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06/12/08AGENDA GOLDEN VALLEY HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION Golden Valley City Hall Council Conference Room June 12, 2008 — 7 pm A = Action D = Discussion Call to Order Open Forum Chair's Report A - Approval of the minutes of the April 10, 2008 regular meeting Bremer Grant/Capacity Building D- Dutch Fischer, former chair of Crystal HRC Committee Reports: D - School Education D - Housing D - League of Minnesota Human Rights Commissions D - Share the Dream D - Discrimination Proclamations • Juneteenth Old Business • D - Recruitment Strategies/Status of Membership Dykstra • D - Diversity Training- Helland New Business • D- Public Forum- Employment Service Needs of Individuals with Disabilities, Wednesday, June 25th, 9:-OOAM-6:00 PM, City Council Chambers- Dykstra • A - Election of Officers o Chair o Vice Chair Adiournment News Release May 7, 2008 For Release May 14, 2008 Contact: Marion Helland, Golden Valley Human Rights Commission, 763-546-7469 Golden Valley Human Rights Commission Names 2008 Essay Contest Winners The Golden Valley Human Rights Commission (HRC) presented 10 Sandburg Middle School students with awards at its annual Essay Contest Celebration May 14 in the Golden Valley City Hall Council Chambers. The awards are presented to students whose written essays most eloquently portray ideas that promote and show understanding of fair and equal treatment for everyone. Students were asked to consider the following facts, then write essays describing if they think discrimination still exists today: • The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was ratified by the United Nations in 1948. • As far back as 1857 the Minnesota Constitution prohibited discrimination. • Minnesota Legislators passed the Fair Employment Practices Act in 1955. • Discrimination was outlawed nationally by the Civil Rights Act in 1964. • Through the years these laws have been broadened and amended to give more protection. • The Minnesota Department of Human Rights was established in 1967 and in 1968 local human rights commissions were established throughout the state. Writers were encouraged to consider the U.S. Bill of Rights, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the Minnesota Human Rights Act when crafting their essays. The entries were judged by members of the Golden Valley HRC. The first place prize of $50 was awarded to Mounir Peterson-Darbaki. Brian Mozey and Jacob Wankel each received $35 for second place, and Holly Halverson was awarded $20 for third place. Honorable mention awards were presented to Adam Brady, Anna Hendrix, Anna Kruskop, Anna Meyer, Melissa Randall, Andrea Saavedra. All award winners also received books from the HRC. Excerpts from each of the top 25 entries are published in a Quotable Quotes booklet, which is provided to local schools, the City of Golden Valley, and other Human Rights Commissions in Minnesota. Nikki Purvis and Golden Valley Human Rights Commissioner Theresa Jorgenson presented the awards. Participating Sandburg teachers included Erika Gentry and Natalie Hein. For more information about the Golden Valley Human Rights Commission, visit www.ci.golden-valley.mn.us/ /citygovernment/HRC.htm. -30- QUOTABLE QUOTES by Sandburg students in response to the Golden Valley Human Rights Essay Contest May, 2008 Q U.OtGLb1 Q lA ote-k By Sandburg students in response to The Golden Valley Human Rights Essay Contest May, 2008 } 2008 Essay Topic: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was ratified by the United Nations in 1948. As far back as 1857 the Minnesota Constitution prohibited discrimination. Minnesota Legislators passed the Fair Employment Practices Act in 1955. Discrimination was outlawed nationally by the Civil Rights Act in 1964. Through the years these laws have been broadened and amended to give more protection. The Minnesota Department of Human Rights was established in 1967 and in 1968 local human rights commissions were established throughout the state. Key Question: After all of this, why do you think discrimination still exists today? Quotes from the top 25 essays submitted: "They've held workshops, classes, and even protests. So why does discrimination still exist? The thing is, we're all human, right? And most humans want to be right about everything. And when a person tells another person that they're not right, well, that conversation doesn't usually end on a happy note. " Anderson, Erin "If kids can learn to be discriminative and/or prejudiced, they can also learn how to be fair and not to judge by the color of someone's skin or race." Brady, Adam "I think that the people that do discriminate against other people are jealous of them because they are a different race or religion. I think that the people that do discriminate against other people don't think that their country is big enough for people of a different race or religion." Burk, Charlie "Now for the -people who are against discrimination, they rock; but for the people who are not against discrimination and think it should still go on, they have some serious problems to handle." Coffey, Cydney "Legally you can hate someone but can't stop them from enjoying their rights. ...People discriminate for a lot of reason: the feelings of superiority, ignorance, fear, and not knowing when to stop. An incident when fear was the outcome was after 9/11 if someone saw an Arab looking person on a plane they would be terrified." DeRemer, Dunham "I think it is wrong to judge people by race, gender, age or otherwise. Get to know someone before you judge them. Don't judge a book by its cover. You've heard it a million and a half times, but it's still a good principle to live by." Tyler Driskill "On occasion, a person will tease another person, and the person being teased will believe what the other is saying. The person being teased may end up hating themselves, so the person who teased them will move on, knowing they have done their job. ...The people who were teased will begin to hate other people, and make fun of them for being different. It will continue as a domino effect." Fietek, KC 1 "Why does discrimination still exist today, even though laws prohibit it? It is because people don't always want to follow the rules. Still, some people think that certain groups of people don't belong, since they are not like them." Halverson, Holly "I don't agree with discrimination ... It hurts people's feelings and causes things like suing, hating, court, and other big problems.. People adapt to discrimination, but I think it should be stopped." Anna Hendrix "...It is probably because we are insecure. Discrimination is taught by teachers, friends, parents, peers. We are afraid of each other; and fear spirals into