Hamilton County’s Community Vision for

Educational EquityLead Facilitation Team:

Ashley Conrad and Alexa LeBoeuf

Action Plan for

Educational eXcellence

thank you

The APEX Project

2

We would not have accomplished the authentic outreach required of a grassroots organizing campaign without the support and leadership of the APEX Steering Committee. Thank you to this group of compassionate leaders who made this work possible.

Alayna BakerLisa BolusSamantha BoucherTamarah DanielMarie DeanAriel FordCary GarrettReginald GilmoreDick Graham

Annie HallMichael R. HarrisRodney JohnsonKimberly MathisLorean MaysJennie MorelandJamie PettyJessica PhillipsGladys Pineda-Loher

Francesa QuarlesLili ReynoldsSteve SlaterElizabeth TallmanRachel TurnerFrida UwimanaTara VilanJim Watson

We want to personally thank the talented researchers, April Howell, Cate Irvin, and Alea Tveit, who acted as both leaders and dedicated team members during the data analysis and research phases of the APEX Project.

The APEX Project’s organizing and listening process was dependent on the support of community members (you!) across our county who openly shared their experiences and ideas during the listening phase of the Project.

We also want to thank the leaders and educators from across our community who wake up every day committed to serving this community’s children. Thank you for your tireless efforts for our community and for taking the time to sit down with UnifiEd staff during the outreach phases of the APEX Project.

Lastly, this work was supported by the UnifiEd staff that worked to lead EdTalks, input data, and create communication materials.

Jonas BarriereDonivan Brown Abi BurgessAshley ConradNatalie Cook

Keely GillilandMatt JohnsonMeara KnowlesFelipe LaraAlexa LeBoeuf

Paul NormanSara Van SenusAlea TveitLetisha Ellison

About The APEX Project

Introduction: Letter to Our Community

Methodology

Demographic Data: Community Representation

Action Plan: The Equity Collective

Understanding The Issues: Research & Policy Suggestions

Racial and Socioeconomic Desegregation

Supporting People in Our Schools

Community Engagement and Empowerment

Supporting the Whole Child

Funding Our Future

Conclusion: Next Steps

Appendix: Works Cited

68

1210

1814

5052

content index

2026323844

The APEX Project

4

content index

about theAPEX Project

The APEX Project

6

Ab

ou

t

For too long, children across Hamilton County public schools have gotten different levels of resources, support, and opportunities to succeed. These differences hurt our whole community. Equity is about ensuring that every child, no matter their zip code, has the opportunity for a brilliant future. When all of our children have the resources and support that they need to thrive, we all receive the benefits of a more safe, economically stable, civically engaged, and caring community.

Equity across our public schools requires empathy and action. It demands honesty, commitment, and perseverance from everyone in our diverse community. Together, we must confront our history and expand our collective knowledge about the political, social, and economic systems that influence our schools.

To begin our long-term commitment to organize for equity in Hamilton County schools, UnifiEd launched the first phase of our efforts through the Action Plan for Educational Excellence (APEX) Project. The APEX Project is a grassroots organizing campaign that focused on collecting the community’s experiences with equity and inequity in our public schools, as well as their proposed solutions for addressing the identified issues. With this information, UnifiEd will work with community members across our county to develop actionable projects for tackling their identified issues and will hold elected officials and our school system accountable to the community’s vision.

A Grassroots Organizing and Listening Campaign

introduction: A Letter to Our Community

The APEX Project

8

Intro

du

ction

Dear Hamilton County Neighbors,

At UnifiEd, we are committed to deeply listening to you. Our staff and network of community volunteers and leaders have spent the past year in your communities to talk with you directly about your experiences with educational equity and gather your ideas and concerns to develop a community-led policy platform. Here is what we learned:

Inequity is not a modern problemIt is a historical struggle in communities across our nation. Our schools are the product of generations of social, political, and economic choices and changes. When seeking equity, we must understand how we got to where we are now.

Inequity is a problem for all of us The truth is inequity in our schools hurts every single member of our community. In addition to the measurable effects of segregation that impact our economy and public safety, we undermine our potential unity when we divide into different neighborhoods and schools. We are a diverse group of people with different ideas about how to tackle the challenges we face, but we can all agree that we care about our future.

