Step Two: Develop the District Lens
Developing the district lens is a very important part of the adoption process because it can assist the Ethnic Studies Committee in selecting the best approach and possible programs for particular student populations. Before any program is developed or adopted, important decisions will need to be made to address the following:
- Will ethnic studies be implemented as a stand-alone course? If so, how will it be implemented?
- as a one semester course?
- as a one year course?
- as an elective available at more than one grade level?
- Will ethnic studies be integrated into an existing course? If so,
- what content area(s)?
- what grade level(s)?
- Will ethnic studies be presented through a thematic approach?
- Will the district implement more than one option?
The purpose of Step Two is to provide guidance for establishing a profile of the district’s and community’s needs and perspectives to inform a number of decisions as you move forward on this journey. An examination and discussion about the following items can inform your district’s lens.
- District Local Control Accountability Plan
- District Demographic Data
- District English Language Arts (ELA)/Literacy Data
- District English Language Development (ELD) Data
- District CAASPP Data
- Action Step 2.1 Examine Current Data
- Action Step 2.2 Conduct an Assessment of your District/Community Needs
As a committee, examine the following data:
- Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) Goals
- District demographics
- English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency data
- English Language Development (ELD) proficiency data
- Other
Task 2.1a Review Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) Goals
Use tool 2.1a to review your LCAP goals to determine how they relate to the goals of ethnic studies. Are there references to the California History-Social Science Framework, the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum, civic education, Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History–Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects, the California English Language Development Standards, the English Language Arts/English Language Development Framework (ELA/ELD Framework), or other areas that speak to state priorities, i.e. Pupil Engagement, School Climate?
Consider if the actions/services in the LCAP are getting results.
- Are they working for all student groups and grade levels?
- Do they need to be continued or revised?
- Can ethnic studies be a catalyst to meet the existing goals?
- Can new or existing LCAP goals be shaped to support implementation of ethnic studies?
Download Tool 2.1a Download Download Tool 2.1a
Task 2.1b Review District Demographic Data
Use tool 2.1b to review your district demographic data.
Download Tool 2.1b Download Download Tool 2.1b
Task 2.1c Review District Data: English Language Arts/Literacy
Use tool 2.1c to review your California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) data, including Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) data and other English Language Arts/Literacy data.
Download Tool 2.1c Download Download Tool 2.1c
Task 2.1d Review District Data: English Language Development
Use tool 2.1d to list key findings from data to review and determine the implications for the new adoption.
Download Tool 2.1d Download Download Tool 2.1d
Task 2.1e Review District Data: Primary Language Literacy
Use tool 2.1e to review your district Primary Language Literacy student data.
Download Tool 2.1e Download Download Tool 2.1e
Task 2.1f List and Discuss Key Findings and Implications
Use tool 2.1f to review your district Primary Language Literacy student data.
Download Tool 2.1f Download Download Tool 2.1f
Establishing a profile of your district’s and community’s needs and perspectives will inform a number of decisions as you move forward on this journey. Conduct a series of listening tours with community members to understand the local history, demographics, and particular needs of your district/site’s students and their respective communities to help determine the implications for the new adoption.
As noted in the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum:
Consider the local history, demographics, and particular needs of your district/site’s students and their respective communities, including recognition of the Indigenous Peoples wherever a course is being taught. Administrators should consider conducting research on the cultural values, traditions, Indigeneity, and histories of the diverse populations represented in our society as well as those represented in local schools, as it is important for students to learn about those different from themselves who may not be represented in their communities even as they are learning about the sources of local diversity. Evaluate the demographic makeup of the district. What is the ethnic breakdown of the student population? Does the district have large numbers of linguistically diverse students? What countries and regions of the world are they from? Students who experience poverty? How can this program serve our students? How can the value of and empathy for other marginalized groups be fostered when student populations are homogenous and/or haven’t been explicitly or formally exposed to concepts of race and ethnicity? This research can be done by delving into reported student data, consulting student families and community stakeholders about pressing issues and concerns facing these communities, or even inviting scholars specialized in the history of the communities represented in the district. Community organizations, city or county agencies, libraries, and universities may be consulted for data and historical information about a community.
Task 2.2a Areas for Consideration
Conduct a series of listening tours with community members to understand the local history, demographics, and particular needs of your district/site’s students and their respective communities to help determine the implications for the new adoption. Use the tool below to record key findings and identify the implications for your work.
Download Tool 2.2a Download Download Tool 2.2a
Develop the District Lens
The Ethnic Studies Adoption Toolkit was developed by the Los Angeles County Office of Education Links to an external site.