1 PI 9 Self-Evaluation Summary for Status of Pupil Nondiscrimination June 2007 New Berlin School District 4333 S. Sunny Slope Rd. New Berlin, WI 53121 (262) 789-6200 Designated Employee: Virginia Wolters Director of Student Services District Administrator: James E. Benfield 2 Table of Contents Area of Self-Evaluation Page Policy & Complaint Procedures 3 Methods, Practices, Counseling 4 Athletics & Extracurricular Activities Scholarships & Other Awards 6 8 Report formation and participation 10 3 New Berlin School District PI 9 Self-Evaluation Summary for Status of Pupil Nondiscrimination Evaluation Summary: Pupil Nondiscrimination Policies and Complaint Procedures Finding & Analysis: The district has combined multiple policies and complaint procedures into one policy and procedure. The procedure complies with perimeters of the legal guidelines of 118.13. The Director of Staff and Community Service is designated as the contact person for complaints. There are several policies that are related to 118.13 in the district. They were analyzed for references to nondiscrimination and the prescribed list of protected groups in 2002. Refer to the 2002 chart as a guide for the individual policies and the protected classes listed in the policy. The Director of Pupil Services indicates that there are no new policies related to Pupil Nondiscrimination since then. The district’s legal counsel has assured the policies conform to the current guidelines. Legal counsel has also provided staff development for district personnel clearly defining the district’s policy on discrimination, harassment, and its the complaint procedure. This continues as part of the new employee orientation to assure there is a common understanding amongst all district personnel. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction guidelines ask that the policy and procedures be communicated to the community, parents, and students in an age appropriate, easy to comprehend language. The language used in the policy manual justifiably does not conform to the guideline. However, the policy manual version is used to communicate the district’s intent regarding nondiscrimination and harassment. Supporting Information & Source: 1. New Berlin School District Office Policy Manual 2002 Recommendations & Strategies for Improvement: • Review materials distributed by the district to assure that the nondiscrimination statement is included on any correspondence to parents, students, and the community regarding activities addressed by 118.13. • Identify the scholarships that must conform to the district policy and therefore prohibits discrimination in their award. • Review athletic and co-curricular policy to insure compliance with current state law. Completion Date for Improvement: Responsible for Coordination: June 2008 Director of Student Services 4 New Berlin School District PI 9 Self-Evaluation Summary for Status of Pupil Nondiscrimination Evaluation Summary: Counseling Finding & Analysis: The district is predominately Caucasian and in the middle socioeconomic class. Over the last 3 years the average representation of gender has been 50% female and male. During the same period of time the representation of groups by ethnicity has remained below the following percentages by group: .4% American Indian, 5% Asian, 1.4% African American, and 3% Hispanic. It has also had less than 6% of the students on subsidized lunch and less than 2% of the students categorized as English Language Learners during that period of time. Approximately 10% of the students during this time were identified as having disabilities. District policies dictate that all resources and educational services be free of bias and stereotyping including counseling services. Developmental guidance instruction is infused into the regular curricula. There are no elementary school counselors in the district. Developmental guidance activities are integrated into the regular classroom curricula. Counseling services at the secondary level are provided in a traditional format with little classroom instruction. Assistance to students is predominantly delivered to facilitate post secondary education and career planning. The acquisition of media and instructional materials is guided by school district practices and policies. Career counseling services are directed by student interest. Information from universities, colleges, technical schools, military and other postsecondary training programs is disseminated through closed circuit television and mass email. There are plans to post the announcements on the school district web site. The latter will assure ongoing and equal access for all students and families. The school district has specifically sought new counselors, when staff has retired, who will revitalize the programs. They have proven proactive in their counseling practices and are revising the manner in which services are delivered to students. The school district’s mantra for 10 years has been “learning for all and high expectations for all.” This philosophy has been the catalyst and guide for the development of all programs in the district, including the counseling program. The district has a systematic process to assure this practice and it enables the educators in the district to carry it out. This has been accomplished through evaluation of achievement data, professional learning communities, staff development, and student intervention. Accommodation for non English speaking students, parents, and community members is accommodated through translation of written and verbal communication on an “as needed” basis. A significant portion of the special education budget is designated to provide translation services. Supporting Information & Source: 1. WINNs Internet Site for New Berlin Public Schools 2. Director of Student Services Recommendations & Strategies for Improvement: • • • • • Develop a simple assessment device for the evaluation of new materials to assure equitable representation by protected classes. Engage community and family involvement to address the issues of diversity endemic to a predominantly white middle class community. Continue using citizenship initiatives as a means to expose students to the types of diversity within the community and surrounding area. Analyze and evaluate the structure of the counseling program, activities, and materials using the WSCM (Wisconsin School Counseling Model) and Program Standards. Align curriculum and identify where the WSCM standards are addressed in the regular curriculum. 