District 203 Diversity

Historical Background
Diversity Flow Chart
Goals and Action Plan

Historical Background
Beginning in 1994, District 203 began to examine its beliefs related to diversity. Members of the administrative cabinet, minority staff, and members of the Board of Education met monthly to review the research and best practices related to diversity initiatives in school districts. A consultant from the Illinois Resource Center was enlisted to work with this committee as well as assist the administrative team and school board in examining our own beliefs. This first committee drafted the first diversity policy to present to the Board of Education for consideration.

Policy #
In support of quality education for the benefit of all students, the Board of Education embraces human diversity as an important value of the District. The District seeks to recruit and to retain employees who reflect a culturally rich and diverse perspective. Diversity is reflected by infusing an inclusive focus into curriculum content and a multicultural perspective into instructional strategies. Staff shall receive training with the objective of increasing knowledge, skills and sensitivity in the area of diversity. The District shall communicate the benefits of diversity in education to parents and the community. The Superintendent shall include these areas of diversity in the annual plan and report to the Board of Education. Adopted May 1996

On July 1, 1996, a focus group met to list specific goals for implementing the Board of Education’s diversity policy. People present included District 203 staff, community members, representatives of the Diversity Parents Association, and members of the Board of Education. This listing became the beginning framework for the development of the Diversity Plan. Listed below is the statement from that focus group:

"The diversity of the community should be viewed positively; therefore, opportunities to experience this richness need to be developed and included in the Diversity Plan.

Action Plan Goal
The Diversity Plan must:

• support employment opportunities that correspond to student demographics;
• initiate a staff development program to increase awareness, understanding, and acceptance;
• develop curricular opportunities for students to experience the richness of our diverse community;
• address public awareness to support building relationships across groups (i.e.citizen, public and private); and
• communicate initiatives that foster the cultural diversity of the school district.”

The diversity committee developed this plan with the idea of being more inclusive, expanding opportunities for students to understand multiple perspectives, and to offer additional opportunities to examine what it will mean to live in a global society in the new millennium. We determined that we needed to discover how the realities of our problems and needs are linked locally, nationally and internationally. The world in all of its diversity and complexity is multicultural.

We have developed the diversity plan with the following premises:

• The need for students and staff to understand the complexity of who we are as a nation.
• The need for students and staff to recognize the existence, history and contributions of people and cultures different from the mainstream.
• The need of students and staff to gain skills, such as communication, in order to aid in living in a cross-cultural pluralistic society.  

The benefits of expanding the curricula for students are:

• to broaden the base of education to include more of the world.
• to challenge all obstacles that hinder justice.
• to expand knowledge of cultural differences—understanding people living within our own community.
• to strive for equity for all people.
• to create realization for students that the world is in the classroom.
• to think more broadly about the fundamental impact of the world scene.  

Each of the following global and human conditions provides a set of imperatives with respect to the curriculum.

• Interrelatedness of the world
• Global transformations
• Expansion of cross-cultural experiences
• Expansion of civic responsibility and participation

These imperatives are not new. These imperatives were incorporated into the District 203 Diversity Plan.

The work of Dr. James Banks was studied as the Diversity Plan was developed.

In support of quality education for the benefit of all students, the Board of Education embraces human diversity and views respect for all individuals as an important value of the district. For the purpose of this policy the definition of diversity refers to ethnic and racial differences. Respect for the rights of all people encourages understanding and interaction necessary for responsible citizenship. Revised August 2000

Diversity Flow Chart: Click here to view Diversity Flow Chart.

Diversity Committee Goals and Action Plans:

Employment Opportunities
Goal	Action Plan		Timeline/Responsibility		Measures of Success
Increase the number of qualified minority employees.

• Continue current recruitment practices.
• Produce a video to highlight the diversity of our school district.
• Write a grant to fund the video production.
• Share video with realtors and universities.
• Use school district web site for sharing video clips related to the diversity of the community.
• Develop and deploy a survey to new hires to determine if recruitment actions influenced candidates' decision to apply and accept position within District 203.
• Human Resources Department
• Technology Department  

• Write grant by June 03
• Produce video by January 04
• Develop and distribute survey by June 04
• Collect and dissagregate survey data by January 05
• Write and receive grant
• Video produced and distributed
• Survey data collected and analyzed
• An increase of minority employees is evident.  

• Research programs to promote social competence for students K-12 to enhance the environment for all learners.
• Come to agreement on criteria for choosing a K-12 social development curriculum to foster competent social behaviors.
• Review current social-emotional learning programs within District 203 using agreed upon criteria.
• Review evidence-based social-emotional learning programs using the resource developed by CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning).
• Curriculum Department
• Special Education Department

• Current programs are reviewed using agreed upon criteria.
• An evidence-based social-emotional learning program chosen using consistent criteria is in place in District 203 in all twenty-one schools.

• Develop a district-wide positive climate to foster acceptance of a diverse workforce.
• Provide support,   mentoring, and professional encouragement to retain minority employees.
• Identify areas of best-practice within the school district and build upon those practices as appropriate. Identify strategies to promote positive building and district climates accepting of a diverse workforce in the recruitment plan.
• Implement a diversity book study with administrators district-wide leading to building-based study groups to address climate issues at the school district and building levels.
• Implement a mentoring program that includes a focus on diversity issues.
• Diversity Committee
• Curriculum Department
• Human Resources Department

• Longevity data is collected for 5 years reflecting retention of minority employees. Use 2000-2001 as the base-line year.

• Develop a District 203 Diversity Day Planner.
• Use the school district web site, NCTV, school district-produced video, public share folders, TIPS, the use of Culture Grams, Civic Virtues of the Social Science Curriculum, ESL partnership events, ACE, etc.
• Continue to implement the book selection process for LRC purchases to accurately portray a multi-cultural perspective in literature.
• Develop partnerships with the various unions, community agencies, and businesses to collaborate on recruiting and retaining employees.
• Promote benefits and need to staff, parents, and the community at large.
• Diversity Recruitment Committee
• Curriculum Department
• Technology Department
• Community Relations Department  

• Review TIPS evaluations
• Tabulate the number of times the school district website has been accessed.
• Collect data on each communication action to determine effectiveness.