Our district’s focus on equity and access continued into the fall of 2019 when AHISD engaged in an updated strategic planning process. As a result of the input from our community through the district-wide survey, 50 focus groups, and community volunteers who met several times, our community called us into action around four updated goal areas, which included one goal focused around belonging and equity. In July 2020, our AHISD Trustees passed a resolution to prioritize the formation of an AHISD Equity Council to continue this work, encouraging a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion to be apparent in our organizational structure and in the school experience for every one of our students and staff. With a district-wide invitation to all stakeholders in October 2021, the Equity Council was formed and included all parents, staff and students who wanted to be a partner in this important work. In an attempt to identify areas to improve equity, the council worked to review multiple data sources. Upon review of the data, and with the AHISD beliefs and parameters at the core, three strategy areas were developed to include:
VISION 2020Strategic Action Goal
Equitable Academics: The disaggregated data on academic achievement should show high comparable performance for all identified groups of learners
Belonging & Equity
Equality and equity are not the same thing. Equality in education is achieved when all students are provided exactly the same opportunity, treatment, access and resources. In contrast, equity is achieved when all students receive what they need, when they need it, so they are college, career and life ready. For example, some kindergartners need extra support to learn to identify letters while other kindergartners are already reading and need enrichment. Equality is giving every student the same book to read at the same time while equity is matching the level of the text to the reading level of the student. In AHISD, equity means promoting a deep sense of belonging for all students and creating the conditions in which everyone can participate, prosper and reach his or her full potential. Promoting equity and belonging has been at the core of our work in Alamo Heights for many years. In 2008, AHISD’s Strategic Plan, a comprehensive, community-wide effort to map out our strategic direction, included a strategy about equity and access. At that time, the focus was that every AHISD student had equity of access to our programs, resources, and academic services. Many positive outcomes for our students grew out of this work. Our district began a late bus service so all students could stay after school to participate in tutorials and activities. Library hours were extended beyond the school day so students had access to computers and the internet to complete their school assignments. At that time, the district also revised the policies around enrollment in advanced course work so all students, who were willing to dedicate the time and are able to meet the minimum required grade average, could participate in Advanced Placement (AP) and Pre-Advanced Placement (PAP) courses. Over the years enrollment in AP courses has increased and student achievement on AP national exams has likewise increased. We can trace the roots of our award-winning dual language program as an enrichment model of bilingual education to our strategic planning process. Our autism and inclusion offerings for students were similarly strengthened.
210-824-2483
—4—
Equitable Access: Records of student participation should show unobstructed entrance, involvement and full participation of all identified groups of learners in courses, programs and activities Equitable Treatment: Students and staff perceptions and observed patterns of interactions between individuals should be accepting, valuing, supporting, and safe so that all students feel challenged and engaged Members of the three different work teams will come together on May 7 and 8 for a synthesis meeting to articulate strategic action recommendations. Progress of the AHISD Equity Council will continue to be shared through our district communications and publications.
Members of the Equity Council Wo rk Teams met to identify areas to imporve equity, reviewing multip le data sources, with the AHISD beliefs and parameters at the core, developing three strategy areas, noted above.
www.AHISD.ne t
