Elk Grove Unified School District

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Teaching for Democracy   Understanding Beliefs
and Potential for Change
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SEEKING EDUCATIONAL EQUITY DIVERSITY SEED

E Q U I T Y
ELK GROVE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

ELIMINATING THE STUDENT


ACHIEVEMENT GAP
Issues and Isms Creating Equitable Classrooms
Through SEED Personal and Professional
Development Inclusive Pedagogy
Transformative and Life Changing Odie J.
Douglas, Ed.D. Principal, Franklin High
School ODouglas_at_edcenter.egusd.k12.ca.us






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Do We Have the Will to Educate All Children?

• The knowledge and skills to educate all children
  already exist. Because we have lived in a
  historically oppressive society, educational
  issues tend to be framed as technical issues,
  which denies their potential origin and
  meaningThere are no pedagogical barriers to
  teaching and learning when willing people are
  prepared and made available to children.
• If we embrace a will to excellence, we can
  deeply restructure education in ways that will
  enable teachers to release the full potential of
  all our children.
• Asa G. Hilliard
• The Maroon Within Us

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Rod Paige, Secretary of EducationU.S. Department
of Education

• EXCELLENCE WITHOUT EQUITY IS NOT EXCELLENCE.

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The Gap is Real..

• We have an achievement gap between groups of
  students of substantial proportion in this
  country.A gap that one can hardly suggest does
  not have significant, enormous consequences to
  the future of some students.
• Katy Haycock, Director
• The Education Trust
• Washington, DC

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Elk Grove Unified School DistrictWhere Are We?
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Elk Grove Unified School DistrictWho Are We?

• Serves approximately 56,000 students
• Currently has 54 schools
• 14 Title I Schools
• Serves English Language Learner students who
  speak over 80 languages
• Students come from 92 countries
• District enrollment increases by 2,500 students
  each year
• Projection is for 80,000 students by 2010

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Elk Grove Unified School DistrictWe are a
District of Diversity
American
Indian
Asian
1.4
22.5
White
39.4
Latino
17
American Indian
White
African
African American
American
19.7
Latino
Asian
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English Language LearnersOur Students Speak Many
Languages
Languages Spanish Vietnamese Hmong Cantonese Hind
i Punjabi Pilipino Russian Mien Khmer Lao Urdu Ilo
cano Rumanian Korean Arabic Farsi Tongan Pashto Po
rtuguese Ukrainian
2004
1992
1,314
1990
2,128
1988
3,824
10,691
Our students speak more than 80 languages!
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Mission Statement
Elk Grove Unified School District will provide a
learning community that challenges ALL students
to realize their greatest potential.

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CORE VALUES

• 1. Outcomes for Students
• Achievement of Core Academic Skills
• Confident, Effective Thinkers and Problem Solvers
• Ethical Participants in Society
• 2. Commitments About How We Operate As An
  Organization
• Support Continuous Improvement of Instruction
• Build Strong Relationships
• Find Solutions
• 3. High Expectations For Learning For ALL
  Students and Staff
• Instructional Excellence
• Safe, Peaceful, and Healthy Environment
• Collaboration With Diverse Communities and
  Families

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Goals for the 21st Century

• ALL students will improve their reading skills
  and comprehension through a balanced,
  comprehensive program.
• ALL students will improve their skills and
  conceptual understanding in math and science and
  achieve world class standards.
• ALL students will participate as ethical and
  responsible citizens in a diverse community that
  supports its schools.
• ALL parents will actively participate in their
  childrens education.
• ALL schools will be kept in exemplary condition.