Addressing inequity demands actionMost challenges our children and schools face are interconnected. Simply identifying that a problem exists will not resolve it; we must analyze an issue and work together to find the solutions that work best for our local context. This means stepping up to work alongside our neighbors, schools, churches, elected officials, and school leaders in ways that respect the expertise of those most impacted by the problems we face.

There is no “silver bullet” for Hamilton CountyWhile this phrase is common, the bravery and commitment of our community is uncommon. We are a vibrant and diverse community growing in a national spotlight due to our innovation and values. We have the resources to ensure all of our children are supported to succeed, but it will take hard work, perseverance, honesty, and partnership.

It’s time for a movement for change. Join us.

Sincerely, The UnifiEd Team

Methodology: The APEX Project’s grassroots organizing and listening campaign had five major components:EdTalksWe spoke to more than 2,600 people across our community at coffee shops, events, schools, churches, restaurants, and more! During these conversations, we collected their ideas and experiences around equity and education. We also collected demographic information to ensure we were speaking to a representative group from across our county.

Steering CommitteeUsing a blind selection process that emphasized diversity of backgrounds and experiences, 27 community members (three from each county district) were selected to oversee the APEX Project. Together, we learned about Hamilton County’s history, developed relationships, held each other accountable, led EdTalks in our neighborhoods, visited schools across our county, attended equity trainings, and worked on the interactive bus tour as it traveled across the county.

Data AnalysisA team of researchers at UnifiEd worked to identify themes across the EdTalks data, code these themes, and analyze the results. This work led to the development of 25 priority areas for achieving educational equity. Each of these priority areas was divided between five accountability groups who could take action to implement the community-identified priority areas. These accountability groups are elected officials, Hamilton County Department of Education, schools, community members, and community organizations.

Bus TourIn order to bring the data back to the people for oversight and prioritization, we utilized an interactive exhibit where people voted on their top priorities. Working with Rondell Crier from Studio Everything and Brittany Harris and Colleen Ryan from The Passage, we built an interactive voting exhibit on a little red school bus. We then drove it around the county and gave participants seven tokens. They voted for their top issues within each of the five accountability groups and used the remaining two tokens as bonus votes.

Priority Area IdentificationAfter the bus was complete, we tallied the votes and ended with ten priority areas identified by our community.

Meth

od

olo

gyThe A

PEX Project

10

Lessons Learned Our process was not without its missteps and lessons learned. One example of how our Steering Committee held us accountable was the fact that we did not include a question on sexual orientation on the equity surveys. This lack of data contributes to the challenge we face in schools and communities as we try to assess the impact of policies, negative or positive, on the diverse members of our community. If we do not ask the question, we will not fully understand the needs and challenges of this segment of our community and thus not adequately address their needs. UnifiEd is committed to ensuring the addition of sexual orientation in future outreach and surveys and we welcome conversation with any member of our community who has questions and ideas on how to improve our research process.

Another lesson learned during our process is that sometimes life happens and campaigns move quicker than you originally prepared for. We lost one member of our Steering Committee during the process and were not able to fill her spot due to staff capacity and timing. We recognize that this loss meant one district did not have equal representation on the committee. We are working to implement processes that would help expand our capacity to support community member engagement in our work.

This process was inspired by the powerful work that happened in New York City during the 2013 mayoral elections known as the PS2013 campaign. Thank you to the inspiring organizers who facilitated that community led-process for building an education policy platform. We in Tennessee are thankful for your work.

demographicdata:

Community Representation.

Equity Surveys Over 2,600 community members identified issues of inequity across our schools and envisioned solutions to them through a public survey period. The demographic make-up of those participants are listed here:

