102.1 POLICY: EQUITY

Designated & Approved August 15, 2022
Revised, Reviewed: June 2025
Approved: August 18, 2025

102.1 POLICY: EQUITY

I. PURPOSE

The purpose and mission of Robbinsdale Area Schools’ (RAS) Equity Policy is to inspire and educate all learners to develop their unique potential and positively contribute to their community: See All, Serve All, Support All. The Unified District Vision (UDV) and Board Core Values are embodied by the RAS Equity Definition.

II. GENERAL STATEMENT OF POLICY

1. RAS defines equity as setting the conditions, to the extent possible, to assure access and opportunity for ALL students, while eliminating gaps in performance based on race, socio-economic status, and home language. Discriminatory policies and practices are not tolerated.
2. RAS is committed to the provision of a barrier-free learning environment. Graduating students ready for careers, skilled trades, and continuing education is our priority. We will actively eliminate district policies, structures, and practices which perpetuate inequities and contribute to disproportionality in access and outcomes.
3. Recognition of the strengths within our staff and students is an essential core value. These strengths are related to factors such as: race; culture; identity; ethnicity; home language; national origin; socioeconomic status; gender; sexual orientation; age; ability; religion; and physical appearance.
4. To secure this vision, RAS will focus on the individual and unique needs of each student. We will pursue the following priorities to advance equity:
   1. Implement policies and practices that open pathways to academic excellence for all students;
   2. Utilize culturally responsive teaching and personalized learning for all students;
   3. Engage family and community members as partners; and
   4. Engage and empower students by amplifying student voice.

III. FULFILLING THE UNIFIED DISTRICT VISION THROUGH EQUITY

1. In our work to fulfill the requirements of Comprehensive Achievement and Civic Readiness (CACR) and live up to our mission, we embrace the following shared values, and adopt them as the framework for our collective efforts to prepare each student to develop their unique potential. We commit to ensuring fairness, equity and inclusion as essential principles of our district, fully integrating those principles into all our governance, leadership, policies, programs, operations and practices. We commit to providing a district-wide culture which:
   1. Holds high expectations of students and staff, through appreciation of varied teaching and learning styles.
   2. Allows for individualized and systemic personal development opportunities that support staff and students.
   3. Intentionally utilize culturally relevant and responsive curricula, and pathways that widen access to educational opportunities and lifelong success.
   4. Identify, develop and apply best instructional practices that have demonstrably made a positive difference for students to reduce prevalent and persistent learning outcome gaps.
   5. Allocate the many financial, capital and human resources of RAS equitably.
   6. Facilitate equitable access to co-curricular and extra-curricular activities, social services, tutoring, and enrichment opportunities.
   7. Engage, and collaborate with our families, caregivers, students, residents, communities, and stakeholders promoting their active involvement as an essential component of the district’s responsibility for effective and equitable governance.
2. The Board has the expectation all district staff, contracted employees and community partners, will be accountable for building a district-wide culture of equity.
3. The equity policy is the lens guiding existing and future policies which impact student learning and resource allocation. Our district’s policy development process will utilize insights from the equity policy. The Superintendent is charged to develop a plan with measurable accountability standards and procedures that can be reported transparently to the public.
4. The Equity Policy of Robbinsdale Area Schools will be reviewed annually and approved by the Board.