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September 23, 2005.

1998 Diversity Plan

Excerpt from a May 1998 presentation before the State of California, Fair Employment and Housing Commission
Barbara Keyani, Coodinator of Public Information

The Santa Barbara School Districts have implemented, or are in the process of implementing, multiple strategies to address the needs of a diverse student body.

When using the term diverse, I speak of students of different ethnic, cultural, and gender backgrounds; a broad range of socio-economic situations; physical and emotional needs; lifestyle experiences and changing family structures. This District subscribes to the view that every student is valued for their uniqueness and every student has the right to be treated with respect and fairness and to participate in a positive learning environment. But, that goal can only be achieved when we, as students, staff, administrators, and the community as a whole are able to recognize, understand, and appreciate our diversity as well as celebrate our common humanity.

In 1994-95, the process of focusing District-wide attention toward creating a diversity-sensitive environment began with a redefinition of the Districts’ Mission Statement and the development of multiple strategic goals to create change at all grade levels.

The Strategic Planning Task Force, the Board of Education, the Office of the Superintendent, and administrators from all school sites began the challenge of defining, developing, and implementing a comprehensive, proactive, multi-year Diversity Plan. the necessity for this refocus was clearly evident when, in October of 1996, incidents and complaints indicated that there were individuals and groups preaching hate, actively fostering racism, and creating a climate of fear within one of our high schools.

With the full weight of the Board of Education, the Superintendent’s office, and the Strategic Planning Task Force, the District’s have worked diligently to create a positive learning environment that involves students, parents, teachers, and administrators. These strategies focus on prevention and response.

Preventative mechanisms that focus on education and communication include, but are not limited to:

1. Promoting A Positive Standard of Behavior And Communicating Those Behavior Guidelines To Students And Parents. Student handbooks, issued at the beginning of each school year, outline a code of conduct and provide information on disciplinary actions that result from negative behavior. Parents are asked to review the handbook with their student and sign a form indicating that they have done so.
   
2. Providing Information To Students And Their Parents. A letter from the Superintendent is mailed to all student households, informing students and parents of Education Code rules relating to acts of intimidation or harassment and outlining the consequences of such unacceptable behavior. That letter will continue to be mailed annually to students and their families.
   
3. Providing Ongoing Staff Education, Development, And Training And Curriculum Development. Extensive staff training has taken place and is being provided systemically. A few examples of the programs in place include: (A) California School Leadership Academy two-day training, (B) ADL Hate Crimes Training, (C) ongoing staff development at each site, (D) Museum of Tolerance tours for all 7th and 8th grade teachers plus participation in a special "Tools for Tolerance Program for Educators" offered by the Museum of Tolerance, (E) World of Difference, a one-day training session provided by the Anti-Defamation League, plus (F) a trained Diversity Team at each school site.
   
   Each year, new staff experience the same training opportunities.
   
4. Broaden The Range Of Programs For Students The Support Safe Schools, Celebrate Diversity, And Encourage Communication. Over the years, all elementary and secondary schools in the Districts have developed school initiated-, PTSA initiated-, faculty- and/or student initiated-programs to support safe schools and encourage positive communication among students and between students and adults. Those programs include: conflict resolution/peer mediation programs, Students Organized Against Prejudice groups, multicultural assemblies, activities that facilitate social relationships between disabled and non-disabled peers, Museum of Tolerance tours for students which are linked to the curriculum, and many more programs. A comprehensive list of school site programs is available in the document Beyond Tolerance, Moving Ahead Together (available through the Public Information Office, Santa Barbara School Districts, 720 Santa Barbara Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, 805-963-4338, extension 206).
   
   The programs referred to above take place during the school year. We are excited about an expanded pilot program that will take place in the summer of 1998. The program is geared to sixth grade elementary school students who will soon transition to Santa Barbara Junior High School. It is designed to provide students with a curriculum and service project that enhances their knowledge of the school and the community. Referred to as The Summer Institute, the program began with one feeder school three years ago and this summer, because of Santa Barbara Foundation grant funds, will now serve all seven elementary feeder schools in the Santa Barbara-Montecito corridor that serves Santa Barbara Junior High. Each of those feeder schools has very unique demographics. The objective is to create collaborative relationships between students prior to their arrival in the fall. On the The Summer Institute’s four core components is "Conflict Resolution, Collaboration, and Effective Communication." Students will learn the language of collaboration and how to use effective communication skills to resolve conflict. The service project will include participation in and observation of local arbitration panels. As trained student mediators, the students will then serve as volunteer mediators during the school year.
   
5. Providing A Forum For Community Dialogue. On June 28, 1997, the Santa Barbara School Districts conducted a community forum: Beyond Tolerance, Moving Ahead Together. Approximately 400 people were in attendance on that Saturday morning. Beyond Tolerance was an opportunity to examine diversity and tolerance issues that impact the entire community; to share information; to raise questions; and to offer suggestions and possible solutions. Key agencies have since reviewed and responded to the community’s recommendations, which are included in the Beyond Tolerance final report.
   
6. Developing A Diversity Plan For Each Site. Effective May 1998, each site in our District is required to create a school Diversity Plan. The Diversity Plan will be updated annually.
   
7. Staying The Course. The Strategic Plan for 1998-2000 offers goals for the Districts’ future that focus on: (A) providing opportunities to learn about ethnic, racial, and cultural diversity and gender equality throughout the academic curriculum, (B) expanding diversity training and related programs for staff development, (C) increasing the ways in which students of different ethnic, cultural, and racial background learn and work together, (D) using the unique characteristics of the school and its surrounding community as part of the student’s academic and personal learning experience, and (E) building collaborative relationships with other agencies and groups in the larger community.
   

Meanwhile, a two-prong response mechanism is now utilized through the Districts that supports a consistent approach to dealing with hate crime and bias-motivated incidents:

1. Development Of A System For Reporting Policies And Procedures. A "District Policy and Procedures for Data Collection and Reporting Hate Crimes and Bias-Motivated Incidents," and a "Board Policy on Student Harassment" are tools that provide a comprehensive guideline and reporting system for our District. The policies, procedures, and reporting systems outlined in the documents are utilized at each school site.
2. Enforce Swift And Strong Disciplinary Action Against Students Who Engage In Negative Behavior. The Education Code provides very clear guidelines on disciplinary options and this District utilizes those measures as needed.

The Santa Barbara School Districts feel that a comprehensive prevention and response system is in place and operating in a successful manner. It is a system that we will continuously refine and update. We are pleased to report that this year there have been no hate crimes reported in our schools. However, we know that we cannot let down our guard or become complacent in our goal of creating and maintaining a safe learning environment where all students are nurtured and valued.