anger, judgments, and prejudice." Anna Kruskop "When we - who call ourselves `Americans'- the first white people, came to the new land, we saw- for the first time, perhaps – Indians, and we thought, `Oh, no. They look different. They must be dangerous.' That fear of different people has been passed on from generation to generation. Now to the point: why it still exists when rules ban it. The idea is still there." Angela Laine "Instead of having contagious discriminating thoughts, have thoughts of equality be contagious. W don't need another Bill of Rights, UDHR or declaration to stop discrimination. We need a leader to start the reverse of rotation... then followers and cooperators. We need a change." Sarah Legried "I've heard prejudice is contagious, so why can't we make kindness and acceptance contagious also?" Anna Meyer "I believe that a lot of illegal discrimination exists today because it is not taken seriously enough." _ Logan Moore "We could stop discrimination by having teachers and parents teach and discuss with the kids." Brian Mosey "I think discrimination can be lessened in the next 100 years if we just accept that each of us is different in a good way." Timothy Nyangacha "To possibly eliminate discrimination and illegal discrimination, we can stand up to the people who are causing it, so hopefully they will not do it again. If we are those people, we can wait to judge someone, and get to know them better. " Luke Odenthal "One of my friends in 4t" grade sat by the white kid ... who said, `I don't like brown people, they talk too much.' When I heard that, I was shocked that a kid would say that about someone ... that was one of the first times I had heard of some pretty mean discrimination.—Friends are the kind of people who could influence you the most but so could your parents. There are so many stories out there about kids being told by their parents that you aren't supposed to trust these kind of people." Mounir Peterson-Darbaki 2 "...illegal discrimination ... includes stopping people from employment because of their race, age, sex, etc; not letting people vote or eat at a restaurant for the same reasons.....Discrimination... Some examples of this are (1) not like someone because of their race (2) telling a person from a different country to go back to where they came from, and (3) calling someone `that stupid, overly happy Morman.' No matter how you discriminate against a person, deep down it will hurt them." Melissa Randall " In the 1970's my grandma came to the United States from Chile. She was applying for a teaching job at a school where she wanted to teach. She went up to. the front office and asked for a job. The woman there said, "We don't have any openings in the service department." My grandma is short, brown, and very Latina looking. The woman thought that she was applying for a cleaning job. It was discrimination when the woman judged my grandma's appearance instead of looking at her ability, education, and her teaching history.... What the woman did was probably illegal." Andrea Saavedra "Why do people still discriminate? There are probably a lot of different reasons. But the main reason is most likely because it has been introduced to them through another person's opinion about a certain group. It could be that they were never taught or taught very little about discrimination and what it does. Or it could be a life experience. Maybe someone has never associated with a person of a different race and they just don't know what they are like. Or maybe a person knew a lot of people of a certain race tat didn't treat people rights, so they just assume that everybody of that race is cruel. All of this could be in addition to a fear of people that are different and comfort with things or people that are similar to them." Lindsey Salhus "...we are all really just different looking people that can think differently, that can believe different things and talk differently, but we are not that different if you stop thinking about what is different about each other and start thinking about what is the same about each other." Courtney Solberg "The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was made for a reason. So why do we still have people who discriminate against others? I believe it is because of the way people are raised within their families. One example is if a father is prejudiced against a black man or woman, his son will learn the same type of disrespect. Then this becomes a chain reaction for future generations." Jacob Wankel "...when our attitude toward certain groups changes by the way one or two individuals act, that is wrong. Insensitive remarks and refusing to associate with people on a personal level shows ignorance. ...We need to stop classifying people as `races.' Instead of judging people by their outward appearance, we need to judge their behavior and attitude toward the world. The children in school are the future of the world and they alone can lead us to a bright and diverse future" Sara Wixon 3 Expenses GVHRC Student Essay Contest Award Celebration May 14, 2008 Checks needed for: First Prize $50.00 Mounir Peterson-Darbaki Second Prize Second Prize Third Prize Sub total Rights Matter (books) Thesaurus (books) Certificates Plastic sleeves Gift bags Punch & Cookies Sub total Total: _ 35.00 35.00 20.00 $140.00 Brian Mozey Jacob Wanhel Holly Halverson 33.00 27.93 8.49 12.46 21.97 53.00 —District #281 Food Services will send bill $156.85 $296.85 Donations from Ella Mazel, Argonaut Press, Lexington, Massachusetts: Book "And don't call me a racist!" (15 copies) Shipping $15 From Jackie Fraedrich, District 281: Book "Stand up Speak out (10 copies) Marion Helland 7720 Winnetka Hts. Dr. Golden Valley, MN 55427 763-546-7449 marionhelland@comcast.net The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is 60 years o.• 1 Text in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish — can you identify each? The anniversary campaign is symbolized by the UDHR60 logo, which depicts a human shape standing with arms wide open. The yellow and red symbol represents liberation and equality. The yellow is a sign of peace and warmth. The symbol is set on a solid block that represents the foundation of human rights. The earthy red color of the block reinforces human rights as a foundation stone and as humankind's common heritage. 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Introduction.................................................................................................................... Page 3 w H. Robbinsdale Area Schools Community Collaboration Council .....:: ........ ................. Page 5 F/ s III. Goal 1. Racial Isolation........ ........`: ........ .................................................. Page 7 a. The Choice is Yours ............................................................. ........:......:.........: Page 7 b. FAIR School .......: :. ............................ ......................... Page 8 C. Inter -district Downtown School.:.: ::........ :........Page . ... .: 9 ,.., d. WMEP Participation Page 9 IV. Goal 2 Racially Identifiable Buildings° Page 10 V. Goals 1 and Goal 2, SupportObjectives ........ ..... ...... .,.....7N�0.9 ............................... Page 15 a. In Cultural Understanduig . Page 15 b Culturally Competent Teachers and Multicultural Curriculum; .....: Page 16 c. ' Equality of Access and Opportunity Page 17 d. :Racially Balanced Schools and Diverse Staff .. .: Page 18 e. Increased Parental Involvement And Influence .:i Page 19 f. Community Understanding aril Support.:........: ................: ....... ................ Page 20 VI. Evaluation Design ......... ......... ................ i ........ ....... ...................... .. ................ Page 21 VII. Budget...................................................................................................................... Page 23 2 I I. Introduction Robbinsdale Area Schools enrolled 12,908 students in the 2007-2008 school year. Located northwest of the city of Minneapolis, the district includes all or part of seven municipalities including Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Crystal, Golden Valley, New Hope, Plymouth and Robbinsdale. The district's eastern boundary is adjacent to the north side of Minneapolis, which is the most economically disadvantaged area of the city and the area with the highest population of students of color. Many students from north Minneapolis choose to attend the Robbinsdale using open enrollment or "The Choice is Yours" option,; Typical of most first -ring suburban schoo Schools has recently experienced a di": and economic diversity of its students"":ND year, the district has 2,108 students enrol] English or who learned English outside o represent households from over S0 differE 2,108 students, 1489 students are; .id6*`i,1_ fil receive support services through* distr _ e, learners. Comp.are "idh " the 378 students ii proficient in 1998 there been a 293 ;p limited English proficient *dents in"the " Mstricts, Robbinsdale Area Ltic expansion o"fflIffie cultural, ethnic iring the current 20077.2008 school J dwitWrne languages other than r the m'', ited t, States. These students ,nt 14igage backgrounds. Of these .d as limited English proficient and [c:;program for English language �-,,,,,§,progr 16fiffiliffiotas ii&ted English icent increase in the number of district in the past ten years. 3 reorganization, will affect. the manner in which .this plan is implemented from an intra-district perspective. While thegoals .are, =clear, the strategies to achieve the goals may change during the course :of plan; implementation. 0 II. Robbinsdale Area Schools Desegregation Community Collaboration Council The Robbinsdale Area Schools Desegregation Community Collaboration Council was formed in June 2000. In keeping with Minnesota's Permanent Rules Relating to Desegregation 3535.0160. Subpart 2, the council's primary responsibility is to identify ways of creating increased opportunities for interracial contact, and establishing goals for meeting this objective. The council is active in all phases of plan development, implementation and evaluation. The council oversees the budget Any changes to the budget, staffing or programs must have pnor approval of the council. The council operates in a collaborative manner and :decision-making occurs through consensus building. The council has been an actve,and integral arxner with the school district in carrying out the purposes/goals of theplan. There, is broad representation from diverse populations within the school distnc ,While it has been an ongoing challenge to include a high level of parent representation from the racially identifiable schools, the council continues to actively recruit. The co -facilitators of the distract System Accountability Committee, the co-chair of the district Professional )evelopmi' Committee, representatives from the school board and the dzstrzct Indian Education Parent Committee all serve on tills council The Robbinsdale AregSchools ;Desegregation Community Collaboration Council meets monthly The council is committed to the goals of an integrated`learning environment and providing racially balanced schools. The Robbinsdale.>,Area Scl'ools Community Collaboration Council has defined an integrated 1, a`ffi ing environment as one in which district students are provided the acaderic and social skills needed to live in a pluralistic society. Racially balanced schools have been defined by Minnesota's Permanent Rules Relating to Desegregation (Minnesota Rules 3535.0100 to 3535.0180) as increased interaction of protected students and white students within schools and between districts consistent with the purposes of parts 3535.0100 to 3535.0180. These goals are closer when children of diverse race, culture, and income succeed in school and achieve at high levels, and when school and classroom climate is improved for all students and staff. 5 A list of the Robbinsdale Area Schools Desegregation Community Collaboration Council members and their organizational affiliation is as follows: Pam Baker, Parent/Northport Elementary Helen Bassett, Robbinsdale Area Schools Board of Education Jim Calhoun, Meadow Lake Elementary School Principal Gary Chesner, Northport Elementary School Principal Yvonne Strong, Chair, Indian Education Parent Committee Shaun Hamilton, Parent/FAIR School Marion Helland, Minnesota League of Human Rights Commissions Tom Henderlite, Sandburg Middle School Principal " Kim Hiel, Parent/ Lakeview Elementary School Pnncpai David Maggitt, Parent/Armstrong H.1" School John Neumann, English Language Leainers Tracy Mena, Robbinsdale Federation of Teacher Lisa Rye, Robbinsdale Federation of Teachexs Gayle Walkowiak, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Stephanie Crosby, Director of Hman,Resources Sherry Terrell, Board of Education Linda Johnson .oard"of .BEducatior Ex Officio Mem bers.mclude€ Stan F Mack II, Supenntencient Jacqueiine'Traednch, Program Director for -Student Services Tyriz 'Cox, Pro "gram Director for De' egation/Integration m III. Goal 1. Racial Isolation Goal 1. Racial Isolation: In order to assist in reducing the racial isolation of adjoining Minneapolis Public Schools, Robbinsdale Area Schools will participate in collaborative efforts to enroll students from Minneapolis, participate in available cross -district magnet programs, and collaborative inter -district planning. According to Minnesota Rule, 3535.0170, raciall and their adjoining districts must participate in,,, I" establish