2020

 


September 23, 2019 : Analysis of RPS referal data
Impact Lvl1: Children & Youth, Diversity and Inclusion, Education
Impact Lvl2:

Phil Wheeler analysis of RPS referral data.


July 17, 2019 : Closing referral disparities (resolution agreement with Office of Civil Rights)
Impact Lvl1: Children & Youth, Diversity and Inclusion, Education
Impact Lvl2:

2018-2019 Report presented to RPS school board and comparison with 2018 reporting. 


August 24, 2017 : August 2017 Update of June 27 RPS Board Study of 2016-2017 discipline data
Impact Lvl1: Children & Youth, Diversity and Inclusion, Education
Impact Lvl2:

August updating the 2017-06-27 RPS Board Study of discipline data with school breakdown. 


March 09, 2016 : Consultant interim identification on barriers
Impact Lvl1: Children & Youth, Diversity and Inclusion, Education
Impact Lvl2:

Great Lakes Equity Center has identified 6 barriers for equity progress.


January 05, 2016 : An openBEAM 5+1 proposal to address school disciplinary dispairty
Impact Lvl1: Children & Youth, Diversity and Inclusion, Education, Governance/Public Policy
Impact Lvl2:

 The Rochester Public School District is taking the first steps to address a disproportionate disciplinary rate for black and Hispanic students. A community engagement session to get input and solicit involvement from community members will be held at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 7 at Riverside Elementary School. I believe that conversation is necessary but not sufficient. We need to follow up with actions. Here is a 5+1 action plan.

 


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Pinned Rochester Public Schools organization and project reports

. Project Report of Rochester Public Schools Strategic Plan : September 29, 2023 : Technology Referendum for the Rochester schools
Impact Lvl1: Children & Youth, Commitment, Education, Governance/Public Policy, STEM, Technology Enablement
Impact Lvl2:

1. Post Bulletin: Rochester 10 Year, $ 10M+ school funding referendum Op ED PB: Kent Pekel: "Why I recommended a technology referendum for the Rochester schools"; 2. School Board Study Session; 3. Official YouTube Presentation


Project Report of Closing referral disparities (resolution agreement with Office of Civil Rights) : July 26, 2023 : 2022-2023 RPS Disipline Data
Impact Lvl1: Children & Youth, Diversity and Inclusion, Education
Impact Lvl2:

According to the district’s data, suspensions increased from 1,224 in 2021-22 to 1,523 in 2022-23, representing a jump of 24.4%."


Project Report of Rochester Public Schools Strategic Plan : April 25, 2023 : Rochester Public Schools Strategic Plan 2022
Impact Lvl1: Children & Youth, Diversity and Inclusion, Education, Governance/Public Policy
Impact Lvl2: C2C: 3rd Grade Reading, C2C: 8th Grade Math, C2C: Post-Secondary, C2C: Workforce Participation, Higher-Education

1. 2022 Strategic Plan and extracted sections. 2. RPS Strategic Plan Building Blocks 


Project Report of RPS American Indian Education : October 06, 2022 : American Indian Education at RPS
Impact Lvl1: Children & Youth, Diversity and Inclusion, Education, Food
Impact Lvl2:

 October 10, 2022 Indigenous Peoples' Day


Project Report of Rochester Public Schools Strategic Plan : August 09, 2022 : Plans to Strengthen Belonging and Behavior During the 2022-2023 School Year
Impact Lvl1: Children & Youth, Commitment, Diversity and Inclusion, Education, Governance/Public Policy
Impact Lvl2:


Project Report of Closing referral disparities (resolution agreement with Office of Civil Rights) : July 20, 2022 : Outcome and Discipline Data 2021-2022
Impact Lvl1: Children & Youth, Diversity and Inclusion, Education
Impact Lvl2:

RPS 2021-2022 Monitoring Reports


Organization Report: March 29, 2022 : Rochester Public Schools Board Self-Evaluation
Impact Lvl1: Children & Youth, Diversity and Inclusion, Education
Impact Lvl2:

2022 RPS School Board Self Evaluation Framework; Video Recording


Project Report of Rochester Public Schools Strategic Plan : March 28, 2022 : RPS School Board Meeting - 3/22/22
Impact Lvl1: Children & Youth, Diversity and Inclusion, Education
Impact Lvl2:

Strategic Action Plan - Focus Group and Survey Results


Project Report of Family and Community Engagement (RPS) : January 12, 2022 : Family and Community Engagement (RPS) Report
Impact Lvl1: Caring Relationship, Diversity and Inclusion, Education
Impact Lvl2:

January Family Engagement Video Recordings


Project Report of Closing referral disparities (resolution agreement with Office of Civil Rights) : July 21, 2020 : Closing referral disparities (resolution agreement with Office of Civil Rights) 2019 -2020
Impact Lvl1: Children & Youth, Diversity and Inclusion, Education
Impact Lvl2:

2019 and 2020 RPS Data: July 14, 2020 School Board Meeting, 2019-2020 First Semester, Achievement and Integration Plan Updates 2020

 


Project Report of Closing referral disparities (resolution agreement with Office of Civil Rights) : September 23, 2019 : Analysis of RPS referal data
Impact Lvl1: Children & Youth, Diversity and Inclusion, Education
Impact Lvl2:

Phil Wheeler analysis of RPS referral data.


Project Report of Closing referral disparities (resolution agreement with Office of Civil Rights) : July 17, 2019 : Closing referral disparities (resolution agreement with Office of Civil Rights)
Impact Lvl1: Children & Youth, Diversity and Inclusion, Education
Impact Lvl2:

2018-2019 Report presented to RPS school board and comparison with 2018 reporting. 


Project Report of Closing referral disparities (resolution agreement with Office of Civil Rights) : August 24, 2017 : August 2017 Update of June 27 RPS Board Study of 2016-2017 discipline data
Impact Lvl1: Children & Youth, Diversity and Inclusion, Education
Impact Lvl2:

August updating the 2017-06-27 RPS Board Study of discipline data with school breakdown. 


Project Report of Closing referral disparities (resolution agreement with Office of Civil Rights) : March 09, 2016 : Consultant interim identification on barriers
Impact Lvl1: Children & Youth, Diversity and Inclusion, Education
Impact Lvl2:

Great Lakes Equity Center has identified 6 barriers for equity progress.


Project Report of Closing referral disparities (resolution agreement with Office of Civil Rights) : January 05, 2016 : An openBEAM 5+1 proposal to address school disciplinary dispairty
Impact Lvl1: Children & Youth, Diversity and Inclusion, Education, Governance/Public Policy
Impact Lvl2:

 The Rochester Public School District is taking the first steps to address a disproportionate disciplinary rate for black and Hispanic students. A community engagement session to get input and solicit involvement from community members will be held at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 7 at Riverside Elementary School. I believe that conversation is necessary but not sufficient. We need to follow up with actions. Here is a 5+1 action plan.

 


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