The APEX Project

12

Dem

ogra

ph

ic Da

ta

Race White: 1486 59.3 %

Black: 752 30.0%

LatinX: 88 3.5%

Multi-Racial: 82 3.3%

Asian: 41 1.6%

Other: 35 1.4%

N/A: 15 0.6%

Native American: 5 0.2%

Role in Community Student: 875 33.8%

Parent: 564 21.8%

Community Member: 453 17.5%

Educator: 351 13.6%

Grandparent: 188 7.3%

Retired Educator: 79 3.1%

Other: 75 2.9%

Mother’s Education LevelHigh School or Less: 933 37.8%

GED: 157 6.4%

Vocational: 90 3.6%

Bachelors: 662 26.8%

Masters: 392 15.9%

PhD: 60 2.4%

Other: 172 7.0%

Father’s Education LevelHigh School or Less: 1030 42.9%

GED: 145 6.0%

Vocational: 105 4.4%

Bachelors: 539 22.5%

Masters: 299 12.5%

PhD: 105 4.4%

Other: 176 7.3%

Age 0–18: 749 30.0%

19–26: 285 11.4%

27–34: 312 12.5%

35–42: 313 12.5%

43–50: 244 9.8%

51–58: 183 7.3%

59–66: 211 8.5%

67+: 198 7.9%

action plan:

The APEX Project

14

Actio

n P

lan

As we celebrate the important work of developing a community-driven policy platform for equity in our schools, we also recognize the responsibility that we all hold to take action. Action that is effective and sustainable centers on our continued commitment to elevating community voice and leadership in the issues impacting us all.

There is no single organization or entity that can solve our community’s inequities. It will require all of us to bring our expertise to the table, learn to build relationships across differences, and take strategic yet urgent action for our schools.

UnifiEd is launching The Equity Collective in March 2018 as the implemen-tation phase of the APEX Project. The Equity Collective is comprised of five action teams, each tasked with prioritizing the issue area from the APEX Policy Platform where they will focus their implementation efforts.

Following are the action teams and the APEX Policy Platform issue areas for which they will develop actionable plans.

The Equity Collective

Racial and Socioeconomic DesegregationThe Hamilton County Department of Education must develop a plan to end socioeconomic and racial segregation.

Community members must demand the end of socioeconomic and racial segregation.

Funding and BudgetingElected officials must provide funds to make all school facilities safe and healthy learning spaces, and there must be a long term plan to keep them that way.

There must be funding to recruit, support, and keep the best teachers.

Supporting the People in Our SchoolsSchools must ensure that students and teachers have a voice in issues that matter to them to support better relationships and engagement.

Central office must work to ensure that teaching and programs provide personalized support, especially to those with special needs and minority identities (like English-language learners and LGBTQ+ students).

Supporting the Whole ChildSchools must work to ensure student mental and emotional health needs are supported.

Community organizations must work to ensure children can access mentoring, field trips, and early childhood education.

Community Engagement and EmpowermentParents and community members must embrace opportunities to support schools and children.

Local organizations and businesses must support and provide resources in our schools.

The first Equity Collective meeting for each action team included a core group of community leaders who have a history of engagement with the APEX Project or have been identified by members of our staff as holding expertise in the APEX Project’s Policy Platform issue areas. After these initial meetings to determine the structure and direction of the work ahead, we expanded invitations to other members of our community who signed up to participate. UnifiEd’s field team will also continually recruit new community members to this important work, with an intentional focus on individuals and communities who have been historically underrepresented in our work and from existing policy making spaces.

Actio

n P

lan

The APEX Project

16

The final product will be five Equity Collective

action plans with timelined activities to

be presented to, or in collaboration with,

implementing entities. Team participants will,

in turn, act as organizers in their own networks

and neighborhoods to share information and

build community buy-in around their team’s

action plan.

The five Equity Collective teams will meet every six weeks from April through November. The goals of the meetings are to:

1. Build trust and relationships between participants

2. Develop a deeper understanding of the APEX Policy Platform issue areas

3. Prioritize a key issue area from the APEX Policy Platform to develop an action plan around

4. Beginthefirststepstowardimplementingthe developed action plan

The APEX Project

18

Un

dersta

nd

ing th

e Issues

understanding the issues:

Research & Policy Suggestions

Racial and Socioeconomic Desegregation

Supporting People in Our Schools

Community Engagement and Empowerment

Supporting the Whole Child

Funding Our Future

Defining the problem Economic and racial isolation are major obstacles for efforts to make a quality education available to all students, and this isolation is a huge issue facing Hamilton County’s school system.