a multidistrict collaboration counciLl.1, ' powers board to serve this purpose; and idenfify opportunities for interracial contact and establish objectives. Schools Community Collaboration Council l plated school districts -district planning; must iatively, create a joint rs ;of creating increased �Isformeeting these Robbinsdale Area Schools,'%along withother school districts, were bound by the terms of the settlement gement that,was negotiated following the lawsuit filed _,_e NAAS CP on eptembe�'19, 1995. The terms and conditions of that lawsuit settlement have expired. This plan continues to' address thefollowing inter -district initiatives. a. TheChoice as Yours The Choice isours (CIY) program, established as a result of a desegregation case filed by the NAACP and a number of minority parents, was first implemented in the Robbinsdale Area Schools during the 2001-2002 school year. During the program's first year, 187 students were enrolled. As of October 1, 2007, there were 840 students enrolled in Robbinsdale Area Schools from Minneapolis, and 528 of those students participate in the Choice is Yours program. In addition, there are 595 students enrolled in Robbinsdale Area Schools who are residents of other suburban school districts and who have 7 chosen to open enroll in the district. These numbers reflect the capacity of Robbinsdale Area Schools to attract and retain students who have traditionally been underrepresented. Robbinsdale Area Schools has always met and exceeded their original commitment to attract 127 Choice is Yours students annually. b. FAIR School The Fine Arts Interdisciplinary 1 inter -district school is located in Robbinsdale Area Schools stude the numbers allotted to the distr attend FAIR. c. Inter -District Downtown The Inter -District Dovv district school is locate: Robbinsdale Area Sch the numbers `allotted to attend4DDS. )urce (FAIR) School, a WMEP Robbznsdale school district. participate and attend FAIR in Currentiv`7S district students School' ODDS) a WMEP inter- Minneapohs School District. dents participate, and attend IDDS in ,tnct. Currently;` 80 district students Robbinsdale AreaSchools isane largest of the WMEP suburban member c is, cts Tlus, district is a charter member of WMEP and was partof fleplanniriprocess when the inter -district initiative was CIIP the Cooperative Inter -district Integration Project. Dist bt studentstaff and parents continue to be involved in the WMEPmagnet schools, professional development activities, community involvement activities and program administration. This participation benefits students of all racial and cultural backgrounds throughout the district's 17 schools, including the two schools that are racially identifiable. Robbinsdale Area Schools continues to be a partner in WMEP, and from 2001-2006 served as fiscal agent for the West Metro Education Program, including both the FAIR and IDDS schools. 0 Eiowever, some of the participating distracts of the West Meiro Education currently designed meets the original mission and goals. A "number of issues have 'emerged as a result of those discussions. Those issues `include: E 10 IV. Goal 2. Racial Isolation Initiatives Goal 2. Racial Isolation: In order to support Interdistrict integration, increased opportunities for inter -racial contact will provided through a variety of support programs and services that are educationally justifiable and provide option for inter -district integration within the district. Robbinsdale Area Schools continues to proulde support to students and families who exercise their choice options to attend schools in the district through the Choice is Yours program In the following ways. ■ Student support specialists work with studentsfam'lies and district staff to assure that student participants of the Choice is Yours program experience school s46cess. This service is cost shared between'.,"the federal voluntary`choice grant an"Tstate integration revenue ■ While transportation is funded directly from the state, district staff serves in a supporting rolassisting „families to access this; service ■ Support services are provided and each -middle school receives a small staffing allocation; to supplement basic skills instruction. ■ A summer �r�stru1cttonal program has been provided specifically to meet the needs o Choke is Fours program participants for bascskllls preparation and credit recovery. This program will not bexlable wring the 2008 summer school because of budget reduction but the program will be reinstated if funds become avaiYable. ■ Home school liaisons throughout the district work with students and familib§ n the Choice is Yours program to support school success, provide opportunities for interracial contact and y encourage participation in rigorous courses. ■ An orientation program entitled Ready, Set, Go is provided annually to student participants and their families. 11 V. Goal 3 Racially Identifiable Schools Goal 3 Racially Identifiable Schools: In order to achieve racial balance in the school district, three magnet programs have been established at the elementary level to reduce the racial concentration at the two racially identifiable schools, Meadow Lake and Northport Elementary. Robbinsdale Area Schools currently has two racially identifiable schools within the district. Both Meadow Lake Elementary.".and Northport Elementary have enrollments of protected students that exceed 20 percentage points above the enrollmentof pzoft, ctd students in the entire district for the grade levels served. When the original desegregation/integrat in August 2000, it was anticipated that th of up to three magnet programs at the ele term effect of achieving rad balance in district. Two theme -bas'e'd !Ar%nle. A'*1 on plan was su. tted to the state development and rnplementation nentary bevel would Nave the long - elementary schools throuhout the Y Northport Elementary,;�chool, a racially identifiable school, has conducts a program entitled KidZone. This program is an extended -day program. It was anticipated that the opportunity for students to have extended instruction throughout the week and throughout the school year would be attractive to families. Meadow Lake Elementary School developed and implemented the School - wide Enrichment Model (SEM), developed by Joe Renzulli. This program provides enrichment opportunities to students throughout the school and 12 specialized activities for smaller groups of students. This model is often utilized as an instructional model to meet the needs of diverse learners, especially those who are high ability students. Again, it was anticipated that this program would be attractive to families across the district. These two schools remain racially identifiable. According to Minnesota Rule 3535.0160, subpart 