To affirm SLS’ commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB), the Board of Trustees approved and published the Vision for Inclusive Excellence (VIE) in 2017. In June 2020, the Board initiated a comprehensive review of the VIE, with the goal of strengthening and ultimately reaffirming it. Led by the Director of Equity and Inclusion in partnership with the Board Equity and Inclusion Committee, the process drew on input from the Administrative Council, faculty and staff, students, and parents. The revised Vision clarified goals and ensured they were transparent, actionable, and measurable. The Board formally affirmed the updated VIE in fall 2022.
By winter 2025, having made substantial progress on the 2022 action items, the Board recognized the need to reaffirm the Vision—this time in response to a more polarized sociopolitical landscape.
At SLS, we believe academic excellence and a commitment to DEIB are inseparable. Diversity improves cognitive skills and critical thinking, promotes creativity, and prepares students for citizenship. Equity and Inclusion are fundamental to a student’s faith in, trust of, and ultimately, sense of safety within an institution. When students feel safe, they are more willing to take academic risks and, therefore, participate and achieve at a higher level. The Vision for Inclusive Excellence outlines how SLS will: build an increasingly diverse community; develop more equitable practices and policies; and promote and sustain a truly inclusive ethos.
A love of learning, a strong moral compass, a commitment to serve, and the confidence to lead are best achieved in a welcoming, diverse, and inclusive community.
Inclusive excellence
Inclusive excellence celebrates diversity in its many forms and inclusion as the foundation of educational and institutional excellence. An inclusive community attracts and retains a diverse pool of students, teachers, staff, and trustees, and continuously strives to provide pathways for all to thrive and discover their potential.
The Vision for Inclusive Excellence is realized when every individual in our community…
Belongs, is valued, and has a stake in the ongoing life and purpose of SLS, 1
Acquires the knowledge and skills to learn in the stimulating environment of a diverse population. Through collaborative work, inquiry, dialogue, and action, students appreciate one another’s experiences, perspectives, and talents, 2
3
Demonstrates a lasting commitment to and connection with SLS.
To achieve this vision, SLS will focus its resources on three key areas: Community, Curriculum, and Culture.
Community
Goal
Because diversity and excellence are inseparable, SLS must maintain a strong pipeline of diverse students, faculty, staff, and trustees in order to retain a strong community.
Students, faculty, staff, and trustees will represent the broad range of human diversity, including but not limited to ability, ethnicity, gender, race, religion, and sexual orientation. As a community, SLS will be culturally literate, respectful, and able to collaborate, communicate, and navigate across the borders of difference.
In Action
Students:
Careful consideration is given to the whole child. At SLS, interactive experiences are designed to facilitate learning about people from different backgrounds and expose students in grades 5-12 to accurate language for describing human differences. Additionally, concerted efforts are made to diversify the student pipeline and increase access for historically underrepresented groups in partnership with local community-based organizations, such as Horizons, Jewish Community Center, Reach Prep, RIISE, and Waterside.
Families:
Here on the Hilltop, no assumptions are made about what contributes to a family’s sense of belonging. As such, we regularly gather data from families to better understand their experience at SLS and respond accordingly. With input from parents and caregivers, multicultural events are hosted in partnership with the Office of Admissions, the Parents’ Association, the Mosaic Community, and the Office of Equity & Inclusion.
Faculty/Staff:
Recognizing that students benefit from seeing themselves reflected in the community and curriculum, concerted efforts have also been made to diversify the faculty/staff pipeline and increase access for historically underrepresented groups. To create conditions that are conducive to belonging for faculty and staff, targeted data is intentionally gathered from existing and prospective employees to gain insight into employee experiences, improve retention and recruitment, evaluate turnover, and provide ongoing, DEIB-specific professional development.
Trustees:
As an expression of the Board’s commitment to supporting DEIB efforts at SLS, a demographic data dashboard is used to track progress toward proportional diversity priorities at the faculty and staff, and governance levels. Additionally, the Governance Committee regularly reviews the Board matrix, which tracks the demographic and professional composition of the full Board, to ensure adequate representation at the Board level.
The work is led by the Assistant Head of School for Academics, Director of Enrollment Management, Head of School, Director of Equity and Inclusion, and Parents’ Association
Curriculum and Pedagogy
Goal
Because learning is most meaningful when it is responsive to each student, faculty must have a thorough knowledge of and experience with equitable and inclusive teaching practices, cultural diversity, and a range of learning differences.