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Growth of SEED Leaders in the Elk Grove Unified
School District 1997-2004      
Funded through Lucent Technologies Grant
    Funded by the Lucent Technology Grant
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Elk Grove Unified School District Voices of
SEED Seminar Participants How has your own
classroom teaching and/or other professional
responsibilities been affected by your
participation in SEED?  "My eyes are opened
wider. I assume less and ask more. I am more
alert to issues of equity and diversity presented
in articles, on T.V., at meetings etc."  "I find
myself listening to students differently--trying
to see through their eyes. I'm also aware that
other staff members may have a very different
perspective from mine."   "Everyday I face
racial, sexual, classism issues and SEED helps me
to debrief and gain the strength to do it all
again with the confidence that others at our
school care enough to address these
issues."   "SEED has heightened my awareness of
the existence of ongoing isms within myself,
our workplace, the students (and staff) and how
much I value working with my colleagues at JRMS.
It is a wake up call that more growth/work is
needed and it starts with me."   "I'm am so aware
of differences now and celebrate them rather than
looking to make my classes homogeneous. I listen
to parents with a new understanding of their
differences as well."   "I am more aware of the
diversity of my students. When I present
materials to my students, I try to make more of
an effort to connect the students history to my
lessons."   "I believe I am even more aware of
the importance of facilitating a classroom
environment where every student feels welcome,
comfortable and wanted. I also am more cognizant
of the various personal/cultural issues and
perspectives students bring with them to the
classroom."   "Having the chance to talk, to
share, to discuss about a subject that impacts
all of us, but that we seldom talk about in our
everyday busy lives with our duties. Better
understanding of what students have gone
through."  
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Elk Grove Unified School District Voices of SEED
Seminar Participants (Continued)
"I am more aware of issues that arise in the
daily lives of my students. I have always been
respectful of my students but I see their
difficulties in terms of race, gender, etc. more
clearly now."
"As a result of my participation in SEED, I have
learned that I cannot lecture to students about
'uprooting' racism. Student voices sharing their
experiences in a safe environment are the key to
uprooting racism. Any time you discuss
controversial, disheartening issues like racism,
there will be frustration. In my 7th period
class, I'm feeling that frustration now, but I'm
not going to give up."   "I have become more
acutely aware of the language used by my
students. There are so many negative comments
and put-downs. I have to give this more thought,
but I want to include something to make students
more aware of their words, gestures. I hope to
make them talk more positively and supportive of
and to each other on a daily basis."   "I have
caught myself using language that perpetuates the
notion that white is American. It is so
difficult to remove racist notions from our
society--even when I want to. 'Reenlistment' in
SEED is a must.   "I am much more aware of my
own actions and reactions. I am much more likely
to speak up about specific issues."   "I have
become more aware of problems that exist that
seemed invisible to me before. I plan to
continue activities to make and/or keep me aware
of problems."   "I have used handouts,
discussion questions and selected sections of
SEED books in my classroom. One of the most
significant changes in my life is that I have
been sensitized. As a result, I have taken a
more active role in confronting issues of race
and prejudice in my classroom. I think
differently as a result of my involvement in SEED
and also now have the vocabulary to deal
effectively with difficult issues."   "I am now
more inclined to stop and question students about
spoken or unspoken innuendoes related to race,
color or different cultures."
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Anthology Poem Teens for Tolerance Program
(7-12)    We are students, We bring many
experiences, We feel prejudged, We fear
ignorance, We want you to hear our voice, We hope
to make a more tolerant community, We are the
building blocks to diversity.   We are the next
generation, We bring our passion for equity, We
feel inspired, We fear failure, We want you to
open up and give us a chance, We want to learn
about your uniqueness, We hope tolerance will
spread among our generation, We are the
future.   We are the strong and united, We bring
understanding and acceptance, We feel stereotyped
and burdened, We fear being ignored and
rejected, We want you to judge only by the
contents of our character and not our skin, We
hope to be accepted and informed, We are many
voices and one.   We are proud cultured
Americans, We bring the definition of the
future-tolerance, We feel confident, We fear
exclusion, We want you to erase the lines of
color, We want to be shown humanity, We hope to
see acceptance, We are Teens for Tolerance.    
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S.E.E.D Objectives

• SEED is a staff development program whose goal
  is to assist educators to create classrooms and
  curriculum to better meet the needs of all of our
  students.
• SEED is closely aligned with the EGUSD Mission,
  Core Values, and Human Dignity/Civil Discourse
  policy as well as with the California Standards
  for the Teaching Profession (CSTP).
• In a year-long SEED seminar, the California
  Standards for the Teaching Profession are
  addressed as follows
• CSTP Standard 1The participants will be able to
  develop and practice strategies for engaging and
  supporting and students in learning.
• SEED seminar strategies include active
  listening, sharing stories, collaborative writing
  (e.g., dialogue poems), discussion strategies,
  using resources which address multiple
  perspectives and cultures, journaling,
  examination of data, etc.
• CSTP Standard 2The participants will be able to
  develop and practice strategies for creating and
  maintaining effective environments for student
  learning.
• SEED seminars model the following
• group developed groundrules for discussion and
  behavior
• attention to physical learning environment (e.g.,
  seating arrangements décor)
• Ongoing attention to participants involvement,
  comfort, and safety

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S.E.E.D Objectives

• CSTP Standard 3The participants will be able to
  develop and practice strategies for understanding
  and organizing subject matter for student
  leaning.
• SEED seminar materials and resources see to
• illustrate the importance of incorporating
  diverse perspectives into curriculum
• provide windows and mirrors for all
  participants
• promote ways for participants to make subject
  matter accessible to all students
• promote inclusion and acknowledgement of the
  diverse cultures in our school community
• CSTP Standard 4The participants will be able to
  develop and practice strategies for planning
  instruction and designing learning experiences
  for all students.
• SEED seminar discussions focus on
• acknowledging and bridging the achievement gap
• analyzing relevant research and its classroom
  implications
• recognizing diverse learning styles
• sharing best practices for meeting the needs of
  all students

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S.E.E.D Objectives

• CSTP Standard 5The participants will be able to
  develop and practice strategies for assessing
  student learning.
• SEED seminar discussions support staff in their
  individual efforts to
• articulate learning goals which support the
  belief that all students can succeed
• examine alternative assessments to measure
  student achievement
• utilize assessment results to guide instruction
• CSTP Standard 6SEED seminars support
  participants development as professional
  educators.
• SEED seminars provide an ongoing opportunity for
  continued personal and collaborative reflection
  on teaching practices.

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Partnerships

• Elk Grove Unified School District Grantee
• Wellesley College National SEED Project
  Grantee
• EGUSD students, parents/guardians, faculty and
  staff, Board of Education, and community
  Benefactors
• Lucent Technologies Foundation Grantmaker
• University of Southern Maine Researchers/Docume
  nters