6, the new plan "shall include an analysis of why the previous plan did not achieve its goals, a list and explanation of new or continuing barriers to achieving the plans goals, and a new plan and rationale for achieving the goals of the plan' A number of contextual factors came togeth "" prevent the marketing and recruitment of students necessary to I'MD"a; 6f racial balance These barriers are as follows: Meadow Lake Elementary has imp Model in all grades. Full implemei because during the years 2001`26-0; Reading Excellence program Recl academic program as well as a sero. delayed implemdn"i of SEM in literacy initiatives during the grant patterns and population shifts resul attendance=,area students... The..schc 13 nented the School -wide Enrichment tion was delayed until 2005'=2006 the school ;as implementing a aizing the importance of a strong theme based program, the school e lower ales while it focused on gr nod Howe er" current housing im;ahe school being at capacity with its doe.,not have the capacity to accept ents often do not voluntarily transfer odel (SEM) continues to be a viable tion/integration plan. e,throughout the elementary ........................................ . ;to shift, Meadow chool Kid Zone has been popular with students district is facing severe Midget retrenchment as,, n Original budget recoinmeridat oils included rile closing a school has been delayed until a The following points are cririca1to this' discussion • The permanent,rules relating to desegregation, 3535.0100 to 3535.0180 require the district to address racial balance when racially identifiable schools exist in°a district. • Research indicates that high 'zoncentraton of poverty il Zrihrblts a school's potentialo enable aYl students to have opportunities to achie� academic success. • Recognizing that factors uch as housing, jobs and transpQrta f may continue to inhibit the district's ability to T11y address issues of -racial balance it will be necessary to ,a cog, inue to provide hi quality programming in schools that axe highly diverse, such as the current theme based 14 It should be noted that the two magnet programs have operated during the previous two to three years as theme -based or specialty schools, thus meeting Minnesota Rule 3535.0160, subpart 3, part B 1, "duplicating programs that have demonstrated success in improving student learning at schools that are racially identifiable." Research indicates that • All students should have access to a rich and challenging curriculum that fosters critical thinking, creative and performance capabilities, the development of multiple intelligences and diverse talents, and the application of learning to problem solving Thi scurriculum should be supported by assessment strategies that are appropriate and authentic measures aft goals being pursued as well as instructionally useful indicators of individual tudent growth and performance (Darling `Hamrxnond &Falk, • Efforts should be made to give all `students opportunities to show their potential for accelerated learning. Once they do, challenging programs should;be made>availaW to them with continuing • .!pr inclusp forms of education to work, regular education teachers an :: specialist profession99 "must be equipped with expertise to take on nem or altered roles. Newly emerging „practices tlateffectively respond to student diversity, such as specialty programs, must be incorporated in continuing professional development of the school staff. Professional de nfl,pr9grams that integrate the disciplines of psychology, sociology`and cultural anthropology, and increase the valuing and understanding of learning in urban contexts (e.g., effects of culture and povely on the acquisition of knowledge and skills) are critical. • Tnclusie and instructionally powerful learning environments can be used\as a strategy for reducing the achievement gap, by providing programming that ensures inclusion and opportunity to learn, content coverage and emphasis, and quality instruction for all students. The School -wide Enrichment Model, developed by Joseph Renzulli at the University of Connecticut incorporates all of these components. Further research continues to demonstrate the value of extended instructional 15 opportunities and enriching experiences in meeting the needs of students in poverty. This plan will: • Continue to monitor and evaluate current theme -based programming to assure that the programs are of high quality, meet academic needs and provide enriched opportunities for students attending racially identifiable schools. • Develop addhoiialstrategie's and programs to :address. "racial balancethroughout the. district following the conipletion..of the ;stf teg'ip.p.lapMpg-pff6it.:and.,.d cisi6ns by the sc ool ' boarcrand superintericibrit., 4��his..Iyork,'will be highly y dependent. upongrad P.,,c6nflkurdfi6"n elementary level ,� raciallyIn the event that one of the .identifiable'schools is closed, the students and f, ill sch ols • Assuming that at t one elementary school will continue to be racially identifiable, current` Anning includes the following allowableactivities ' specified in 3535.0160: • IDup'l idat'iing prograrrls that have demonstrated success in mProvng*udent learning at schools that are racially to heip balance racially identifiable • Providing incentives t6 improve the distribution of teachers of all " fl 6 e district, including staff development �s a • Providinggreater support services and more extracurricular opportunities at racially identifiable schools as compared to scfio that are not racially identifiable or schools with a higher'concentration of low-income students. • Developing strategies for attracting and retaining staff who serve as role models. • Developing strategies for attracting and retaining staff who have a record of success in teaching protected students and low-income students. 