Board of Education Policy 7500: Equity in Education

The Niskayuna Central School District is committed to the success of every student and to achieving the adopted vision of being a district of excellence, access, and opportunity, with caring relationships and engaging learning experiences that provide equitable opportunities for all students to reach their potential. To support this end, current policy and practice will be closely examined through a culturally responsive and restorative justice lens and revised as necessary.

The District believes that equity is a right, and it is the responsibility of all stakeholders in the District to ensure equitable experiences and outcomes for all students. The District will work in partnership with Niskayuna’s diverse community to engage every learner in a robust educational program designed to provide the knowledge and skills necessary for success.

The District recognizes that the current educational system, along with complex, societal, racial and historical factors create and perpetuates barriers to access and opportunities within the system. This policy requires that district practices and procedures be reviewed based on the established culturally relevant criteria in order to reverse the cycle of systemic disparities that impact student success.

The District will implement research-based educational practices to eliminate racial predictability of student success, disproportionality in behavioral consequences, inequities impacting marginalized and underserved populations, and systemic barriers to opportunities and access. The District will provide a supportive, nurturing learning environment which values student’s voice, recognizes that a focus on individual student needs is necessary for equitable outcomes, and utilizes the strengths of Niskayuna’s diversity to ensure equitable outcomes.

The District will provide professional development and resources necessary to ensure that all administrators, teachers, support staff, and community partners have access to high quality, culturally relevant research-based strategies to reduce racial and other disparities in measurable outcomes.

The District will develop and monitor: (1) an evaluation rubric and accountability standards for measuring success, (2) a clear plan and timeline for identifying equity gaps and their causes in educational experiences and outcomes, (3) an implementation plan for instructional programs,

hiring practices, and operational systems that address disparities, (4) an ongoing plan for continuous professional development and improvement, and (5) a plan that includes student voice and parent/guardian input as an integral part of the decision-making and transformation process.

The implementation of this policy is the shared responsibility of all District stakeholders. The Superintendent shall annually report the progress toward achieving the goals outlined in this policy to the Board of Education, District faculty and staff, District students, families and the community at large.

Adopted January 27, 2020