CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF BLACK SCHOOL EDUCATORS

Resolution No. 19-1

A RESOLUTION OF THE CABSE BOARD OF GOVERNORS ADOPTING “THE BLUEPRINT” & ACCOMPANYING STRATEGIES TO ENHANCE EDUCATIONAL EQUITY FOR BLACK STUDENTS

WHEREAS, Black students as a group consistently rank at the bottom or near the bottom of California state indicators in the areas of math, ELA, access to advance-placement courses, A-G completion rates, and college completion rates in the State of California; and

WHEREAS, Black students are at great risk of being inaccurately perceived by educators as more disobedient and less able to achieve, impacting their prospects for being treated equitably in the classroom and access to education attainment and opportunity; and

WHEREAS, Such negative stereotypes about Black students are consistently reinforced and promulgated in mainstream news media, causing a need to counter the impact of these negative perceptions through programs, policies and pathways that assist Black students in achieving their untapped potential; and

WHEREAS, The California Association of Black School Educators (CABSE) is a non-partisan organization consisting of elected and appointed school officials, administrators and instructors from across California who are committed to advancing equity for Black students; and

WHEREAS, Our mission is to expand the PK-14 educational opportunities available to all students in California, with an emphasis on under-represented and under-served black students, by enacting policies that will strengthen student performance while bolstering opportunities for college and career readiness, to ensure competency and lifelong success; and

WHEREAS, CABSE leverages formal and informal partnerships and provides professional development to improve education practices, policy innovation, and leadership development in the context of achieving equity in education for black students; and

WHEREAS, Our flagship event is the Annual CABSE Conference, which brings together educational leaders from across California for engaging and informative sessions designed to ignite change on behalf of students; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the CABSE Governing Board will adopt a framework, called “The Blueprint” of recommended strategies designed to interact intentionally on behalf of advancing educational equity for Black students; and be it further

Resolved, That the Blueprint framework will be co-designed in concert with CABSE stakeholders and will be put forth as a living document and guiding strategy for school districts desiring to once and for all reduce the achievement gap for Black students and open doors to bright futures and unprecedented opportunity; and be it further

Resolved, That the Blueprint framework will be grounded in evidence-based and emerging practices intended to work in concert. These core strategies include:

Strategy 1 – Apply a holistic “Cradle-to-Career” lens to district-wide priorities and initiatives, ensuring that students’ access to educational supports and opportunities are maximized across their path 

• • Early Care & Education (ECE)
    • Full-day Kindergarten, Preschool, TK,
    • Early Mental Health Identification and Intervention prior to school enrollment
    • Mitigate Black Infant Mortality
    • Activate parents as their child’s #1 champion and advocate
  • Afterschool Services & Innovative Extracurricular Programs/Partnerships; Dual-Language Immersion;
  • CTE / Dual-Enrollment / Early College High-Schools

Strategy 2 – Embrace Technology as the Great Equity Equalizer

• • Future-oriented coursework and technical skills; i.e. 21^st Century Classrooms
  • Increase achievement corridors via GATE, AP, and IB coursework
  • Education + Career Pathways for the jobs of tomorrow, not today
  • Employ use of Equity Self-Reflection Tool to analyze exposure to and recruitment of students of color in innovative technology-based programming

Strategy 3 – Challenge Inherent Bias & Promote Positive Campus Climates

• • Disaggregating data by race in order to address disparities
    • Measure Graduation Rates; ELA + Math Scores; Disciplinary Data; Parent Engagement
    • Participation in GATE, AP, and College Readiness Courses; Dual-Enrollment & Early College; Extracurriculars and Career-Boosting Opportunities, etc.
  • Incorporation of Social Emotional Learning and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support to ensure equity
  • Oppose Use of ACT/SAT Testing as a Factor in College Admissions
  • Eliminating Willful Defiance Suspensions/Expulsion in favor of evidence-based alternatives
  • Providing a Trauma-Informed Education coupled with ample Mental Health Support
  • Meaningful and authentic incorporation of Ethnic Studies Curriculum that align with A-G requirements, like all classroom courses should
  • Cultural Humility Training and Promotion of Culturally Diverse & Competent Workforce to match student identities
    • Content of Curriculum, Staff Trainings, and School Materials