5 • • Develop activities and a plan for implementation to assure the K-12 career development needs of students are addressed and include activities to reduce bias and stereotyping. Incorporate the recommendations in the report as a continual reoccurring theme in the district’s plan/work as a professional learning community. Completion Date for Improvement: Responsible for Coordination: June 2009 Director of Student Services 6 New Berlin School District PI 9 Self-Evaluation Summary for Status of Pupil Nondiscrimination Evaluation Summary: Trends and Patterns of School District Support of Athletic and Co Curricular Activities Finding & Analysis: Student athletics and co curricular activities are developed or continued based upon student interest as measured by the participation rate or potential participant rate. There is a formal process in place to follow for the introduction of new athletic teams that includes School Board approval. The district has developed co-op athletic programs between the two high schools to assure the continuation of programs for sports with low participation rates. It is anticipated that this may expand to include other districts to assure the continuation of hockey. The interscholastic athletic opportunities for males and females are provided in substantially proportionate numbers to their respective enrollment in the district. The opportunities are comparable in scope and type. A five year compilation of data, by gender, for Eisenhower High School shows that there are proportionate number of girls and boys participating in the athletic program. The number of girls teams and their high rate of participation, compensates for the boys rate of participation in traditionally male dominated sports. In fact, girls consistently participate at a higher rate than boys where there are separate teams offered in the same sport. There is an equitable distribution of financial support and other resources for transportation, practice time, scheduling opportunities, supplies, equipment, uniforms, practice facilities, support services, and coaching reimbursement. Coaches and Assistant Coaches for middle and high school interscholastic sports are predominantly male, but there has been a significant increase of females from the last nondiscrimination report. During the past three years there has been an average of 36 coaches at the middle school level per year of which 16 were women per year. At the high school level, for the same time period, there was an average of 134 coaches, paid and volunteer, per year with an average of 34 women per year. In the past there were approximately 10 female coaches at the high school level. The school mascots, team names, and logos are free from bias and stereotyping. Pep band, cheerleaders, and Pom Pons are made available for both girl’s and boy’s athletic events. Records that are available for advisor reimbursement indicate that financial resources are distributed in an equitable manner across the activities. Accommodations are made for students with LEP and disabilities. The school marketing person reviewed all sports and extracurricular publications and press releases to assure they were free of bias and stereotyping. Buses to all competitions, equipment, with the exception of tennis rackets, and uniforms are provided for free. Students with demonstrated economic need are exempt athletic fees and related costs to assure their opportunity for participation. The data needed for this report is unique and its compilation is not required for any other reports. The collection of this particular set of data for athletic and co-curricular activities is sporadic and lacks an efficient means of collection or analysis. Records of participation rates are limited to gender. There is no easily available record of student participation by ethnicity, ELL students, or those with disabilities, participating in athletics at either high school within the past 3 years. There is an extensive participation record of the individual students’ participation at one of the high schools. However, it is kept on as a written record and it is not sorted nor utilized in a disaggregated manner. There is no easily available record of awards related to athletic and co curricular participation. Supporting Information & Source: New Berlin Public Schools Internet Site Athletic Department Personnel District Athletic Director Recommendations & Strategies for Improvement: • Develop guidelines and procedures for the use of disaggregated data in planning and evaluation of athletics and co curricular programs. 7 • • • • • • • • • The school administrative software will be used to identify students’ K-12 participation in athletics and co curricular activities. School district administration will determine what K-12 athletic and co curricular awards will be identified for data collection. School district administration will determine who will be responsible for entering the data in the school administrative software. Disaggregated data will be generated each year identifying the demographics of the athletic and co curricular participants and award recipients. The information will include the rate of participation by number and percentages for each protected class. Each year data will be compared to the previous 2 years to identify demographic trends in the participation rate of athletics and co curricular activities over a 3 year period. The demographic trends will be used to evaluate the equitable participation of students in athletics and co curricular activities. Strategies to increase participation will be developed and implemented if the participation rate, by group, deviates from the overall representation of the group in the school population. Develop and implement a plan of action to encourage under-represented groups to participate in athletic and extracurricular activities Review student handbook and guidelines related to athletics and other co-curricular activities to assure that they include the district policies related to nondiscrimination and harassment, along with the complaint process. Completion Date for Improvement: Responsible for Coordination: June 2008 District Athletic Director 8 New Berlin School District PI 9 Self-Evaluation Summary for Status of Pupil Nondiscrimination Evaluation Summary: Trends and Patterns in Awarding Scholarships and Other Forms of Recognition Finding & Analysis: Data collected in 2007 indicates a continued trend that was identified in the Pupil Nondiscrimination Self Evaluation of 2002. Boys continue to receive significantly fewer scholarships than girls. During the past two years, boys at Eisenhower High School were awarded an average of 32% of the total number of scholarships. This gap is consistent with 2002 report when it was also 32%. However, at West High School this trend is not evident in the distribution of awards for 2007. Boys receive awards at higher rate than girls by 17% percentage points. A total of 6 Asian Americans and 2 Hispanic student received awards of scholarships or awards. This rate of participation is well below that of the percentage of enrollment for those groups in the total student enrollment. Data regarding the distribution of awards and scholarships presents a significant challenge for the district. The introduction of the school administrative software as a means of recording and tracking scholarships and awards will assist the district will obtaining and disaggregating the data in the future. This will allow the identification of demographic trends so that the school district may address inequities in a timely and effective manner. This will also assist the district with computing the amount of money their students receive in the form of scholarships and the recognition it provides for academic, athletic, program, and student excellence. The district