Through a series of collaborative meetings with members of the SDP Equity Coalition and SDP leadership, we created the SDP Equity Framework – a comprehensive tool that will be used to support clear system-wide race and equity actions with measurable results. While there continues to be a commitment to addressing all dimensions of equity, we know that a focus on race by all members of the SDP community will allow us to get to the deepest layers of the disparities we see in our system, allowing us to more appropriately direct resources and target areas of action for improvement.
Equity Framework
Equity Framework
School District of Philadelphia Equity Definition
When we say equity at SDP, we mean:
Cultivate prosperity and liberation for students and staff, starting with historically marginalized populations, by removing barriers, increasing access and inclusion, building trusting relationships, and creating a shared culture of social responsibility and organizational accountability.
Commitments
As we work toward actualizing this desired state, we will do so through the implementation of actions that support seven core commitments. These commitments provide us with clear guidance and focus as we streamline our actions and align our beliefs.
Commitment 1
Dismantle policies and disrupt practices steeped in institutionalized racism and other systems of oppression that undermine student success.
Commitment 2
Intentionally acknowledge and address the historical origins and current forces behind the inequities we seek to eliminate.
Commitment 3
Authentically lead and serve with equity principles in our planning, decision-making, implementation, and evaluation centering the needs of students and families.
Commitment 4
Ensure and redistribute resources to our most marginalized students in order to eliminate the predictability of success or failure based on historical trends.
Commitment 5
Ensure all individuals embody practices of equity by holding ourselves accountable to a shared culture of growth and continuous learning, with a deep focus on eradicating disparaging beliefs about students and their families.
Commitment 6
Celebrate cultural diversity, amplify the voices, and respond to the feedback of the marginalized communities within our district.
Commitment 7
Hold ourselves accountable and make our processes transparent by sharing the progress we are making towards our commitments to equity on a regular basis.
Equity Lens
To strengthen our individual and collective commitment to systemic change, we will utilize the following questions as we contemplate strategies and make decisions
Advancing Equity
How does the proposed policy, program, practice, decision, or action address or advance opportunities for equity across race and other identifiers, as defined by our SDP definition of equity?
Stakeholder Engagement
Has your program office collected stakeholder input and feedback from members of the communities affected by this policy, program, practice, decision, or action? Consider race and other identifiers.
Funding and Resources
What resources (i.e. funding, personnel, PD, etc.) would be necessary to successfully enact the current and/or recommended changes to this proposed policy, program, practice, decision, or action? Consider race and other identifiers.
Progress Monitoring and Evaluation
How will you evaluate the progress of the proposed policy, program, practice, decision, or action to determine if it is achieving the desired results? Consider race and other identifiers.
Equity Beliefs
Our commitments and actions are rooted in the following beliefs
We believe all students achieve when our system works to ameliorate academic, social, and psychological barriers,and provides access to the resources that support academic learning and student led innovation
We believe the best kind of teaching cultivates a sense of belonging through well delivered culturally relevant instruction that is rigorous and embraces different ways of knowing and understanding
We believe it is our collective responsibility to build a learning environment that is supportive and inclusive of the most marginalized groups within the school community
We believe that engaging our parents, families, and communities in authentic interactions where their suggestions and concerns are seen and heard, is central to developing a framework of shared decision-making that amplifies their voices
We believe in being trusted stewards of public resources and the distribution of funding based on community need
Living Glossary
To ensure we have shared language, we are co-constructing our meaning of the below terms. This list will continue to evolve – Click Here for the Living Glossary of Equity Related Terms