Every student deserves a respectful learning environment in which their racial and ethnic diversity is valued and contributes to successful academic outcomes. Independent School District 761 is committed to identifying and correcting practices and policies that perpetuate the achievement gap and institutional racism in all forms in order to provide all of its students with the opportunity to succeed. Learning and work environments are enriched and improved by the contributions, perspectives and very presence of diverse participants. The District is committed to the success of every student in each of our schools and to our mission and vision statements.

 

 

This policy confronts the institutional racism that results in predictably lower academic achievement for students of color than for their white peers. Eliminating our district’s institutional racism will increase achievement, including on-time graduation, for all students, while narrowing the gaps between the highest- and lowest-performing students.  

 

ISD 761 acknowledges that complex societal and historical factors contribute to the inequity within our school district. Nonetheless, rather than perpetuating the resulting disparities, Owatonna Public Schools must address and overcome this inequity and institutional racism, providing all students with the support and opportunity to succeed.

 

 

To interrupt and inform systems that perpetuate inequities, ISD 761 will continually identify and seek to:

 

A. Invite and include people from all races and ethnicities to examine issues and find adaptive solutions, which address the root causes and systems, rather than technical solutions, which provide one-time, situational fixes; 

 

B. Develop the personal, professional, and organizational skills and knowledge of its employees to enable them to address the role and presence of racism; and 

 

C. Provide professional development to educators specifically designed to strengthen employee’s knowledge and skills for eliminating opportunity and achievement gaps between groups of students. 

 

D. Eliminate practices that result in predictably lower academic achievement for any student racial group compared to peers. 

 

E. Eliminate practices that create disparities by race in student discipline.

 

F. Employ staffing processes that support and result in racial, gender, and language diversity in its staff through recruitment, employment, training and retention of employees.

 

G. Seek partnerships with outside agencies, organizations and persons who have demonstrated culturally specific expertise to assist the District in meeting its equitable education and business goals, including, but not limited to: 

 

 

The Board directs the Superintendent to develop and implement a system-wide racial equity plan with clear accountability and metrics, which will result in measurable academic improvements for ISD 761 students. The Superintendent shall regularly report progress on the plan and outcomes. 

 

The Board shall regularly monitor the racial intent and impact of district policies and decisions on District students in order to safeguard against disproportionate or unintentional impact on access to programs and achievement goals for specific student populations in need of services.

 

 

 

U.S. Const. amend XIV, § 1 (Equal Protection) 

20 U.S.C. § 1703 (Equal Educational Opportunity) 

42 U.S.C. § 2000c et seq. (Desegregation) 

42 U.S.C. § 2000d et seq. (Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964) 

42 U.S.C. § 2000e-2 (Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964) 

25 U.S.C. § 452 et seq. (Johnson-O’Malley Act) 

Minn. Stat. § 124D.855 et seq. (School Desegregation and Integration) 

Minn. Stat. § 124D.71 et seq. (American Indian Education Act of 1988) 

Minn. Stat. § 123B.02, subd. 11 (Agreements with Indian Tribes) 

Minn. Stat. § 123B.30 (Classification of Pupils by Race) 

Minn. Stat. § 124D.74, subd. 2 (Assignment of Students by Race) 

Minn. Stat. § 124D.123 (Race discrimination in Flexible Year Programs) 

Minn. Stat. § 181.59 (Discrimination by Contractors) 

Minn. Stat. Chapter 363A (Minnesota Human Rights Act) 

Minn. Rules Part 3535 (Equal Opportunity in Schools) 

Garcia et al. vs. The Board of Education of Independent School District No. 625: Order, Consent Decree and Final Judgment Dated July 9, 1984, United States District Court for the District of Minnesota (Latino Consent Decree) 

 

Policy 102 (Equal Educational Opportunity)

Policy 413 (Harassment and Violence) 

Policy 506 (Student Discipline) 

Policy 601 (School District Curriculum and Instruction Goals) 

Policy 603 (Curriculum Development)

Policy 616 (School District System Accountability)

Policy 618 (Assessment of Student Achievement)