Whether banning books containing LGBTQ narratives or implementing policies that make it difficult for students to enter bathrooms that align with their gender preferences, it can be argued that many of these students find it difficult to feel welcome in their schools.
Take a minute to reflect on your own schools’ policies, district leader. How would you rate them on inclusivity? Do your students feel a sense of belonging, no matter their sexual orientation? If you’re unsure how to on your own, here’s how you can find out.
Back in October, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began promoting “LGBTQ Inclusivity in Schools,” a self-assessment tool that allows users, particularly administrators, teachers and support staff to gauge how inclusive their schools are.
School administrators: Our LGBTQ inclusivity self-assessment tool can help you quickly gauge inclusivity at your school. See your score today and learn ways to increase inclusivity: https://t.co/mXgPtVtg24 pic.twitter.com/R2cWbynZ1n
— CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health (@CDC_DASH) December 27, 2022
“School and district staff who are interested in facilitating a more inclusive environment for LGBTQ students can use this tool to assess individual-level knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors that foster inclusivity, in addition to determining strengths and weaknesses in current school-level inclusive policies, programs, and practices,” the CDC’s report reads.
According to the CDC, administrators can expand access to the tool to a variety of users, including:
- Board leaders
- District/central office administrators
- Principals
- Instructional leaders and coaches
- Teachers
- Support staff/aides
- Health service staff
- Resource officers
- Staff members of partnering community organizations (not-for-profits, faith-based institutions, etc.)
Here are some examples of how the assessment tool measures inclusivity for administrators specifically:
School health policies
- I enforce non-discrimination, harassment, and bullying policies for all students, including LGBTQ students.
- This statement applies to me a great deal.
- This statement applies moderately to me.
- This statement applies to me minimally.
Programs and Practices
- I elicit feedback from students or school staff about the implementation of policies intended to create safe and supportive environments for LGBTQ students.
- I do this frequently.
- I do this occasionally.
- I do this rarely or never.
School administrator professional development
- I attend training and professional development focused on creating safe and supportive environments for LGBTQ students.
- Annually, I attend training and professional development focused on creating safe and supportive environments for LGBTQ students.
- Every few years, I attend training and professional development focused on creating safe and supportive environments for LGBTQ students.
- I never attend training and professional development focused on creating safe and supportive environments for LGBTQ students.
Once users complete their self-assessment test, they will receive one of three scores:
- Highly Inclusive: “You re doing great work,” the report reads. “You do a lot to support LGBTQ students and work toward an inclusive environment.”
- Moderately Inclusive: “You are working on the building blocks of inclusivity, doing some things that encourage supportive and LGBTQ inclusive environments, but you still have room to grow.”
- Minimally Inclusive: “You are not yet well prepared to provide inclusive and supportive environments for LGBTQ students.”
Additionally, each user will receive tips and resources on how to grow in this area based on their score and their job type. For example, administrators who score minimally inclusive will be given a diverse list of webinars and guides that include recommendations for school policies and ideals designed to foster an inclusive school environment.
What’s important for administrators to understand when using this tool is that honesty is crucial, according to the report.
“The end-goal is to help you better serve your students,” it reads. “The more honest you are, the more answers you will get to help you plan ways to improve.”
Learn more about how you can create safer and supportive school environments for your district.
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