EQUITY AND INCLUSIVENESS

1. EQUITY AND INCLUSIVENESS Jennifer Power 11jp19@queensu.ca Deni Melim 3dht@queensu.ca Kathleen Olmstead 12ko@queensu.ca Paul Godden paul.godden@queensu.ca

2. Introduction “An equitable, inclusive education system is fundamental to achieving these core priorities – and is critical to delivering a high-quality education for all learners”

3. Policy issue / Processes of problem definition • Supreme Court of Canada in 2005 acknowledged racial prejudice against visible minorities • Homophobia, cyberbullying, hate propaganda, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia have risen to the forefront of discussion in Canada. • Racism, religious intolerance, homophobia, gender-based violence is evident in our schools. • Research shows: effects of rejection and bullying on young people (rejection, exclusion, and estrangement) = behaviour problems in school, low interest, low student achievement and high drop out rates. • Only 43 of Ontario’s 72 school boards have some form of equity policy in place.

4. Agenda Setting A system-wide approach was required: • Include goals stated in the Reach Every Student: Energizing Ontario Education document. Goal of inclusive education system in Ontario: • all students, parents, and other members of the school community are welcomed and respected; • every student is supported and inspired to succeed in a culture of high expectations for learning. • To achieve an equitable and inclusive school climate, school boards and schools will strive to ensure that all members of the school community feel safe, comfortable, and accepted. • All staff and students to value diversity and to demonstrate respect for others and a commitment to establishing a just, caring society.

5. Actors • Ministry of Education • Ontario School Boards • Schools: students, parents, principals, teachers, and other staff • Various school committees: school councils, special education advisory committee, parent involvement committee, Diversity committee, and other appropriate committees • Federations and unions • Service organizations and other community partners • Education and equity organizations

6. Policy Instruments / Tools • In accordance with Hood’s (1986) ‘NATO model’. • Nodality-based policy instruments: collection and release of information; advice and exhortation • Tools: Equity and Inclusive Education in Ontario Schools Guidelines for Policy Development and Implementation – sample policies, templates, information resources, publications, teaching resources • Authority-based policy instruments: standard-setting and delegated regulation; self-regulation; advisory committee • Tools: advisory committee support, sample classroom, school and board self-reflection tools • Treasure-based policy instruments: $4 million to school boards to support and promote equity and inclusive education and school safety, and to address harassment in schools • Organization based policy instrument: direct provision

7. Development and Implementation • the ministry to provide direction, support, and guidance • each school board to develop and implement an equity and inclusive education policy • each school to create and support a positive school climate that fosters and promotes equity, inclusive education, and diversity Areas of focus: • Board policies, programs, guidelines, and practices • Shared and committed leadership • School community relationships • Inclusive curriculum and assessment practices • Religious accommodation • School climate and the prevention of discrimination and harassment • Professional learning • Accountability and transparency

8. Process Analysis ofPPM 119 (2009) – Developing and implementing equity and inclusive education policies in Ontario schools April 2009 – Minister released Realizing the Promise of Diversity: Ontario’s Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy (“the strategy”); this document frames a vision for an equitable and inclusive education system. The content of Ontario’s Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy was determined by research on inclusion in relation to student achievement. The collaboration and development of the strategy resulted in the need (cause) for a formal PPM to support the promise of diversity through the education system.

9. Process Analysis The purpose of PPM 119 is to provide direction to school boards on the review, development, implementation and monitoring of equity and inclusive education policies to support student achievement. The Ministry of Education released several PPMs to support equity, student achievement and positive school climates prior to 2009; PPM 119 (2009) replaced those policies through a policy review cycle.

10. Process Analysis Several boards in the province expanded previous antiracism and ethnocultural policies (prior to 2009) into more inclusive equity policies to address a wider range of discriminatory practices (including intersecting factors); despite widening of policies, some groups of students still encountered barriers. PPM 119 (2009) now takes into account an even broader range of equity factors, supports and expands on the principles of antiracism and ethno-cultural equity.

11. Historical Analysis References: • Realizing the Promise of Diversity: Ontario’s Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy - April 6, 2009 • PPM 119 - 1993 - Development and Implementation of School Board Policies on Antiracism and Ethnocultural Equity. (Purpose: In accordance with an amendment made in 1992 to the Education Act, every school board shall develop a policy on antiracism and ethnocultural equity, as well as a plan for implementing its policy. Boards shall then submit their policies and plans to the Minister for approval, and implement changes as directed by the Minister.) • Section 93 of the Constitution Act, 1867 gives the provinces the exclusive right to govern education, subject to the preservation of denominational education rights. • Section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms enshrines minority language education rights, subject to certain limitations. • Ontario Human Rights Code 1961

12. Historical Analysis Moving forward from 1993 (Why a needed revision?) • In addition, it is now recognized that such factors as race, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, gender, and class can intersect to create additional barriers for some students. • Many organizations, including the United Nations, are recognizing the compounding impact of such intersections on discrimination. • Ministry and board policies, therefore, should also take intersecting factors into account… expands on this policy and is not a weakened…commitment to anti-racism or enthocultural equity UNESCO International conversation: • Everyone Has a Right to an Education (2011) • Education for All (2007) • Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006) • Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action (1994) - special needs education • Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989)

13. Historical/Content Analysis • Referenced Research: Goleman, D. (2006).Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships. New York, NY: Bantam.

