Amity's Increasing Educator Diversity Plan

VISION

We believe that each student has a right to the unimpeded access to the opportunities and resources necessary to develop to their full academic and social potential and that each individual in our community should have a genuine sense of social, emotional, and academic belonging. We further believe the differences in individual and cultural characteristics, identities, and traits of each person and group in our school and community are valuable and that students are better served when teachers and teacher leaders reflect the diversity of our community.

Our beliefs are consistent with the Connecticut State Board of Education's equity and excellence goals for all students. First, that every student deserves to benefit from the promise of high expectations and standards for what they can learn and be able to do. Second, great schools are safe, diverse, welcoming environments where students thrive and receive exceptional teaching and learning. And third, great teachers and leaders are supported throughout their careers with quality professional learning that continues to grow and refine educator practice.

POLICIES

Public Act No 18-34 and Public Act 23-167 – Increasing Educator Diversity

Currently, boards of education, under Public Act No 18-34, must have a written plan for “minority educator recruitment” to reduce racial, ethnic and economic isolation and provide students with opportunities to interact with teachers from other racial, ethnic, and economic backgrounds. Public Act No 18-34. The Public Act 23-167 changes the plan’s name to the “increasing educator diversity” plan and the Act requires that boards of education submit their “increasing educator diversity” plans to the Commissioner of Education for review and approval.

BOE Policy P4111(a) Personnel – Certified/Non-Certified Recruitment and Selection

The Board recognizes the diversity of the people who live in the school district and believes that this characteristic should have an important bearing on all aspects of the ARSD activities. The Board believes it is especially important that this diversity of population be recognized in the recruitment and assignment of personnel. The Board shall develop and implement a written plan for minority staff recruitment. (May 2021)

BOE Policy P4111.1 Personnel – Certified/Non-Certified Equal Employment Opportunity

The Board of Education (Board) will provide equal employment opportunities for all persons without regard to race, color, religious creed, age, veterans' status, genetic information, marital status, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identify or expression, or physical disability. The Board directs the administration to set as a goal the recruitment, selection, and employment of qualified people among racial and ethnic minority groups to the end that the Amity Regional School District No. 5 (ARSD) employees will proportionately mirror the racial and ethnic composition of this community. (Feb 2021)

BOE Policy P4111.3 Personnel - Certified/Non-Certified Minority Recruitment Plan

The Amity Regional School District No. 5 (ARSD) Board of Education (Board) recognizes that fundamental to a quality education is the need to provide students with an opportunity to interact with students and educators from different racial, ethnic, and economic backgrounds. The Board believes that a skillful and diverse staff contributes significantly to high quality, engaging learning environments, predicated on a climate of inclusion. To this end the Board directs the Superintendent to enact a planning process for the recruitment of a diverse staff. (May 2021)

DEMOGRAPHICS - STUDENTS & STAFF

RACIAL DEMOGRAPHICS

In Chart 1.2 you can see a shift in the racial makeup of the district over the last ten years. Again, the Y axis shows the student count and each racial identity block within the column is labeled with the percent of the student body for that specific year. Hispanic and Asian identifying-students had the largest percentage increases.

The Hispanic population as grown from 4% to 9% of the student body (an increase of 91%). The Asian population has gone from 11 to 15% of the student body (an increase of 17%). The white population has declined from 80% of the total student count to 69% (a decrease of 25%). Students who identify with two or more races has gone from 1% to 4%. The Black or African American population has remained somewhat steady at 3% or 4% over the last ten years.

Chart 1.2 Racial Demographics of Amity Regional School District - Diversity Plan Report

HIGH NEEDS STUDENTS

Chart 1. 4 displays high needs students at all of Amity’s campuses. High needs is a category that includes students with disabilities, free and reduced lunch eligibility, and English language learners. The total number of high needs students in the district grew from 351 to 504 (an increase of 43%). As a percentage of the total population, Amity’s high needs students grew from 15% to 25%.

Chart 1.4 High Need Students Demographics of Amity Regional School District - Diversity Plan Report

EDUCATOR DIVERSITY (RACE ONLY)

Chart 1.5 displays a comparison of the educator and student racial diversity ten-year trend. In 2022-23 there were 14 of 240 educators of color which was 5.8% and 651 of 2,075 students of color representing 31.4%, a difference of 25.6%. In 2013-14 there were 12 of 235 educators of color which was 5.1% and 466 of 2,372 students of color representing 19.6%, a difference of 14.5%.

Chart 1.5 Educator and Student Diversity Trend - Demographics of Amity Regional School District - Diversity Plan Report

THEORY OF ACTION

STRUCTURE - RECRUIT, HIRE AND RETAIN

"If the District proactively engages in researching, establishing, and implementing diverse, inclusive, and equitable hiring and selection practices; continuously analyzes, critiques, and modifies recruitment, selection, and retention practices; and concurrently provides professional learning support to enhance diversity and cultural awareness among responsible staff, then we will witness an increase in the establishment and maintenance of a more diverse educator workforce. This workforce will be reflective of our student population and community, and as a result, prepare our students for an increasingly diverse world."

Theory of Action Diagram of Amity Regional School District - Diversity Plan Report

RECRUITMENT

Recruit educators from underrepresented racial or ethnic groups to increase their representation within our workforce and better align with the diverse demographics of our student population. The Superintendent and extended leadership team manage this goal.

RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES

Strategy: Participate in education career fairs and local job fairs, including those that are sponsored by racially and ethnically diverse community organizations or otherwise targeted toward underrepresented segments of the community.

Responsibility: HR Specialist, Extended Leadership Team
Timeline: Ongoing

Strategy: Implement voluntary applicant surveys to collect demographics on applicants to inform the effectiveness of the strategies in the Increasing Educator Diversity Plan.

Responsibility: DEI Instructional Coach
Timeline: Fall 2024

Strategy: Expand DEI webpage to highlight efforts in the District to improve inclusion and belonging experienced by both students and staff.

Responsibility: DEI Instructional Coach
Timeline: Winter 2024

Strategy: Review the applications for teaching and administrative positions to ensure they are structured to recognize applicant’s leadership experiences with diverse groups.

Responsibility: DEI Instructional Coach
Timeline: Spring 2025

Strategy: Form partnerships through Connecticut alumna networks with historically Black colleges and universities and Hispanic-serving institutes to attract diverse candidates.

Responsibility: DEI Instructional Coach
Timeline: January 2026

MORE ABOUT RECRUITMENT

Consultation & Communication for Recruitment

Indicators of Progress for Recruitment

Resources for Recruitment

Risks & Mitigation for Recruitment

HIRING & SELECTION

We will decrease the gap between diverse students and diverse educators by employing strategic hiring practices to increase diversity of personnel both interviewed and hired. The Superintendent and extended leadership team manage this goal.

HIRING & SELECTION STRATEGIES

Strategy: Implement a written, collaborative, uniform practices for hiring that minimizes the chance for bias on the part of the hiring committee.

Responsibility: Superintendent
Timeline: Spring 2024, Annually Thereafter

Strategy: Ensure that interview/hiring committee members have mandatory anti-bias training and information on current student and staff demographics. Training should guard against exclusionary notions of cultural fit and advise that protected statuses should not figure either positively or negatively into employment.

Responsibility: DEI Instructional Coach
Timeline: Spring 2024, Annually Thereafter

Strategy: Incorporate questions related to culturally responsive pedagogy into the interview process.

Responsibility: Extended Leadership Team, and DEI Instructional Coach
Timeline: Spring 2025, Annually Thereafter

MORE ON HIRING & SELECTION

Consultation & Communication for Hiring & Selection

Indicators of Progress for Hiring & Selection

Increase in the diversity of candidates hired in the district
Positive feedback from new hires regarding the inclusivity of the hiring process
Positive feedback from interview/hiring committee teams on the inclusivity of the hiring process
Updated interview questions related to culturally responsive teaching
Documented, written hiring processes for all positions in the district

Resources for Hiring & Selection

Risks & Mitigation for Hiring & Selection

Limited candidate pool and teaching shortage areas impacting ability to hire diverse staff
Time to train interview/hiring committees and maintain an aggressive hiring timeline
Ability to capture qualitative feedback from new hires and hiring/interview committee members
Unconscious bias impacting applicant screening and interview decisions

RETENTION

Ensure the long-term success and connectedness of our diverse employees. Create a workplace culture where every individual feels an authentic sense of belonging and is provided with equitable opportunities for growth and advancement. The Superintendent and extended leadership team manage this goal.

RETENTION STRATEGIES

Strategy: Continue the development of a comprehensive onboarding program that introduces new hires to the organization's commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Responsibility: Assistant Superintendent
Timeline: Spring 2024

Strategy: Conduct annual school climate surveys at each building that allow employees to freely share their thoughts, concerns, or provide feedback on how the district can improve.

Responsibility: DEI Instructional Coach
Timeline: Spring 2024

Strategy: Promote networking events to foster a sense of belonging within the greater education community.

Responsibility: DEI Instructional Coach
Timeline: Spring 2024

Strategy: Ensure employees are aware of tuition reimbursement benefits aligned with each bargaining agreement

Responsibility: Union
Timeline: Summer 2025

Strategy: Conduct regular diversity and inclusion training sessions for all employees, emphasizing the importance of diverse perspectives and fostering a culture of respect

Responsibility: Assistant Superintendent
Timeline: Fall 2025

MORE ON RETENTION

Consultation & Communication for Retention

Indicators of Progress for Retention

Number of teachers attending the new teacher orientation
Number of teachers partnered with a year-long mentor; number of veteran teachers serving as mentors (outside of TEAM).
Post PD surveys
Utilization of tuition reimbursement benefits
Completed climate surveys
Number of networking events and opportunities promoted/conducted

Resources for Retention

Risks & Mitigation for Retention

Resistance to Training: Some new hires may resist diversity and inclusion training, mitigate by emphasizing its importance
Ineffective Training by Mentors: Regularly update training materials based on stakeholder feedback
Lack of Understanding of importance of PD feedback: Assess training effectiveness through post-training surveys and adjust content as needed
Low Utilization: Promote tuition benefits
Surveys are a moment of time: strategic timing of delivery along with time for completion and use with other data for larger understanding.
Failure to invite all diverse educators to networking; use HR list that is reported to state as source for invitation.

COMMITMENT TO REVIEW