Actualizing Equity & Inclusion

Conversations on the Behavioral Impacts of Personal & Organizational Bias

Culture, Equity, Leadership Team Office of Equity & InclusionDenver Public SchoolsBill de la Cruz bill_delacruz@dpsk12.org 720-423-3239

Roles • Me: • Facilitate – 50% Content – 50% facilitate• Challenge the Status Quo• Push/ Probe• Model Behaviors• You:• Challenge the Status Quo• Push/Probe• Own the work• Stay Engaged - Use Your Voice• Build Team Dynamics

Agenda

• Introductions

• Working Agreements

• Purposeful Conversation/Deep Listening

• Conversations on Bias

• Next Steps – Strategic Planning

Working Agreements

• No judgment that leads to blame or shame

• No side conversations

• Respectful use of electronics

Why Are We Here Today?

Awareness of the impacts of Bias when in relationships

Honest Self Observation

To understand the evolution & behavioral impacts of individual and systemic Bias.

To examine our perception of ourselves

Changing the Paradigm of Language

• Inclusion and Equity are active words – Action has to be engaged

• Going to a workshop is action and not the work

• Collaboration and conversations are foundational

Research Base

Cognitive Bias•Unconscious evaluations /evidence that people use as the basis of decision making rather than engage in a more detailed analysis and reasoning process, (MacGregor, 2002). •Carol Dweck – Mindset research on the Impacts of Fixed and Growth Mind sets - Stanford•Ron Heifetz – Research on Adaptive Leadership Harvard Kennedy School•Heuristic – Researchers have found that people rely on rules of thumb, when making decisions. These simplifying strategies are called heuristics. (Bazerman & Moore, 1970)

Equity: We Celebrate our Diversity and Will Provide Necessary Resources and Supports to

Eliminate Barriers to Success and Foster a More Equitable Future For All Our Kids.

True educational equity is not the same as equality.

In decisions regarding educational equity, the following must be considered:

•Opportunity: An equal opportunity to gain entry.

•Access: All students are provided educational experiences that ensure the achievement of certain uniform goals and objectives.

•Inclusive Process: A state beyond nondiscrimination that is characterized by fair and just, but not identical treatment.

•Implementation: Differentiation Based on Need

Adapted from The College Board. (2000). Educational equity school level services PACESETTER July, 19, 2001.

Systemic Equity Outcomes

PURPOSEFUL CONVERSATION

Clear Deep Listening

What is bias?

Bias, Influence and Building Relationships

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new

landscapes but in having new eyes.”

-Marcel Proust

“What’s new in your eyes?”

Action Steps

Leaders of the best performing organizations defined their jobs in terms of identifying and constantly

communicating commonly held values, shaping such values to enhance performance, ensuring the

capability of people around them, and living the commonly held values.” (Heskett & Schlesinger, 1996. P.112)

Turn & Talk

• What are 2 – 3 things you will infuse into your Leadership model from our work today?

• What do you see as next steps in this process for you?

Whole Group Share

• What is something you are thinking about?

• What will you take back to your community as the leader from our work today?

• What are your next steps?