reports that students are informed of all scholarships that come directly to the High Schools when they are posted in the guidance office. Students and their parents are made aware of scholarship opportunities during the Junior Conference. The district has plans to post the information of the high school web site to create an ongoing record of the opportunities and to assure continued access for all students and their families. District employees determine the award of a small number of scholarships. A scholarship committee assesses the applicants’ qualifications based upon the equitable criteria established in the scholarship. Supporting Information & Source: Guidance records summarized by the district Director of Student Services Counseling Staff Recommendations & Strategies for Improvement: • • • • • • • • • • • Develop guidelines and procedures for the use of disaggregated data in planning, distribution and evaluation of awards and scholarships. School district administration will determine what K-12 awards will be identified for data collection. The school administrative software will be used to identify students who are recipients of scholarships and awards. School district administration will determine who will be responsible for entering the data in the school administrative software. Disaggregated data will be generated each year identifying the demographics of the recipients and the dollar amount of the scholarships. The information will include the rate of participation by number and percentages for each protected class. Disaggregated data will be generated each year identifying the demographics of the award recipients. The information will include the rate of participation by number and percentages for each protected class. Each year data will be compared to the previous 2 years to identify demographic trends in the award of scholarships and awards over a 3 year period. The demographic trends will be used to evaluate the equitable participation and distribution of awards and scholarships. Strategies to increase participation will be developed and implemented if the participation rate, by group, deviates from the overall representation of the group in the school population. Create an ad hoc committee to identify possible reasons that boys received fewer scholarships than girls. Review the recommendations and guidelines for the scholarships and awards for bias and stereotyping. 9 • Develop a recruitment strategy and implementation plan to encourage those in underrepresented groups to apply for scholarships. Completion Date for Improvement: Responsible for Coordination: June 2008 Director of Student Services 10 New Berlin School District PI 9 Self-Evaluation Summary for Status of Pupil Nondiscrimination Evaluation Summary: Plan Development and Participation Finding & Analysis: The school district administration has a firm commitment to “learning for all,” differentiation, the professional learning community, and intervention on individual student’s behalf. The district does not have a documented plan of action for equity initiatives. The most challenging equity issues facing the district in the area of counseling, athletics, co curricular, scholarships, and awards are: • The efficient collection of disaggregated data and its use during the planning and evaluation process • The identification of where equity related instructional issues are addressed in the counseling curriculum and documentation of implementation. • Document the integration of K-12 school counseling standards and activities in the other school curricula. The district strives to address such issues indirectly through their “Learning for All” initiative, the “Pyramid of Intervention,” staff development, emphasis on differentiation, board policies, and curriculum development. The accountability and process used in the “Pyramid of Intervention” is a unique and effical approach to assuring student achievement as an education community. The district recognizes the challenge to depict people representative of our pluralistic society in a positive role. However, there are challenges to achieve this in a predominantly white middle class community. District policies consistently address the need to eliminate stereotyping, bias, and discrimination. This is translated into an emphasis on the selection of materials and displays throughout the district. There are no diversity clubs or citizenship initiatives. The Project Support teacher for Special Education has facilitated focus groups and the “Circle of Friends” during the last two years. Significant parental participation is encouraged in the schools. They are viewed as an integral component of the educational process that significantly facilitates their child’s success in school. The district has active Parent Teacher Organizations and each school has a planning council that includes parents and community members. There are many opportunities for volunteerism in the schools. In addition to this, parent input is obtained using the activities documented in the district ESEA Plan and Special Education Plan as required by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. The primary purpose of the “Pyramid of Intervention” and their “Learning for All” initiative is to close the achievement gap for students, reinforce high expectations for their students, and provide educators with the means for achieving both. These qualities are being infused into staff development planning. A high expectation for student learning and positive school climate is a criterion for hiring all new staff. The district has a foundation for addressing equity issues in the current initiatives it is implementing. Infusion of the topics identified in this report will allow the district to make great strides in creating a fair learning environment for all students. The initial investigation for the self-evaluation was conducted by school district personal in cooperation with the CESA #1 Equity Consultant. Input was gathered from the athletic, co-curricular, and counseling departments to identify trends and challenges. Recommendations have been made based upon this information to include a broader representation of school personnel, students, parents, and community members. Their input is garnered on a regular basis in the district through the means mentioned above and ongoing district advisement programs. Supporting Information & Source: 1. Director of Student Services 11 Recommendations & Strategies for Improvement: • • • • Provide positive supportive direction to the staff regarding the collection and utilization of data. Utilize the administrative software system to disaggregate data for use in planning and correction. Develop a system to document and assure that diverse needs of students are being addressed through instruction and assessment in the counseling program. Document the curricular integration of the Wisconsin Developmental Guidance Competencies, or the new Wisconsin Comprehensive School Counseling model, into the regular curriculum. Completion Date for Improvement: Responsible for Coordination: June 2009 Director of Student Services
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