DEIB Alignment to KDE Priorities

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The Division of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) works in alignment with other Department of Education divisions to promote the United We Learn vision and provide guidance on equity concerns, presentations, data discussions and more! The division’s alignment to United We Learn can be seen through promoting the creation of inclusive environments that create belonging and allow for students to engage in vibrant learning experiences. This alignment image​ illustrates the many different levers the department, districts and schools have to advance equity. Each lever provides an opportunity for choice points where actions may advance equity or may not. It is the mission of the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) to make sure every student is equipped for the future.​​

Our Vision and United We Learn​

Each student and educator in Kentucky feels a sense of belonging.​

​In order to support Kentucky’s vision for education, United We Learn, one of the fundamental precursors to a vibrant learning environment, is creating a sense of belonging for all students and educators. A sense of belonging in schools describes the degree to which learners believe, experience and feel that they are accepted and respected as a valued contributor in their learning and social environment. By valuing the strengths in our diverse experiences, creating equitable access and learning opportunities, and collaborating to include the voice of each learner and family, a strong sense of belonging will be cultivated, and in turn, each student will be empowered and equipped to pursue a successful future. Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, at its core, is innovative because the work aims to problem solve and remove barriers that prevent students from experiencing a sense of belonging or from meeting their full potential. 

Our Mission​ and The Kentucky Board of Education

Create and deepen partnerships to remove long-standing barriers to equity by providing supports in developing an equity lens, elevating student, family and educator voice, and promoting equitable, inclusive and healing learning communities.​

In addition to supporting United We Learn, the Division Team of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging leans heavily on the Kentucky Board of Education's resolution affirming its commitment to racial equity in Kentucky public schools through a resolution adopted on July 10, 2020. The Kentucky Board of Education and the Kentucky Department of Education believe all students should have ​the necessary supports to reach their full potential as students and human beings. Our goal is to close the opportunity gap for all students and to prepare them for life and future success.​

Our Theory of Change

Culturally sustaining practices lead to student belonging which leads to vibrant learning experiences/engagement and student success.

• ​Importance in Kentucky: ​High-Quality Instructional Resources require:
  
• "engaging texts (books, multimedia, etc.), tasks and assessments"
  
• "fostering vibrant student learning experiences"
  
• resources that are "culturally relevant, free from bias; and accessible for all students"
  
• Importance in Kentucky: Kentucky Impacts Working Conditions Data from 2023-2024 shared that:
  
• ​Only 39% of educators responded favorably (frequently or almost always) to "How often do adults at your school have important conversations about sensitive issues of diversity, even when they might be uncomfortable?" 
  

• Research shows that ignoring or avoiding race-related topics may increase harm while discussing these topics can reduce harm for all students (Gonzales, D, et al., 2022).

​​Our Work and Portrait of a Learner

​Working to create environments of belonging for every student and educator models for students the skills and the environments central to the goals of Portrait of a Learner, specifically by demonstrating what it means to be an engaged citizen, effective communicator and productive collaborator. Empowered learning, critical thinking and creativity thrive in classrooms when students feel a sense of belonging and they see what it looks like and means to be an engaged citizen, effective communicator and productive collaborator.   

• Engaged Citizen: Shows respect and empathy across differences, embraces diversity of opinion, seeks cultural understanding, participates in the democratic process to challenge the status quo, and makes a positive impact on their community and the world. 
• Critical Thinker: Thinks deeply and makes informed decisions to create solutions or new understanding supported by relevant and reliable evidence. 
• Effective Communicator: Engages diverse audiences respectfully by exchanging ideas and information responsibly, listening actively, speaking and writing clearly, and using print and digital media appropriately. 
• Empowered Learner: Demonstrates mastery and application of academic competencies. Develops the skills and dispositions to persist through difficulties and plan for a future of self-improvement. 
• Creative Contributor: Interprets experiences, imagines and plays with new possibilities with curiosity, and creates approaches that are novel, useful, and valued by the world around them. 
• Productive Collaborator: Engages with others to achieve a common goal through building positive relationships, actively listening, showing empathy, and making individual contributions to a larger group.

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