MiddletownJournal.com

With a growing population of Lakota students, diversity means students from multiple countries and racial backgrounds. It also means students with gifted abilities and students with learning disabilities. It is students with religious preferences and students with dietary needs.

"I think when you talk about diversity, we're really talking about the acceptance of all people," Superintendent Mike Taylor said.

That means ensuring curriculum is inclusive and provides students with diverse examples of people and ideas, he said. Signs in the buildings must be diverse, and teachers must be sensitive to culture, religion and background.

"It's truly meaning 'all students,' " he said. "That's the challenge."

Taylor recently enlisted the help of diversity experts to help create a district awareness about inclusion, so all students may achieve to their greatest potential.

Some administrators are studying a book called "Cultural Proficiency" by Ray Terrell, Miami University assistant dean for diversity and research. A dozen teachers were sent to Central State University for a seminar on managing culturally diverse classrooms. Taylor said one goal is to remove barriers for student learning by working with administrators, teachers and community members.

Community dialogue

Leadership councils are in the process of forming, Taylor said. At least 15 people will work with him, sharing the development and implementation of the plan.

"It's a dynamic process," said Art Shriberg, the Lakota Local School District's consultant from Developing Inclusive School Communities and Organizations. "The goal is to get people a variety or roles, a variety of approaches to diversity.

"For this to be effective, the people on the councils and in the administration really need to own (ideas). They need to come up with them. They need to understand them. We're consultants. Consultants don't change systems, per se. We provide the tools for systems to change themselves. We are not going to unveil, at any point, the dramatic answer."

Self-evaluation

Part of the process of creating a culturally proficient district is self-evaluation, Terrell said.

"First of all, before you can understand anybody else, it's imperative you understand who you are," he said. "Identity issues are important to students. The way they see themselves and they way they are seen by others makes a world of difference."

Lakota's program will address all achievement gaps, he said, while at the same time improving interpersonal relationships between students, staff and teachers.

"The goal of the Lakota situation is one that we call 'developing cultural competence at all levels,' and look at all the various aspects of the system to build on positives and work to eliminate the negatives that are in the way," Terrell said.

Step one is to create the awareness of the issues, he said, and one in particular is demographics.

"I think what's happened in Lakota has happened in a lot of places across the country," he said. "The population has grown and changed very rapidly."

The district has not gotten ahead of the growth and has not be able to deal with the issues in depth, he said.

"They kind of got flat-footed and are not in the process of really taking a hard look at a way they can move forward," he said.

Lakota has accomplished many good things in the areas of diversity," Shriberg said, but he agreed it has challenges.

"The process of evaluating the district will include surveys, gathering of data and assessing the current state of the district," he said. "What happens is we pull as this together. We as consultants help them see where best practices are in other school districts."

From there, some intensive and some small changes are made.

"It's not secret they'd like a different demographic mix in terms of teachers and staff," he said. "We do know students are more likely to achieve when they feel people like them are leveraged and treated well in the system."

To start, he said people must have a basic understanding of where they are in their own diversity journey.

"I don't think you can teach it if you don't model it," he said. "Diversity lessons are taught on the school bus, in the cafeteria as well as in the school classroom."

Shriberg said his goal is to get each school in the county to take on this program and form diversity councils.

A comprehensive approach

"Frankly, I think all schools should look at all levels of diversity," Shriberg said. "My own belief is it's wise for lots of reasons to look at several elements of diversity ... not just race. Race is a very difficult one to begin with," he said.

The goal, he said, is to make a working and learning environment where everyone feels comfortable and valued. This, he said, will make everyone more productive.

In the next school year, a pilot student-based program and some family-based programs will launch.

"Everybody wants to get going and that's where the rubber meets the road," Shriberg said. "We're going to move forward as best we can."

Contact this reporter at (513) 755-5067 or lhilty@coxohio.com.

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