Approximately one-third of Hamilton County’s schools are schools of concentrated poverty (where 80% or more of the student body is eligible for free or reduced lunch)1,2

Many of those schools are concentrated in some of our community’s most impoverished neighborhoods.

The city of Chattanooga made legally-mandated efforts to desegregate schools starting in the late

1960’s, but segregation in the school system has persisted. The 1990s saw debates about merging the city and county school systems, with issues of funding, segregation, and equity remaining at the forefront of the debates. Our community was not immune to the national trend of white flight as white families left the urban core or moved their children to private schools in the wake of the landmark case of Brown vs. Board of Education. Subsequent federal efforts to enforce the desegregation of our public schools only served to further segregatie communities and schools.

City voters narrowly approved consolidating the school systems in 1994, forcing the predominantly white county to take control of the predominantly black city schools3. A majority of the black community advocated strongly against the consolidation4. The school system officially merged in 1997.

Ra

cial a

nd

So

cioeco

no

mic D

esegregatio

n

Racial and Socioeconomic

Desegregation

The APEX Project

20

Racial and Socioeconomic

Desegregation

While the goal of the merger may have been to equalize funding and taxation, issues of funding, segregation, and chronic under-performance continue to plague several schools within the system, particularly in high-poverty schools. In 2000, state education officials named nine Chattanooga schools among the twenty lowest-performing elementary schools in the state. These results spurred the development of the Benwood Initiative, an aggressive effort to turn around the performance of the school system. Through this initiative, approximately half of the educators were moved out of the nine schools on that list and offered jobs in the county, and strong leaders were recruited to the nine schools along with top teachers with the goal of providing additional support and incentivized pay for educators5. Unfortunately, funding dwindled over time, incentive packages dried up, and there has been no political will to increase taxes for education funding.

There has been little effort within the county to reduce the high concentration of poverty, and the resulting low performance of these schools has prompted the state to consider taking over some of the district’s worst-performing schools6.

ACT results show that only 3% of graduates attending schools of concentrated poverty in Hamilton County are college or career ready, while 30% of students attending schools without a large share of poor students meet these college and career benchmarks7. Data also demonstrates that 65% of graduates of the Hamilton County Schools system fail to earnanydegreeorcertificatepast high school within six years, leavingthemunqualifiedforthe majority of jobs coming to the area8.

This has implications not only for the students but also for the region’s economic development potential, as its future is dependent on a well-trained and qualified workforce. We believe addressing the inequities our students face in schools of concentrated poverty affect the overall health, well-being, and success of our entire community and we must unite to ensure our entire county grows and prospers together.

Issue 1The Hamilton County Department of

Education must develop a plan to end socioeconomic and racial segregation.

Ra

cial a

nd

So

cioeco

no

mic D

esegregatio

nThe A

PEX Project

22

Policy suggestions Integrate our schools by implementing local policies that include attendance zone changes, controlled school choice models, increased magnet school access, and improved transfer policies9,10: Our school system must create a plan, together with the community, to racially and socioeconomically desegregate our public schools. There are a number of strategies that can be implemented to ensure our schools have diverse student attendance. First, the district can make attendance zone changes to reflect desired student body diversity goals. Another popular model is controlled school choice11. This model integrates a combination of family choice and school diversity benchmarks to ensure integration throughout the district. Controlled choice is a system that ultimately has parents rank their top picks in a lottery system, that works in concert with district efforts to ensure socio-economic integration within the schools12. This paired with a robust transportation policy and an intentional focus on school district zones allows for students to attend any school with most families getting their top choice school. A third strategy is through the expansion of magnet and charter programs

with clear diversity goals in mind. This model requires these schools to set clear demographic benchmarks in order to ensure a diverse student body. Application processes to these schools must also be made accessible to every student and family who wishes to participate in their school programs through active outreach strategies that seek to educate parents about their choices. Lastly, school districts can implement open transfer policies so students are able to attend any school in the district. These transfer policies must be supported with adequate transportation and require constant monitoring to ensure equity through demographic goals.

Provide adequate and inclusive transportation options for all students13: Each school integration strategy must be coupled with adequate transportation for all students attending their desired or zoned school. Without appropriate funding allocated toward a robust transportation policy, students without resources and external support will be disproportionately unable to attend their school of choice. This will result in our schools remaining just as—or more—segregated than before.

