Review Agenda Item
Meeting Date: 1/20/2023 - 7:00 PM
Category: Accountability and Research
Type: Info
Subject: Equity Climate Survey Administration
ACPS 2025 Strategic Plan Goal:
Goal 1: Systemic Alignment
ACPS will build a culture of continuous improvement and design equitable systems for school and instructional improvement.
Goal 2: Instructional Excellence
ACPS will ensure that all students have access to and engagement with high-quality instruction.
Goal 3: Student Accessibility and Support
ACPS will ensure students have equitable access to and engagement with programs and supports that reduce barriers to learning.
Policy: GA - Personnel Policies Goals
Funding Source or Fiscal Impact (where applicable)
File Attachment:
230120_Board_Brief_Equity_Climate_Survey_2022-23_v1.pdf
231020_Att1_ACPS Equity Climate Survey 2022-23.pdf
Agenda Item Summary: From February 3 to February 26 Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) will be conducting its third annual equity climate survey with the purpose of measuring perceptions of the current climate and equity within ACPS. This innovative approach blends a traditional climate survey with an equity audit. The equity climate survey is an initiative tied directly to the ACPS Equity for All Strategic Plan. The survey is provided as an attachment to this brief. The information gathered from the equity climate survey will further illuminate potential areas of inequities within our environment. These data will be a part of informing school and department improvement planning over the summer and serve as progress measures for the ACPS 2025 strategic plan.
Background: As a component of the Equity for All strategic plan, ACPS will be administering an equity climate survey to staff, students in grades 6-12, and families. The survey combines elements of a traditional climate survey and past ACPS equity audits to gauge school and division climate through the specific lens of equity. New this year, ACPS has collaborated with the Youth Support Network, to include questions around out of school time (OST) programming, including identifying barriers to access. These questions, in alignment with the Board’s FY 24 Budget Priority, will inform the network's efforts and partnerships with ACPS in supporting students in their outside of school time. The survey will be administered to staff, students, and families from February 3 to February 26. The survey is provided as an attachment to this brief and is available in English, Spanish, Arabic, Amharic, and Dari. The first equity climate survey was administered in spring 2021 and the survey will continue to be administered annually as a part of the strategic plan. This represents a far more representative and frequent approach as historically climate survey work was limited to certain staff and administered once every two years. During this administration the division and schools will work to ensure both high and representative participation across stakeholder groups. Information will be included in the Insider and Express and will be available on the ACPS website. The survey will be highlighted in an upcoming Supe Spotlight video message as well as through graphics and videos. Messages will also be sent to families via ParentSquare to encourage participation. An awards program is underway for schools that reach key survey participation goals and building leaders will have access to a dashboard to monitor live participation rates. Data from the survey will be made available prior to the end of the school year and will be leveraged in informing both school and department improvement planning processes as well as other data driven discussions such as the Board’s annual Budget Priority Setting discussion.
Recommendation: The Interim Superintendent recommends that the School Board review this information for an understanding of the ACPS equity climate survey administration.
Approvals:
Recommended By:
Signed By:
Dr. Clinton Page - Chief Accountability Officer
Signed By:
Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt - Interim Superintendent