Equity for a Global Society: EHS CARE team

Today at Edina High School, the CARE Team(Collaborative Action Research for Equity) presented on Equity for a Global Society.

They looked at several topics:

• The 21st Century Learner
• Privacy and Protection
• The Achievement Gap
• The Digital Divide
• What Teachers and Schools Can Do

21st Century Learner

Staff in the building were placed in groups, and joined by a student who is part of the "Dare To Be Real" program. First, we watched the Ken Robinson RSA Animate video to set the stage, then started looking

Paul Kile, chair of the Music and Arts department shared a quote by Oliver Wendell Holmes, that relates to his experience with this video:

"Man's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions."

How does this intersect with Equity as we explore this topic with 21st Century, technology, and learning? He sees this as an intersection of opportunity!

There was good discussion and push back on Robinson, pointing out that he doesn't necessarily say what to do instead, and his views on ADHD has detractors.

Equity in Edina Public Schools

Mary Manderfeld, Assistant Human Resources Director shared some statistics on changes in our district.

In 1989, out of 5,000 students, there were 200 students of color, 26 African American. Today, 15.4% are of color out of 8,300, with 400+ African American. Special Education is around 9% and English Language Learners are hovering round 3%.

The district has reached out to families of color and on free and reduced lunch, to save spots in special programs such as Continuous Progress and French Immersion.

The district also has set up a District Equity Leadership Team to develop a cohesive plan for equity in the district.

Initiatives that the district has undertaken includes:

• STRIVE
• EHS Writing Center
• E-Math for students struggling in Math
• EHS 101/102
• May Term Internship
• DARE to be Real
• Options ALP
• AVID
• After School Programming
• Laptop Initiative for Choice Is Yours students-Students who open enroll from Minneapolis
• ACT Prep Class
• Enriched Classes Identification Process
• Culturally Responsive Leadership
• Alternative Compensation Goals tied to Equity
• RTI
• Somali Advisory Group

In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.

Dr. Martin Luther King

When looking at Gifted Education, which starts at 3rd grade, no African American or Hispanic students at 3 sample elementary schools, despite one having 30% students of color. This includes Free and Reduced Lunch.

Is this ok to have a gifted program that only serves white and Asian students?

This year, the Young Scholars program which provides access, affirmation and advocacy to encourage students who are ELL, Free and Reduced Lunch, Black, and Hispanic to strengthen basic skills and identify students who have creative potential.

AVID-Advancement via Individual Determination, is being piloted at one of the middle schools this year. We then watched a video from 60 minutes on the program.

AVID classes need to reflect the building's demographics.

• Student Selection is important
• Voluntary
• Offered During the School Day
• Rigorous Study-Must also be in an enriched course
• Strong, Relevant Writing and Reading Curriculum
• Inquiry to promote critical thinking-Cornell Notes
• Collaboration as basis of instruction
• Trained Tutors
• Data Collection and Analysis
• District Commitment
• Active Interdisciplinary Site Team

Manderfeld ended with the starfish story, where the person throwing the starfish back in the water says, "For this little starfish, I'm making all the difference in the world."