“By the end of my 1st year, it was apparent to me that despite Brown v Board Education 50 years later we are still segregated and SEPARATE IS NOT EQUAL!

There is a lack of diversity in schools (suburban/urban) resulting in lack of equity.”

– Educator response to APEX equity survey

Issue 2Community members must

demand the end of socioeconomic and racial segregation.

Ra

cial a

nd

So

cioeco

no

mic D

esegregatio

n

“Our schools are drastically segregated by social class/race. Our high poverty schools are often the first stop for new teachers who

are not adequately trained to deal with the extra challenges of teaching students that come from poverty. These teachers often

get burned out and either leave teaching or move schools, leading to a high turnover rate in these high poverty schools. I think we

need to make systematic efforts to integrate our schools.”– Educator response to APEX equity survey

The APEX Project

24

Policy suggestions Demand elected representatives and the school district carefully examine ways to pursue integrating schools through the legal system: While districts are limited on how they are able to address racial integration due to a 2007 Supreme Court ruling, strategic site selection of new schools, the redrawing of attendance zones, and the creation of new magnet schools, and controlled school choice are potential integration solutions14. Using poverty as a measure for integrating schools, instead of race, is one way to follow the ruling and allow schools to work towards equity without explicitly using race as a determinant, as socioeconomic integration can largely produce similar effects as racial integration. Our community members must demand that all viable options for integration be assessed by HCDE and presented to our larger community for approval. Additionally, community members should actively participate in the assessment of these models to ensure that the interests and needs of communities are fully represented in these plans. Once options have been structured by the district and elected officials in partnership with communities, we must also be willing to actively participate in school integration efforts.

Commit to grassroots organizing strategies to ensure implementation of county-wide integration efforts: Community support is a necessary part of achieving diversity and integration in our school system. This is especially true of the social and emotional impact integration can have on the communities that have been historically segregated from one another. A strong grassroots commitment that focuses on the development of

trust and relationships between residents in our rural neighborhoods, the growing suburbs, and the City of Chattanooga can ensure that all schools are supported in integration efforts.

Community members can also participate in integration efforts by bringing their expertise from public and private sectors that influence the development of neighborhoods and economic policy. Cross-sectoral partnerships and strategies are essential to the success of school integration efforts as well. Any desegregation plan must be developed with diverse community members at decision-making tables. This ensures the relationships, trust, and expertise essential for successful implementation are integrated into the development of the plan itself.

Participate in integration strategies, attend your local public schools, and encourage your friends and family to do the same: Individual choice matters. Start the process of practicing your choice by learning more about your local options while working towards integration efforts. Visit your zoned schools, talk to the principal and teachers, learn about the programs that exist, and commit to supporting them.

Many failures of past integration efforts have been dependent on fear resulting from the enforced segregation of our communities. We can each work to overcome this by educating ourselves about this history and building relationships across differences. Our public schools will remain separate and unequal without the concerted and sustained effort of our community to combat segregation in our school system. Now is the time for us to fully participate in integration efforts.

Su

pp

ortin

g Peo

ple in

Ou

r Sch

oo

ls

Supporting People in

Our Schools

Defining the problem Students and teachers both spend the majority of their day in school and are ultimately the experts of their own lived experience in our education system. However, policies impacting the classroom are often created without their participation or input. Positive solutions, transparency, trust, and communication within the school are all diminished when students and teachers do not have a voice in decision making. Students feel less empowered and engaged with little control over their personal goals and education. Teachers are isolated, frustrated, and eventually experience burnout when not recognized as professionals15.

Encouraging student and teacher voice in decision-making processes should be a part of every school policy, as well as a commitment of our community. School systems that value students and teachers create a positive, healthy, accepting, and uplifting educational space where everyone can work together to meet individual and school-wide goals. When teachers have a voice in decision making, retention is increased and

curriculum becomes more creative, more exciting, and less standardized16. When students have a voice, they feel more valued, academically and emotionally supported, and engaged in the school and the community.