Faculty and staff will evaluate and revise curriculum content and assessment methods to align with SLS’ overarching goals to foster community belonging, promote positive identity development, and develop the knowledge and skills that will allow students to thrive in a diverse world.
Faculty and staff will use teaching methods grounded in social-emotional learning that support perspective-sharing and civil discourse.
In Action
Students:
In line with the “Portrait of a Learner” expectations, students are encouraged to pursue growth, prioritize their well-being, and lead with humanity, particularly through grades 5-9 Leadership Skills curriculum and various Upper School electives. Additionally, intentional efforts are made to ensure all students are able to see themselves positively reflected in the arc of their learning.
Faculty/Staff:
On- and off- campus professional development focused on anti-bias education and culturally responsive pedagogy is offered and encouraged to support inclusive and equitable teaching practices. To assess effectiveness, teacher/ course evaluations are utilized to gather student-driven feedback, and a Forward Dataworks dashboard is used to audit placement and performance of historically underrepresented student groups, particularly in honors and advanced placement courses in Upper School.
Trustees:
As stewards of the school, trustees are provided with timely updates and information to deepen individual understanding of 5-12 curricular aims and anti-bias education at SLS.
The work is led by the Equity & Inclusion Team, Well-Being and Academic Support Team, Faculty Growth & Renewal Team, and Academic Council
Culture
Goal
Campus culture should be one in which all members of the SLS community experience a sense of belonging and embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion as shared core values. To promote an inclusive ethos, students, faculty, staff, trustees, and families will collectively contribute to creating a welcoming campus culture characterized by empathy and respect for difference.
In Action
All School:
The SLS community models and encourages productive DEIB conversations and a diversity of perspectives by convening intra- and inter-school discussion forums, such as the Equity Leadership Conference, Civil Discourse Series, and other community-wide platforms featuring carefully vetted keynote speakers.
Students:
To foster student leadership and positive self-expression at SLS, studentinitiated and -facilitated discussions, including but not limited to Storm Forums and Dive-Ins, are supported and encouraged to help students examine current and community-specific events and foster empathy. Additionally, various student councils participate in ongoing anti-bias training to inspire more inclusive and considerate peer-to-peer leadership. In the Middle and Upper School, attention, time, and resources are dedicated to support optional identity-based affinity groups that students self-select into. Periodic student feedback surveys are also used to track students’ sense of belonging and connection in grades 6-12. These include formal teacher and course feedback surveys, the FLAIR Community Survey, and the Making Caring Common Relationship Mapping Survey.
Faculty/Staff:
To effectively achieve the outcomes imagined in the VIE, the Office of Equity and Inclusion consists of a highly adaptable and responsive team, established by the Director of Equity and Inclusion, and additional resources are made available to meet the changing needs of the institution and community. In partnership with Human Resources and the Faculty Growth & Renewal Team, the Office of Equity & Inclusion uses a variety of faculty/ staff surveying platforms to better understand and analyze how various subgroups of employees experience SLS culture. In partnership with Middle and Upper School Deans and the Well-Being team, the E&I Team can proactively respond to and support students’ identity development and diverse learning needs.
Board:
Established as a standing committee in 2020, the Equity and Inclusion Committee of the Board continues to provide Board education related to DEIB. Additionally, the Director of Equity and Inclusion is an active member of the Governance Committee with the explicit purpose of helping to review and develop equitable governance practices that ensure the SLS Board broadly reflects community diversity.
The work is led by the Senior Leadership Team, Faculty Growth & Renewal Team, Well-Being and Academic Support Team, and Head of School
St. Luke’s School is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Memberships: College Board, National and New England Associations for College Admission Counseling, National Association of Independent Schools, Connecticut Association of Independent Schools, Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools, and Cum Laude Society.
Non-Discrimination Policy
St. Luke’s School admits qualified students of any race, color, gender, religion, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law in the administration of its educational, admissions, scholarship and loan, athletic, and other programs. The School is committed to maintaining an academic community in which the dignity and worth of each of its members is respected.
St. Luke’s School is a secular (non-religious) day school for grades 5-12 serving over 40 towns in Connecticut and New York. Discover Your Potential at SLS.
