Sartell St. Stephen School District Receives Results from Equity Audit

(KNSI) – The Sartell St. Stephen School Board has received the final report and recommendations from Equity Alliance Minnesota. The district commissioned an audit earlier this year to look at educational equity for its students.

The report outlined the study’s findings after reviewing data collected by speaking with students, staff, and community members and what they saw when they observed schools within the district. The results are broken down into six areas called dimensions.

Each dimension puts together the research findings of that specific topic and makes recommendations. The school board will then review those recommendations and brought to leaders in the school and community to develop an action plan.

When it came to systemic equity for students, students said they were concerned about racism, homophobia, and discrimination against students with disabilities. 66% of students in the focus group said they were not directly engaged with programming that addressed those issues, saying they weren’t involved in any groups addressing race, cultures, or an understanding of others. Staff members voiced concerns about the lack of diversity, saying the district should hire more teachers of color.

Dimension two focused on the efficacy of programs for students, which measured how schools support students and staff through the currently enacted programs. The report said that improvements need to be made to support students and the impact the current systems have on students. Some students said they go through their school day not feeling the effects of inequity, but others say they couldn’t bring up issues with staff or administration because their opinions fell on dead ears because they were not in the majority. Citing a divide within the district and community, EAMN recommended revisiting the current framework and creating a different support system for students, and create new age-appropriate programming to “increase awareness, appreciation, and acceptance of cultural similarities and differences.”

Dimension three looked at the district’s utilization of resources. Roughly 75% of respondents said the district had a strong technology and internet infrastructure in place and that the technology is being used equitably. Some expressed concern about the lack of resources available for students that English is not their first language. They also pointed out the need for mental health and anti-bullying programs and more after-school opportunities for students who need extra help in understanding lessons taught in class. They also said there is little in the way of transportation options for students who take part in after-school activities. The recommendation was to assess how the district can improve access to transportation options, develop additional after-school programming that is culturally inclusive and responsive to the needs of all students, and review district policies, practices, processes, and procedures through an equity lens.

Dimension four looked at how curriculum represents equity. Students expressed strong dissatisfaction with the curriculum, saying it did not fully reflect “the arts, achievements, histories, perspectives, languages, and journeys of the community served, nor does the curriculum help to reflect the global community.” Recommendations suggested updating the curriculum review process to ensure cultural diversity representation and provide teachers the necessary resources to “ensure instructional practices and curriculum align with core tenets of Culturally Responsive Teaching; by connecting the curriculum to students’ lived experiences and prior knowledge, teachers will be better equipped to reach all students, particularly those of diverse backgrounds, to build a more inclusive and affirming learning environment throughout the entire district.”

The study also looked at student-centered leadership and found a high level of satisfaction with the rapport between students and adults, but it was teachers dominating the discussions. Researchers felt that students would benefit from more leadership opportunities within the classroom and in their buildings. Bullying was also a huge issue for both parents whose students were bullied, and parents expressed concern regarding other students who were also bullied. Recommendations included establishing an advisory group with multicultural students to hold a monthly meeting with district leaders and giving district staff opportunities for continuing education focusing on how to “identify, disrupt, and address bias to create and maintain safe, inclusive learning environments for all students.”

Dimension six studied inclusive communication looking at both internal and external ways the system connects with students, staff, faculty, and community members. The report says, “Sartell-St. Stephen has an overarching perception that they are a welcoming school community and that everyone has a voice. While that may hold true for the majority of the district’s students and visitors, gaps exist in the current policies.” More than half of the students said they had after-school responsibilities and said the communication systems worked well; they felt the school lacked follow through with anti-bullying protocols and did not prevent students from using hate speech. Recommendations in this area included bettering student safety, streamlining communication to students and families, and providing communication in other languages.

The school board will now review the recommendations and then work with the students, staff, faculty, and community members to create priorities and create an action plan. A move that could take two to three months.

To read the 72-page study, click here.

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