Equity and Student Success

In Reynolds, equity is the intentional and continuous commitment to creating inclusive, safe learning environments where everyone - students, educators, and communities - has access to the resources, opportunities, and support they need to thrive. It is not optional, but intertwined in all work, demanding accountability, transparency, and the use of data to interrupt inequities and eliminate barriers to success. Equity requires us to dismantle systems of oppression, disrupt inequitable systems, and engage in self-reflection and progressive professional learning for all. Through productive struggle, we build a culture of belonging, inclusion, and community, where we celebrate and honor cultural experience. Equity work has no finish line - it is an ongoing journey to ensure just outcomes for all learners and to drive meaningful, systemic change.

As members of the Reynolds community, we adhere to the charge of leading equity as a daily, deliberate practice, not as an initiative, but a way of being.

At Reynolds we:

• Model equity-centered leadership in your words, decisions, and interactions.
• Embed equity into every system, structure, and policy—ensuring that students and families, especially marginalized populations, are centered in all decisions.
• Disrupt inequities actively and consistently, even when it challenges adult comfort or long-standing practices.
• Use disaggregated data to make inequities visible and take targeted action to eliminate them.
• Foster a culture of belonging where diverse voices are elevated, and feedback, especially from students and families, is used to inform and transform practice.
• Create conditions for staff to grow in their equity journey, while maintaining urgency on behalf of students who need systems to change now.

At Reynolds, we are all equity leaders. Equity is the lens through which all work in Reynolds is led - strategically, authentically, and with unwavering commitment.

FRAMEWORK FOR JUST, INCLUSIVE, AND TRANSFORMATIVE EDUCATION

Intentional Inclusion

• Does this center the needs of historically marginalized or underserved groups?
• Are voices from diverse cultural and community backgrounds meaningfully included in the design, implementation, and evaluation processes?

Access, Resources & Support

• Are resources distributed based on need, not equality, to ensure everyone has what they require to succeed?
• Are opportunities and supports equitably accessible to students, staff, and families across all demographics?

Data-Informed Accountability

• Are we using data disaggregated to uncover disparities?
• Are we transparent about outcomes and committed to taking corrective action when inequities are found?

Dismantling Systemic Barriers

• Does this decision or action challenge or perpetuate existing systems of oppression or bias (e.g., racism, ableism, classism, gender bias, etc.)?
• Are we addressing and transforming policies, structures, or practices that disproportionately disadvantage any group?

Cultural Responsiveness & Belonging

• Does this validate and celebrate the cultural identities, experiences, and contributions of all learners and educators?
• Does it foster a sense of belonging, respect, and psychological safety?

Continuous Learning & Reflection

• Are we committing to professional growth and reflection to confront our own biases and build equity literacy?
• Is there space for productive struggle, critical dialogue, and learning from failure?

Sustainability & Systems Change

• Are we being reflective and sitting in discomfort as we move to make change?
• Does this contribute to lasting, systemic transformation—not just surface-level or temporary solutions?
• How are we embedding equity as a core, ongoing priority rather than a one-time initiative?

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Code: GCCB/GDCB/IKAAA
Adopted: 6/12/13
Revised/Readopted: 10/11/17; 4/26/23
Orig. Code: GCCB/GDCB/IKAAA

Reynolds School District is dedicated to closing the opportunity gap and creating learning communities that provide support and academic enrichment programs for all students. Additionally, the district believes that it is the right of every student to have an equitable educational experience within the Reynolds School District.

The concept of educational equity goes beyond formal equality where all students are treated the same. Educational equity fosters a barrier-free environment in which all students, regardless of race, ethnicity, class, or other personal characteristics such as creed, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, primary language, age, economic status, immigration status, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy status, marital status, criminal history, physical appearance, the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability, or the use of a service animal by a person with a disability, have the opportunity to benefit equally.

Equity requires differentiating resource allocation, within budgetary limitations, to meet the needs of students who need additional supports and opportunities to succeed socially, emotionally and academically.

A student, whose history and heritage are appreciated and celebrated, may enjoy higher levels of learning and success, than a student who is forced to overcome cultural barriers.

The Reynolds School District will work toward:

1. Raising the achievement of all students while narrowing the gap between the lowest and highest performing students;
2. Systematically using districtwide, school-level and classroom level data disaggregated by Oregon Department of Education data sets (e.g., race/ethnicity, national origin, language, qualification for special education services, gender, non-binary, socioeconomic or immigration status and mobility) to inform District decision making;
3. Eliminating the racial predictability and disproportionality in all aspects of education and its administration (e.g., the disproportionate over-application of discipline to students of color, their over-representation in special education and their under-representation in various advanced learning programs);
4. Supporting all students to graduate from Reynolds School District ready to succeed in a racially and culturally diverse local, national, and global community.

In order to achieve educational equity for each and every student, the district shall embrace the following:

1. Equitable Access – The district shall provide every student with equitable access to a high quality curriculum, socio-emotional and academic supports, facilities and other educational resources, even when this means differentiating resource allocation;
2. Racial Equity Analysis – The district shall review existing policies, programs, professional development and procedures to ensure the promotion of racial equity, and all applicable new policies, programs and procedures will be developed to ensure the promotion of racial equity;
3. Workforce Equity – The district shall actively work to have the teacher and administrator workforce be balanced and reflect the diversity of the student body. The district shall recruit, employ, support and retain a workforce that includes racial, gender, and linguistic diversity, as well as culturally competent administrative, instructional and support personnel;
4. Professional Development – The district shall provide professional development to strengthen employees’ knowledge and skills for identifying opportunity gaps and other disparities in achievement and using various strategies for eliminating them;
5. Welcoming School Environments – The district shall support each school in creating welcoming and inclusive environments that reflect and support the diversity of the district’s student population, their families, and communities;
6. Partnerships – The district shall include other partners who have demonstrated culturally specific expertise – including families, government agencies, institutes of higher learning, early childhood education organizations, community-based organizations, businesses, and the community in general – in meeting our high goals for educational outcomes;
7. Multiple Pathways to Success – The district shall provide multiple pathways to success in order to meet the needs of the diverse student body, and shall actively encourage, support and expect high academic achievement for all students;
8. Recognizing Diversity – Consistent with state regulations and district policy and within budgetary considerations, the district shall provide materials and assessments that reflect the diversity of students and staff, and which are geared towards the understanding and appreciation of culture, class, language, ethnicity and other differences that contribute to the uniqueness of each student and staff member.

The superintendent is authorized to develop procedures to implement this policy, including an action plan with clear accountability and metrics. At least annually the superintendent shall report to the Board on the progress toward achieving the goals outlined in this policy. The report shall be based on the district’s annual goals, which are developed in partnership with the superintendent and the Board.

END OF POLICY

Legal Reference(s): ORS 332.107 ORS 342.437 - 342.449