The Problems We are Seeking to Solve as a District
Based on community dialogues from Sept.-Nov. 2019, the community identified the following problems the district needs to solve:
- The system has been failing to meet the social, emotional needs of historically underserved students for decades because of systemic racism and discrimination in funding, hiring, teacher support and development and curricular offerings.
- Discrimination and favoritism in the district have resulted in segregated schools that follow the pattern of city segregation, dispossession and displacement, which stifle the opportunities for students to learn in environments that attract highly qualified and culturally proficient staff.
Ten Equitable Practices for Systemic Change
- Develop leadership for equity and inclusion
- Practice transparent & effective communication with all stakeholders
- Collect, analyze & use disaggregated data
- Develop non-discriminatory, inclusive & supportive policies
- Engage students & families
- Engage all communities, particularly underserved & underrepresented
- Apply research & evidence-based practices
- Engage in ongoing cultural proficiency & inclusiveness development & training
- Support & engage in culturally relevant teaching
- Develop & implement equity-focused strategic planning, evaluation & budget allocations
Equity by Design for Austin ISD
Equity by Design for Austin ISD is an approach to planning, communication, and engagement that promotes the active involvement of communities who are underserved by the school district. Equity by Design began in 2016 as a part of work led by Dr. Stephanie Hawley alongside higher education students, community members, organizers, and leaders with the Mayor’s Taskforce on Institutional Racism. In 2019, when Dr. Hawley joined AISD as the first Equity Officer, she adapted and customized the Equity by
Design approach with AISD students, staff, and educators, resulting in the Equity by Design for Austin ISD.
This approach prioritizes people and their lived experiences as key, high-impact, long-term decisions are made. The process is not linear but requires that multiple activity stages are being led simultaneously to support cultural shifts and sustained collaborative decision-making and planning. Most importantly, the process disrupts traditional exclusionary top-down practices and provides continuous opportunities for engagement and two-way learning. Each activity in Equity by Design for Austin ISD is designed for multiple collaborative and cross-functional teams to openly address inequities by analyzing the available quantitative data and actively listening to the people most adversely affected by the system as it currently exists.
Text version (English)
El Diseño de la Equidad para Austin ISD
- Identificar los grupos marginados
- Escuchar la voz de los afectados adversamente
- Llevar a cabo un análisis de causa y origen con las comunidades
- Explorar el entorno y esquematizar los activos con las comunidades
- Investigar prácticas prometedores y ejemplos de la industria
- Establecer los mismos objetivos medibles, robustos y realistas a lo largo del tiempo para todos los grupos de estudiantes
- Adaptar o desarrollar estrategias y tácticas basadas en la investigación con las comunidades marginadas
- Desarrollar un borrador para un plan y una evaluación de implementación estratégica (planes formativos y sumativos)
Equity by Design for Austin ISD (Equidad por Diseño para el Austin ISD)
Equity by Design for Austin ISD es un enfoque de planificación, comunicación y compromiso que promueve la participación activa de las comunidades que están siendo menos atendidas por el distrito escolar. Equity by Design comenzó en 2016 como parte del trabajo dirigido por la Dra. Stephanie Hawley junto con estudiantes de educación superior, miembros de la comunidad, organizadores y líderes con el Grupo de Trabajo del Alcalde sobre Racismo Institucional. En 2019, cuando la Dra. Hawley se unió al AISD como la primera Oficial de Equidad, adaptó y personalizó el enfoque de Equity by Design con estudiantes, personal y educadores del AISD, lo que resultó en Equity by Design for Austin ISD.
Este enfoque da prioridad a las personas y sus experiencias vividas cuando se toman decisiones clave, de alto impacto y a largo plazo. El proceso no es lineal, sino que requiere que se lleven a cabo varias fases de actividad simultáneamente para apoyar los cambios culturales y la toma de decisiones y planificación colaborativas sostenidas. Lo más importante es que el proceso altera las prácticas tradicionales de exclusión de arriba hacia abajo y ofrece oportunidades continuas para la participación y el aprendizaje bidireccional. Cada actividad de Equity by Design for Austin ISD, está diseñada para que múltiples equipos colaborativos y multidisciplinarios aborden abiertamente las desigualdades analizando los datos cuantitativos disponibles y escuchando activamente a las personas más afectadas por el sistema tal como existe actualmente.