As the student population across the U.S. has grown more diverse and our community’s ability to recognize and name these differences is growing, there is an increasing range of academic and language needs that we now understand traditional education models cannot meet26. While educators and families have long been aware that students learn differently depending on various instructional approaches, implementing a personalized learning model is difficult due to classroom sizes, growing student diversity, emphasis on standardized testing, and a lack of resources. The diversity in today’s classrooms has become the catalyst for some schools to shift to a learner-centered education system.

The APEX Project

26

In Hamilton County, 6.3% of students are English Language Learners (ELLs), 37.3% are economically disadvantaged, 12.8% have disabilities, and almost half (just over 45%) are students of color27. This growing diversity, along with widespread instances of traumatic childhood experiences, underscores the necessity for a more deliberate, supported shift to a learner-centered education system.

Issue 1Schools must ensure that students and teachers have a voice in issues

that matter to them to support better relationships and engagement.

Su

pp

ortin

g Peo

ple in

Ou

r Sch

oo

lsThe A

PEX Project

28

Policy suggestions Build trust and transparency by actively seeking and integrating input from teachers and students into school policy and decision making without repercussion: Without the clear and full commitment of school system leadership for student and teacher voice, it is difficult to fully shift a school culture to one of understanding, transparency, and support17, 18. One way to encourage input is to provide multiple consistent, well-facilitated opportunities for teachers and students to share their ideas, as well understand how their ideas will be used in the development of school policies19. These facilitated sessions must ensure participants will not experience repercussion or retaliation from school and district leadership.

Schools should also give teachers and students ways to share their voice on their goals, what is happening in their classroom, and best practices through surveys and weekly meetings20. Administration can schedule consistent one-on-ones in the school to gain teacher and student feedback so they can share their opinions openly without fear of retaliation21. Schools must consistently nurture a culture of openness and support to fully elevate the voices of students and teachers within their schools as well as provide teachers and students access to decision-making discussions and policy meetings.

Commit to elevating student voice in classroom decision making: School staff and leadership should seek student input on curriculum and consider their backgrounds when supporting their learning. Giving students time each week to reflect on their goals or improvements to their learning experience can produce helpful ideas for improving learning outcomes22, 23. Providing multiple ways to engage in the classroom (such as small group discussion, teams, lecture, and hands-on creativity) as well as allowing for assignments to be completed in multiple ways (such as orally, written, and creative expression) can help students better engage in school work and meet their personalized goals24.

Encourage and support students to be leaders in their schools: Students are the best advocates for understanding their lived experiences and will most effectively identify how to best support the diverse needs of our student body. Students should be encouraged and fully supported to create and lead initiatives that reflect their needs. Examples of this include the Gay Straight Alliance (GSA), Black Student Alliance (BSA), equity teams, and diversity teams25.

“LGTBQ students need a safe place and need to be seen.”

– Community member response to APEX equity survey

“Every voice matters!”– Student response to APEX equity survey

Issue 2Centralofficemustworktoensurethat

teaching and programs provide personalized support, especially to those with special needs

and minority identities (like English-language learners and LGBTQ+ students).

Su

pp

ortin

g Peo

ple in

Ou

r Sch

oo

lsThe A

PEX Project

30

Policy suggestions Adopt personalized learning approaches: Personalized learning models focus on competency-based progression, in which each student’s progress toward clearly-defined goals is continually assessed. This model is based in a flexible learning environment in which student needs drive the design of the learning environment. Students follow customized paths that respond and adapt based on their individual learning progress, motivations, and goals28. Current research indicates that students using personalized learning practices make greater progress compared to students being taught under the traditional educational model29. Parents, teachers, and students also report that individual learning plans can result in students selecting more rigorous courses, improved teacher–student relationships, and better parent–school relations30.

Implement culturally responsive teaching: This model recognizes the importance of including students’ cultural background and experiences in all aspects of learning31. This technique integrates research-developed, teacher-selected materials, as well as student input, to diversify the curriculum to represent students’ diverse identities and experiences. In order to do this well, educators must be trained and supported to move past cultural biases to promote student participation and achievement32. While the transition to culturally responsive teaching is far from simple, research has shown that culturally comprehensive material is associated with better student attendance, higher grades, and increased credits earned33.

“Invest in our teachers: mentor, trust, and enrich them, support them, and pay them a decent salary.”