16 • Increasing promotion of programs provided at racially identifiable schools designed to attract a wide range of students. • Providing programs promoting instruction about different cultures including options uniquely relevant to American Indian students. Community outreach in the development and implementation of the plan is done primarily through the activities of the Robbin' 'ale Area Schools Community Collaboration Council. Council members are also linvolvedin 17 Otee "and other district ide an opportunity for levelopment of integration V. Goal 4 Intradistrict Integration Initiatives Goal 4. In order to provide an integrated learning environment at the racially identifiable schools, a variety of options and services for intra - district integration will be offered that are educationally justifiable. The Robbinsdale Area Schools Integration/Desegregation Plan logic model identifies six topical areas that form the basis for focusing on the overall purposes of an integrated learning environment and xacially balanced schools: a. Increased Cultural Understanding The first topical area addresses,Jner contributes to an integrated learning term, on students of different cultur one another. This begins with staff issues of racism and pre�udcea and and understanding their differente will lead to a reduction in'rrter-gro i, conflict ani' an lftf&ovemerit n cIa' Within cal area the IN eased cultural ,understanding that environment by focusing, long es and i come getting along with 757",. and students openly confronting becomng knowledgeable about spec NO, ,tures. Over time, this un .harassment. a reduction in ity Collaboration Council has by various activities described in ;its confront issues of racism and prejudice discussion and exploration of these issues. are knowledgeable about and understand res. s are involved in inter -group ,nflict. Classroom climate is improved and school tension is reduced. Students work/get along well with others of different cultures/incomes. Strategies that will be utilized during the 2008-2009 school year and through the end of the plan period are as follows: ■ Home-school liaisons will be provided to assist students, parents, and staff to be knowledgeable about and understand different cultures. ■ Cultural enrichment activities will be supported for various groups of color/culture that will increase cultural understanding throughout the community. These activities will also help to promote inter -racial opportunities among students. ■ Inter -racial opportunities will be supported in order to develop respect and understandii g,among students and staff. ■ Staff members will be provided'with staff development opportunities that address cultural understanding. ■ School climate will beaddressed through,direct student support and staffing b. Culturally Competent Teachers Area 2) This topical area addresses multicultural cumculum th effectively with s This begins with , their families' This also;; to' work with diverse stud regdfflAo race, cultureor students...:;:. long pf di lac (Topical ompetent teachers and a lute to ariAntegrated learning teachers anc staff working tures, incomes and ability levels. K-12 curriculum that is inclusive school and classroom environments ,values and traditions of the students and ves, M tandem, teachers and staff learning so they enforce norms and rules without ,me and hold high expectations for all The objectives of this tropical area as follows: ■ Coheszve K-12 curriculum that is inclusive and multicultural. ■ School and classroom environment that reflect diverse cultures, values and traditions. ■ Teachers enforce norms and rules without regard to race, culture or income. ■ Teachers hold high expectations for all students. ■ Teachers and staff work well with students of diverse cultures, incomes and ability levels. 19 Strategies that will be utilized during the 2008-2009 school year and throughout the plan period to address these objectives are as follows: ■ The district Teaching and Learning team will continue to work on a curriculum for K-12 that is inclusive, well developed and cohesive. Strategies will include curriculum mapping, a strong scope and sequence for each discipline that includes an inclusive approach to teaching and learning, and provides staff development to instructional staff;n:ays to deliver this curriculum ' ■ District buildings will be supported it their efforts to address equity issues and practices:; through the work of the district and building equity teams ■ Professional developme%t will be provided to staff in working well with students of diverse cultures; ,,incomes and ability level. C. Equality of Access The third topical„ars begins with providi: resources,, opportub environment in whi 20 ty (Topical Area 3) addresses equality of access and opportunity that all tl qual eaccess to educational ;s and alternatives, as`well as creating a school children”' diverse backgrounds feel welcome, as follows: diverse race, culture and income have equal ic*ional resources, opportunities and ies. ; reate a welcoming environment for diverse of diverse racial, cultural and economic backgrounds feel respected and accepted. Academic achievement for children of diverse race, culture and income is improved. Strategies to address this topical area are as follows: ■ Racially identifiable schools, schools with populations of students of color that is significantly higher than the district average and/or that serve populations of students from the Choice is Yours program, will be provided with support services that promote student academic success. ■ Programs that have demonstrated success in improving student learning will be provided. These include but are not limited to extend learning opportunities, enrichment programs and locally developed programs, such as the Starburst program. ■ Programs that promote instruction about different cultures, including options uniquely relevant to American Indian students will be provided. ■ Resources will be provided to students in poverty that will allow them to participate in extracurricular opportunities, co- curricular opportunities and pre collegiate programs. This will have the impact on increasing inter-racial contact. ■ Professional developmentopportunities will be;provided to staff that will assist them in ways that address the success of all students. d. Racially Balanced & The fourth topical area challenges rn pursuing chanRm'dstrict demo The objectives ark Diverse. Staff (Topical Area 4) addresses rac-ally balanced schools. One of the this goal is, the i4mic environment of ,; modeling, and mentoring will contribute to els by supporting the recruitment, retention, and and staff throughout the schools in numbers ndcultural composition of the district's student ditins students will have mentors and role age and some, may, as a result, find the support pursue careers in teaching within the area. follows: ■ The racial and cultural composition of schools and school district staff reflects that of the student body in a way that is racially balanced. ■ Children have mentors and role models of similar heritage. ■ Students are mentored and encouraged to pursue teaching careers. The strategies to address these objectives are as follows: 21 ■ Robbinsdale Area Schools is committed to increasing diversity in its workforce. To that end, the district will continue to work to increase the number of staff of color, and retain and support those who are in the district. ■ The district will affirmatively act to assure that staff hired under auspices of this plan reflects the racial and cultural composition of the student body. ■ Home school liaisons will continue to serve as mentors