Student and Family Resources

​​​​​​​​

This page contains diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging resources for students and families.

​

​

​​​

​​Navigating the Page:

​​A quick way to search this page is to click the “ctrl” key and “f” key on your keyboard at the same time. Then in the box that opens in the top right corner of your screen, type in the key terms you are searching for and it will complete a search and tell you the number of times your key terms are on the page and will highlight the key terms throughout the page. If you have a Mac you will follow the same steps but instead click the “command” key and the “f” key at the same time to scan for the key terms you are looking for. Search for how to use the "ctrl f" feature to search quickly on youtube to see a video of this process.

Resources are organized by: 

• Equity and Academic Resources
• Family Resources
  
• Wellbeing Resources
• Addressing Harassment / Discrimination / Bullying Resources
• Using Data for Equity
  
• Understanding Policy & Law
  
• Important Terms and Definitions​
  

Equity and Academic Resources: 

​​​Resource Thumbnail​	​Resource	​What You Should Know About This Resource
​	​Students' Voices Matter: Commissioner's Student Advisory Council	​–Encourage students to sign up to be a member of the Commissioner’s Student Advisory Council to meet monthly to discuss their educational experiences. If interested, you may email the contact on the bottom of the linked page.
​	​School Report Card Suite	​–This page will help you find the information needed to learn about your student’s school’s performance as well as how to stay up to date on: grades, assignments, attendance, schedules and announcements.  –This page: Links to the online School Report Card (SRC) Portal Links to supplemental data on Open House Links to real-time data available to parents and students on the Campus Portal  Provides the Kentucky Department of Education Data Services contact
​	​Financial Literacy Standards and Resources	​–Learn more about financial organizations and financial literacy education resources at sites like Banzai, Cash Course, Everfi and Money Geek.
​	​​Individual Learning Plan (ILP)	​–In 2023, it is mandated by 704 KAR 3305 that all 6th through 12th graders have an individual learning plan to focus on career exploration and life after high school.
​	​Career and Technical Education (CTE)	​–Learn about CTE dual credit and earning recognized industry certifications and credentials.

Family Resources:

​​​​​​Document Thumbnail	​Resource	​What You Should Know About This Resource
​	​Family Involvement	​–Visit this page to learn about the Division of Family Resource and Youth Services Centers as well as find resources such as links to CDC’s Parents for Healthy Schools.
​	​Family and School Partnerships	​–This page includes resources on these topics: Parent and Family Resources Parent and Family Rights Family Engagement  Global Family Research Project Partners in Education: A Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships Kentucky Collaborative for Families and Schools Kentucky Special Parent Involvement Network (KY-SPIN) National Association of Family, School and Community Engagement (NAFSCE)
​	​Parent and Family Toolbox	​–This page includes resources on these topics: Advocacy and Support Organizations Family Engagement  Disabilities and Special Education  Standards, Assessment and Accountability Resources for Guardians Additional Alternate Assessment  Non-Traditional (NTI) and Distance Learning  Student Records  Transition and Employment  Mental Health  School Safety  Contacts –This page is owned by the Office of Special Education and Early Learning (OSEEL).
​	​Kentucky Board of Education's Resolution Affirming Its Commitment to Racial Equity​	​​–This three-page resolution from 2020 states the Kentucky Board of Education’s commitment to racial equity.  –A resolution is a formal document stating the position, will or intent of the board that has been voted on and passed by the board during a meeting (Merriam-Webster). This document does not have the power of law.  –This document was created by the Kentucky Board of Education.​

Wellbeing Resources:

​​Document Thumbnail	​Resource	​What You Should Know About This Resource
​​	​Comprehensive School Counseling Page​	​–This page explains comprehensive school counseling and provides resources including:  Role of a Kentucky School Counselor Defined Kentucky Framework of Best Practices for School Counselors Kentucky Multi-Tiered System of Supports for School Counselors 3 Domains of School Counseling –This page is owned by the Office of Teaching and Learning.
​	​Addressing Race-Based Stress and Trauma	​​–This five-page document defines the following terms and discusses their impact on students and staff: racial trauma vicarious/secondary discrimination microaggressions macroaggressions marginalization intergenerational trauma historical trauma –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). –This document was created by the Office of Teaching and Learning Division of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging.
​	​Trauma-Informed Toolkit​	​–Resources in the Trauma-Informed Toolkit include: Understanding Trauma and Traumatic Stress  What Is a Trauma-Informed School?  Trauma-Informed Teams  Trauma-Informed Active Shooter Drills Handle with Care Trauma-Informed Lockdown Drills Trauma-Informed Discipline Response and Behavior System –This page is owned by the Office of Continuous Improvement and Support Division of Student Success.