– Educator response to APEX equity survey

Co

mm

un

ity En

gagem

ent a

nd

Em

po

werm

ent

Community Engagement

and Empowerment

The APEX Project

32

Defining the problem Students whose parents are involved in their schooling often experience better academic outcomes, but many parents experience barriers to engagement34.

These challenges can run from little knowledge about the school system, lack of content knowledge around student work, feelings of fear that result from years of negative experiences within schools, and basic access barriers like inflexibleworkschedules,lackof transportation, and language challenges35.

Schools can actively support academic and non-academic student development by coordinating creative programs that target these challenges36. While schools can help establish these broader connections, parents and community members must take responsibility in becoming engaged in schools. Schools need sufficient funding to provide family engagement programming, as well as a diversity of staff to meaningfully engage with students, parents, and community members. This type of family and community engagement needs to start early, having the best chance of success beginning in pre-school and continuing through secondary education.

Faced with limited resources and increasing demands to improve students’ academic performance, many public schools have turned to businesses for resources that range from cash and computers to educational materials and career mentorships.

Cross-sector collaborations between local organizations, businesses, and public schools have been shown to produce positive academic achievement for students, while a lack of community involvement is associated with increased dropout rates and increased risky behavior for students40.

Schools in low-income communities generally have limited access to financial, social, and educational resources41. While donations and volunteering have been a consistent feature of many of our local schools, we urge that long-term partnerships with local businesses and organizations be built with an eye toward a central strategic plan.

Community Engagement

and Empowerment

Issue 1Parents and community members must

embrace opportunities to support schools and children, and schools and school districts must provide these opportunities to engage with parents and the broader community.

Co

mm

un

ity En

gagem

ent a

nd

Em

po

werm

ent

The APEX Project

34

Policy suggestions Implement a community school model district-wide: Community schools act as hubs in the neighborhood, bringing fragmented services found in the community – such as food assistance, health and wellness clinics, and after-school programs – onto school campuses37. Community schools can also offer support for families and new parents through health and nutrition programs, counseling, child care, and parenting classes. This model applies a holistic approach to supporting students while also integrating families and communities into the school community.

Along with providing direct resources to students and families, structured programs can also train parents to navigate the public school system, understand academic standards, and effectively advocate for their children38. The success of this model depends on many factors, including consistent support and partnerships from local businesses and organizations, sustainable funding, and full participation and engagement from students and families. It must be noted that, given the segregation of our neighborhoods, a commitment to community schools must occur in tandem with a commitment to school diversity. These schools can pull from multiple neighborhoods while still providing personalized resources and support for families to fully participate.

Prioritize diverse hiring and cultural competency training for school staff: Attention must be placed on diverse hiring and retention strategies, as well as ongoing professional development to build the cultural competency of teachers. These trainings will help school staff understand and connect to their students, as well as encourage parents from various cultures and backgrounds to more actively participate in their children’s education. Ensuring school staff represent the student body in terms of race, socioeconomic background, and language capability will encourage families to engage more fully. More specifically, in schools with high percentages of English Language Learning (ELL) students, multilingual staff members will make it easier for students, parents, and community members to communicate if English is not their primary language39.

“Partner with people who are interested in making a difference in the lives of ALL young people:

those with financial resources and those without.”– Community member response to APEX equity survey

Co

mm

un

ity En

gagem

ent a

nd

Em

po

werm

ent

Issue 2Local organizations and businesses must support and provide resources

in our schools.

The APEX Project

36

“There needs to be more open communication between teachers, parents, students, and staff.”

– Parent response to APEX equity survey

Policy suggestions Implement community-based learning methods: Community-based learning methods connect students with companies that best fit within students’ learning plans while initiating meaningful professional contacts and mentorship programs42. Students gain real-world work experiences while local businesses are connected to young people who can be supported to succeed in our community43. When learning institutions implement this model, student learning goals are enhanced and young people are provided with concrete skills to enter the workforce44.