and role models to students of similar heritage. ■ Specific efforts will be directed to development and implementation of student mentorship programs that address`e;s the needs of the diverse student population including Choice isI'ours participants. ■ Efforts will continue to support staf'of color and `students who wish to pursue teaching careers. ■ Efforts will continue to supporlkparent choice that will narrow the range of levels of diversity and income in,dstrict schools ■ Schools that are raciallX�7dentifiable wll�be provided programs that have demonstrated success in improving student learning. ■ Professional development opport*ties will be provided to staff at racially identifiable buildings that- student success and e. Increased Parental involvement and Influence (Topical Area 5) The fifth topical area, increased parental involvement and influence, will contribute long term to racially balanced schools and an integrated learning,envirorilnent, by engaging parents of diverse cultures,and incomes in decisions affecting their children's schools and decisions affecting district policy and resource allocation. To arrive at this outortie, the district will focus on parents feeling welcome when visiting schools and classrooms, and talking with teachers and administrators. If parents of diverse backgrounds feel welcome, and if they understand the benefits of integrated schools for their children, then they are more likely to become involved in school and district activities and committees including those that influence policy. The objectives are as follows: 22 t ■ Parents feel welcome visiting schools and classrooms and talking to teachers and administrators. ■ Parents value, support and promote integrated schools. ■ Parents of different cultures and incomes participate in school and district activities and committees. ■ Parents of different cultures and incomes influence school and district policy decisions and resource allocation. Strategies that will be employed during the 200 :009 school year and throughout the plan period are as follows: ■ Resources will be provided to supe child's education. These activities transportation and child care for" sc Family Science nights and support ■ District committees and task forces the involvement of parents of color economic levels. ■ Groups such as,Ihe desegregatioIi/ i ort parent parricipation in their include but are &.limited to hool activities, Family. Math nights, of..Afncari American Parent Day. vwill affirmatively act to" support and n.arents from various and theIndian.Education'Parent Committee tunities for input ori policy decisions and it affect the students for whom they advocate. (Topical Area 6) ity understanding and support. ;rs are knowledgeable about district outcomes gregation and integration. is the school district. is vision for integrated schools. Planned strategies to address this issue include: ■ 'The desegregation/integration Community Collaboration Council includes broad representation from the district at large. Efforts 23 .strict employees to -serve on ■ A communication plan will be developed and implemented that increases the knowledge of the community about outcomes and results of integration efforts. ■ The school board and cabinet will be knowledgeable about the project goals, objectives and implementation so that a positive vision and broad range of support will continue. VI. Evaluation Design The four-year evaluation design includes i Internal Design The internal design is formative in nature, . reveals initiatives or activities conducted throughout the E emphasizes ongoing program improvement, Th,61 evaluation design is shown in Table I in the appe The internal evaluation activitiie§'IW1114; 30, 2012. The scopepf each ev"131", ion level of effort ane expenditure of the spi plan. external components. the major in y 1, 2008 and June consistent with the . )r component of the Evaluative reports WIbeSLqd or pfbsente d to the Community Collahoratlnn C."ounciV", e indivi"; ual(§)�Inost directly responsible for the initiativearid; will r ffiaffi on file with the Desegregation/ outcomes of the 1111fia11 e Integration Program director,"""'Reports will be submitted to the Department of Edu66-fi-P upon request. Evaluation of the district".. two "theme based schools," major initiatives of the 4 -year plan, will be conducted in two phases. The Phase I evaluation question is, what extent does the program promote student academic performance?" (i.e., achievement and behavior). Once the district strategic planning occurs, a Phase 11 evaluation question will be added, "To what extent has the school magnetized students to promote racial balance," thereby eventually measuring both the impact on achievement and the magnetizing properties of the effort. 24 I External Design The external evaluation will provide information and progress toward the larger components of the plan and will capture data from concurrent evaluations including the Minnesota Department of Education's evaluation of The Choice Is Yours program (now subsumed under the federal grant, known as the Minnesota Voluntary Public School Choice Project, MNVPSC) and the West Metro Education Program's comprehensive evaluation. The state MNVPSC evaluation includes impact study. The implementation study funded under the grant, progress on plann activities, and perceptions of effectiveness. extent to which participation in the Choice achievement, attendance, and school clzrna A. Implementation an implerrieritation study and an documents the nature of activities ed activities: participation in key The impact study examines the is Yours program affects student te. The evaluation tasks include: nned and impleepted :activities why) es / activitres (what aiffl how) / actr"vities (where) i (when :and how long) (who) for key grant activities of participants vs. eligible non -participants ;ipation (services received/activities participated) ded, or new service/activity 25 that 'a SC 2. o Analysis of growth for MY participarits and non -participants 2 C The district has req evaluation data,spe participants. The; s four years of Other External Design Any proposal to have an external initiatives specific to the Robb district's evaluation subcominitle of teaching and learning and thea desegregation/integration, resear tan evaluation of > will be reviewed by the ttee includes the director 1 director for and:student services. An external evaluator, if u'scd, will be selected on the following criteria: technical expertise, knowledge and experience with diversity programs, and formal academic traffi, g tri evaluation procedures. External evaluators will meet with cl st&t,,staffand,;the evaluation subcommittee as appropriate. Any final report generated infernally or externally will be submitted to the superintendent and thedesegregat:on community collaboration council and forwarded'to the Department of Education as requested. The report format will include an executive summary and an appendix showing pertinent data. VII. Budget All accounts, records and other evidence pertaining to costs incurred by the desegregation/integration plan will be made available on a regular basis and upon request to the Robbinsdale Area Schools Desegregation Community Collaboration Council. Robbinsdale Area Schools will submit all fiscal and other reports as requested by the Department of Education. 