Addressing Harassment / Discrimination / Bullying Resources:

​Resource Thumbnail​	​Resource	​What You Should Know About This Resource
​​	​Speak Up At School: A Learning For Justice Pocket Guide	​–This pocket guide shares four strategies for speaking up against harmful language and situations. Watch the one minute video to learn how to fold and create your own pocket guide.    –This document can help you: learn strategies for speaking up against hurtful language and situations  build confidence around speaking up  speak up for students who may be experiencing harassment or bullying in the moment  proactively teach students how to stand up for themselves and other students BEFORE an event occurs share strategies with other adults to create an Up-Stander (when you see something, say something) culture at your school and home –This document was created by Learning for Justice.​
​	​Welcoming Schools, Human Rights Campaign Foundation–Bullying Intervention: What to Do When You Witness Bullying	​–This one page document provides actionable steps for educators and staff to address bullying in the moment.  –The steps include: Stop the bullying Name the bullying behavior Support the student who has been bullied. Then, remove them from the scene.  Engage the bystanders Address the student that was bullying Follow up with the student being bullied Reminders and Tips

Using Data for Equity Resources:

​​​Resource Thumbnail	​Resource	​What You Should Know About This Resource
​	​The Kentucky Department of Education's Equity Dashboard (Data)	​–The equity dashboard provides live, inward facing data on the under- or over-representation of various demographic groups on several indicators:  special education chronic absenteeism in-school suspension out-of-school suspension gifted and talented advanced coursework/dual credit CTE coursework CTE completers and benchmarks –The dashboard is designed to offer a “big picture” look to help schools and districts identify areas needing further attention. –Reach out to your school leader to request data and find out who has access to the dashboard in Infinite Campus at your school or district.  –The Equity Dashboard was created by The Office of Teaching and Learning Kentucky Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (KyMTSS) Coordinator and the Division of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging.

Important Terms and Definitions:​

Equity: The promotion of access, opportunity and advancement of all ​individuals, including those in underserved communities, in order to identify and eliminate conditions that prevent the ability of all students to reach their full potential. See our homepage for a definition of underserved communities.  ​

Culturally Sustaining/Responsive Practices: Culturally sustaining/responsive practices utilize High-Quality Instructional Resources and asset-based mindsets to create an inclusive environment where each student, particularly those from underserved communities, feels a sense of belonging and are held to high expectations with Kentucky Academic Standards and grade-level appropriate content. These practices create vi​brant learning experiences that provide student choice and voice, are student-led, meaningful to students and allow students to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways. They also reflect students’ cultural identities throughout the curriculum. Finally, these practices celebrate and leverage students’ cultures and identities and provide opportunities to broaden perspectives by learning about other cultures.

Asset-based language: Language that affirms a positive and growth-mindset about students in which the individual focuses on strengths and views students as capable of the essential skills and attributes associated with academic success, motivation, self-efficacy and individual effort. For example, students who are learning to speak English might be called “multilingual learners” to focus on their strength in learning to know more than one language rather than saying “English language learners” which focuses on an area students need to learn and improve upon (Fitchburg State University, Policy Review With An Equity Lens). 

Culture: Each individual has their own cultural norms informed by their family, communities and lived experiences. There are three levels of culture (Hammond, Jackson, & Corwin, 2015). 

• Observable elements, such as food, music, dress and holidays, have a lower emotional charge.
• Unspoken rules and social norms, such as, nonverbal communication, eye contact, personal space, have a strong emotional charge. 
• Worldview (such as core beliefs and group values), cultural archetypes (such as collective vs. individual) and mental models (such as funds of knowledge) have an intense emotional charge​

​

​​​​

​

​​