- Report Recommendations Will Close Gap on Student Achievement -
Hamilton, ON – February 8/10: Board of Trustees will receive a report on the 2009 Student Equity Inventory that captures the identities of Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board’s diverse student population and offers recommendations that will reduce barriers to student success.
“Equity matters in our schools. Every opportunity to make our students feel welcome and inclusive is one we must pursue,” says John Malloy, Director of Education. “The Student Equity Inventory gives us the authentic student voice that will inform our annual operating plan.”
Administered in the spring of 2009, the Student Equity Inventory was presented as an option to all grade 10 and 11 students in every secondary school. 20 per cent or 1,588 students with parental consent responded to the survey. The sample is a reflection of the total student population.
Students were asked a series of questions that were organized in two categories: Student Identification (Culture, faith, exceptionality, sexual orientation) and Student Perspectives (Culture/diversity, education, discrimination, school climate, academic achievement, and destinations after high school).
Recommendations from the report include the following:
• Increased attention to diversity issues in Safe Schools intervention planning
• Incorporation of positive references to LGBTQ (Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and queer) individuals, persons of various faiths and Aboriginal Peoples into the school culture
• Deepening the system’s understanding of a student’s barrier to success, whether that is difficulties with staying focused, engagement levels or mental health issues
• Educate special education students about their learning profiles in order for them to better advocate for their academic needs
• Pursue opportunities that enhance support to students who identify as Aboriginal and LGBTQ to ensure their healthy sense of belonging and academic/social well-being
Board of Trustees will consider these recommendations in preparation for the approval of the Strategic Directions of the Board, slated for the March Board meeting. In the meantime, Board staff will continue to implement cultural proficiency training and work with system leaders to further analyze data and assist schools with a plan of action. Students will be given another opportunity to participate in the Safe Schools/Student Equity Inventory in 2010-11.
For a copy of the Report to Board or background information related to the 2009 survey, including the certificate of approval by McMaster University’s Research Ethics Board, please visit the Student Equity Inventory menu item under the student tab on the Board’s website.
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For more information:
Shawn McKillop
Communications Officer
905-527-5092 ext. 2201
Cell: 905-531-1522
www.hwdsb.on.ca