26 t in, ..7 ap o� U •� � V �� � V V a c� O M qV4 a in, ..7 ap o� U •� � V �� � V V a a� w A U� 0 O M qV4 a� w A U� 0 37th Annual League of Minnesota Human Rights. Commissions Conference Celebrating 60 Years`"' of the UNIVERSAL UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights CLARATION OF XUMAN RIGHTS _ Dignity and justice for all of us Strategies to Strengthen & Invigorate Our Communities Nddr--sLBrf `£��p'CS& ls�bili�' � G �,dltcat�lllin� ��x�an �� d�ax` Glltixl NOW Saturday, October 4, 2008 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Kahler Grand Hotel 20 Southwest Second Avenue Rochester, Minnesota �et EVeh1� Afird e �VePt tOb x3 0 Contact Marion Helland JP TG for more information. Marionhelland@comcast.net �ti or 763.546.7469 rwo0 t. Idea Exchange For: • Human Rights Commissioners • Educators • Social Workers • Lawyers • Medical Professionals • City Officials • Human Rights Advocates PLEASE PLACE STAMP HERE "Celebrating 60 Yean of the U Universa! Declaration of Hainan Rights: Strategies to Strengthen and Invigorate Our Communities" League of Minnesota Human Rights Commissions 37`h Annum Conference Saturday, October 4, 2008 Kahler Grand Hotel 20 Southwest Second Avenue Rochester, MN 55902 8:30-9:00 Registration, continental breakfast 9:00-9:30 Business meeting 9:30-10:00 Master of Ceremonies, Larry Clark, LMHRC Board Member Welcome Mayor Ardelle Brede (10 minutes) Gayle Kafl, Chair Olmsted County Human Rights Commission (10 minutes) Evelyn Staus, President League of Minnesota Human Rights Commissions do min) 10:00-10:30 Message from the Minnesota Department of Human Rights Velma Korbel, Minnesota Human Rights Commissioner, Q & A 10-30-10-45 Break 10:45-11-15 Mary Shuttleworth, UN speaker, Q & A 11:15-11:30 Preview of afternoon events 11:30-12:30 Lunch with music Freedom Band 12:30-1:15 Keynote speaker -- Pete Feigal, national speaker, artist and actor, Q & A 1:15-1:45 Human Rights Awards Presentation — Peg Flaherty, LMHRC Vice Pres. 1:45-1:55 Break 1:55-2:55 Breakout session I GLBT speakers, Kristian Maul, Trans Youth Support Network and Haven Herrin, Soulforce Q Q &A Facilitators Breakout session II American Indian Curriculum, Jackie Fraedrich and Marion Helfand Q & A Facilitator: Dave Larsen, Lower Sioux Community and Efitta Gouge, Upper Sioux Community 2:55-3:55 Breakout session III Disability Facilitator, Mary Kay Kennedy, ACT Advocating Change Together Q & A Breakout session IV Can human rights education be a vehicle to "Close the Gap" on race, class, and place disparities?"— Kristi Rudelius Palmer Q&A Facilitator — Dr. Romain Dallemand, Rochester School Supt. 3:55-4:10 Closing — Larry Clark CEU, CLE, POST accreditation applied for 37th Annual LMHRC Conference Registration The 2008 annual conference will be held at Kahler Grand Hotel 20 Southwest Second Avenue Rochester, MN 55902 Saturday, October 4 — 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Friday, October 3, Evening Prior Dinner -- 6:30 p.m. 1. Registration fee*: $85.00 ($100.00 after September 1, 2008) *Fee includes continental breakfast, lunch and snacks Special registration fee of only $70 per person for any Commission or group that registers four or more people before September 1, 2008. Add $25 per person if attending Evening Prior Dinner on October 3, 2. To reserve rooms with Kahler Grand Hotel call The discounted price is $79 + 11% tax per night. This rate expires September 12. Hotel parking ramp free for guests. Free municipal ramp day only. 3. Display space will be available for local HRCs to share information about the work of their commission. Please sign up for a table. -------------------------------------------------------------- Make checks for Conference and Evening Prior payable to LMHRC. Mail form and registration fee to LMHRC c/o Jane McPartland, 635 Maryland Ave. W, #307, St. Paul, MN 55117. Name Address. City Phone_ Email City Organization/Affiliation Special Accommodations Needed State Zip I am interested in bringing a display to the conference. _ I would like information about serving on the League Board of Directors For more information contact Marion Helland, secretary (763) 546-7469, marionhelland@comcast.net PUBLIC FORUM ON EMPLOYMENT SERVICE NEEDS OF INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25 The State Rehabilitation Council, the Department of Employment and Economic Development and the Golden Valley Human Rights Commission will host a public forum on Wednesday, June 25, 2008 in the Golden Valley Council Chambers at the Golden Valley City Hall, 7800 Golden Valley Road, Golden Valley, MN. 55427. MORNING SESSION A panel of community experts will discuss discrimination, disability and employment with council members and visitors, from 9:30 to 11:30am. AFTERNOON SESSION In the afternoon, there will be opportunity for people who care about vocational services and the employment of people with disabilities to address the State Rehabilitation Council, commenting on their experiences and needs related to employment. Real-time captioning and sign language interpreters will be available. The agenda is as follows: 9:00 to 9:30 - Council Business Meeting 9:30 to 11:30 - Panel discussion on Discrimination, Disability and Employment 11:30 to 12:00 - Public Comment 12:00 - BREAK 1:00 to 3:00 - Public Comment 3:00 to 3:15 - Council Break 3:15 to 6:00 - Public Comment The Golden Valley Human Rights commission advises, recommends and assists the Golden Valley City Council in matters of equal opportunity and elimination of unfair discriminatory practices. The Minnesota State Rehabilitation Council is Governor appointed. It is charged with assisting the Department of Employment and Economic Development's Vocational Rehabilitation Program to develop and evaluate statewide employment services for individuals with disabilities. The State Rehabilitation Council jointly hosts public forums with DEED -RS to carryout its responsibilities. To learn more about the State Rehabilitation Council, the council's Annual Report can be obtained at: hftp://www.deed.state.mn.us/rehab/counciIs/src/src.htm Questions can be directed to Gail Lundeen at 651-259-7364. TTY 651-296- 3900 or 1-800-657-3973.