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17. Content Analysis • Do define equity, diversity, inclusive education for the purposes of this policy(p. 8/9). • http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/extra/eng/ppm/119.html

18. Logical Evaluation – Does the policy makesense? Boards are able to adapt their policy to reflect local needs and circumstances. The Board is committed to an equitable education system that upholds and reflects the principles of fair and inclusive education which should permeate all policies, programs, practices, and operations. (ALCDSB policy statement). • the policy and administrative procedures follow a logical process including a rationale, guiding principles, purpose, procedures, appendix, associated documents, references • instruments are embedded within the ALCDSB policy to meet the criteria of all 8 eight areas of focus as outlined in the Equity and Inclusive Education strategy,Realizing the Promise of Diversity: Guidelines for Policy Development and Implementation (2009) and meet the requirements of PPM 119

19. Logical Evaluation: Consequences of the Policy Intended: all students in publicly funded schools are included and welcomed into public schools; barriers to achievement are identified and eliminated; achievement for all students increases; Question:How are the outcomes of this policy measured? Unintended:hypersensitivity; painting all schools with the same brush; some PPMs may contradict the equity and inclusive policy (i.e. PPM 140) Questions:Is it necessary to have a policy specific to education given the protection already provided by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Ontario Human Rights Code (along with several other protective documents)? Has the impetus for PPM 119 been driven by isolated issues in large urban areas that has resulted in a large sweeping policy for all?

20. Empirical Evaluation Is the policy being implemented? Is there documentation in place? Does the board or a school have the mechanism in place to review the efficiency and efficacy of the policy? Given (2), what is the real/actual impact of the policy?

21. Empirical Evaluation – The Catholic DistrictSchool Board of eastern Ontario (CDSBEO) Boards are able to adapt their policy to reflect local needs and circumstances. Implementation: Yes, there is a policy in place, meeting the eight areas of focus mentioned previously, but it’s not quite the PPM 119 exemplar: The Board recognizes that the school system gives pre-eminence to the tenets of the Catholic faith, congruent with the protection afforded in the Ontario Human Rights Code, the Constitution Act, 1982 and confirmed in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. http://www.cdsbeo.on.ca/PDF/B13_Equity-Inclusive_Education.pdf School Operations - Equity and Inclusive Education Board Motion No.: 10-09-325 September 21st 2010

22. Empirical Evaluation Is there a mechanism of review? Nothing is obvious from CDSBEO web site, and personal communications with a local head teacher show that there’s no formal / structured method of feedback to the board.

23. Empirical Evaluation • Given (2), what is the real / actual impact of the policy? • Difficult to tell really… • The government track the implementation of board level equity policies, but the onus is on the board and schools to evaluate their own equity policy. • The strategy document suggests that school boards employ surveys to collect demographic data and perceptions about inequity to assist in evaluating the policy. Bill 13 (2012): An Act to amend the Education Act with respect to bullying and other matters – makes such surveys mandatory. • The government also encourages teachers to use formal and informal assessments to evaluate the progress of the strategy and school boards are required to communicate the results of their policy assessments – yet no standard tools of measurement to evaluate the impact of the equity strategy exist.

24. Ethical Evaluation Government guidelines direct school boards to have a religious accommodation policy and to communicate the policy to schools. The Ministry cites the Ontario Human Rights Commission, which defines religion as “a professed system and confession of faith, including both beliefs and observances or worship” (p. 25). The commission omits secular, moral or ethical beliefs or political convictions and religions that incite hatred towards other groups.

25. Ethical Evaluation • Some ethical concerns… • Toronto District School Board curriculum guide: teacher’s resource – Challenging Homophobia and Heterosexism. • Suggested exercise for the JK-3 grade level was for the school to have their own Pride Parade and to invite the media and representatives from Pride Toronto or similar organizations. • Educational experience or activism and media event? • School boards will have to manage the appropriate participation of special interest groups in schools. • Ast, D. (2011). Challenging homophobia and heterosexism: A K-12 curriculum resource guide. Toronto District School Board Equitable and Inclusive Schools, pp. 56-57. Retrieved from http://www.tdsb.on.ca/_site/ViewItem.asp?siteid=15&menuid=40688&pageid=34067

26. Activity The Ontario Equity and Inclusive Education Policy addresses the need to identify and change institutional policies and procedures and individual behaviour and practices that are racist in their impact, if not in intent.

27. Activity There is growing recognition that educational structures, policies, and programs have been mainly European in perspective and have failed to take into account the viewpoints, experiences, and needs of Aboriginal peoples and many racial and ethnocultural minorities. As a result, systemic inequities exist in the school system that limit the opportunities for Aboriginal and other students and staff members of racial and ethnocultural minorities to fulfill their potential. Educators therefore need to identify and change institutional policies and procedures and individual behaviour and practices that are racist in their impact, if not in intent.

28. That’s All Folks! Thanks for Listening! Jennifer Power 11jp19@queensu.ca Deni Melim 3dht@queensu.ca Kathleen Olmstead 12ko@queensu.ca Paul Godden paul.godden@queensu.ca