Participate in corporate “adopt-a-school” sponsorship programs: Corporate sponsorship programs can provide value to schools through mentoring programs, job-readiness training, guest lecturers, and direct resources (like funding or in-kind donations)45. Some schools have partnered with local organizations (like the Boys and Girls Club, the United Way, and local hospitals) to provide students with wraparound services. These partnerships have resulted in securing students’ health screenings, eye exams, and free glasses. Local community services such as the public library, police, and parks and recreation departments must work closely with the school to provide additional resources that are inclusive of equity concerns such as transportation and personalized supports46.

Partner with community school programming: The community school model is a more holistic approach to education as the school serves as a community hub, providing services such as health and wellness services, mentoring, food and clothing assistance programs, and after-school programming in addition to educational services47. Research has demonstrated that investing in community schools produces benefits to the whole of the community, with monetary investments that yield great returns48. Local organizations and businesses must partner with schools to provide the unique resources and support students and families need to be successful and fully integrated into their school community.

Su

pp

ortin

g the W

ho

le Ch

ild

Supporting the Whole Child

The APEX Project

38

Defining the problem Many students experience trauma associated with neighborhood violence, family troubles, the daily stresses of living in poverty, or unrealistic expectations from their communities or peers. Adverse Childhood Experiences, ACE(s), can have long-term impacts on children and have been linked to increased risk of cancer, unemployment, mental illness, overeating, smoking, and drug use as adults49,50.

Prioritizing students’ mental and emotional health has long-lasting impacts throughout their lives as well as their time in school.

Lack of mental and emotional health support can result in poor academic performance, higher drug use, lower self-belief levels, and social detachment in the classroom. In other words, a lack of investment in these issues leads to future costs to both our judicial and economic systems.

Currently, we are not investing adequately to prepare school staff to identify mental health issues and provide appropriate. Schools need resources to hire mental health professionals and to provide comprehensive programming to ensure students in need are identified, given resources, and provided with immediate interventions. In addition to in-school interventions and support, our community must be committed to sustained care for students identified as needing services and resources.

Community organizations can contribute to foundational basics as well as enrichment opportunities for students.

Access to early childhood education is vital to future success in students’ K–12 years. Supplemental experiences likementoringandfieldtripopportunities can inspire their unique goals and serve their individual needs.

Early childhood education programs like preschool are not universally accessible, so low-income children often do not have access to these programs, putting them at a disadvantage by the time they enter kindergarten. Additionally, mentoring programs that pair children with a caring and supportive older student or adult ally can be extremely important for ensuring the success and health of a student, particularly for those at risk for dropping out of school. Finally, cultural and learning field trips can be extremely effective for increasing community awareness and engagement. They also expose students to experiences they otherwise may not have access to in their daily lives.

Su

pp

ortin

g the W

ho

le Ch

ild

Issue 1Schools must work to ensure student mental and emotional health needs

are supported.

The APEX Project

40

Policy suggestions Integrate trauma-informed models: The heart of the trauma-informed model is a commitment to understanding how a child’s environment can impact their behavior in school. They should be approached with understanding and sensitivity to break the cycle of trauma, improve student engagement, and prevent re-traumatization. This model seeks to provide informed treatment to individuals and families by modifying organizational culture, practices, and policies in ways that are both sensitive and proactive when addressing varied mental and emotional health needs51.

Provide increased mental health professionals in all schools: Each school needs to have one or more, full-time mental health professionals that provide support to teachers, students, and parents. These mental health professionals should be responsible for routine screenings for 1) trauma exposure or symptoms, 2) culturally appropriate, evidence-based treatments for mental health needs, 3) intersectional resources and treatment options to students and their families, 4) staff support so they don’t feel burnout, and 5) collaboration across child services in the community to coordinate care.

Implement restorative justice practices: Our schools need to move away from the zero-tolerance policies that have disproportionately impacted students of color and toward restorative justice models52, which focus on community health rather than individual punishment. This is particularly crucial for students coming from low income areas who, on average, experience higher rates of exposure to violence and biased discipline practices53. Restorative justice seeks to better understand students and educators to create an environment that focuses both on responsibility and community reconciliation54. There are multiple approaches to non-punitive restorative justice, including mediation, student conferencing, circle discussions, open dialogue, and trust-building exercises55.

Create student support groups with trained staff: It is crucial to provide identity-focused support groups with trained staff. LGBTQ+ individuals are disproportionately more likely to experience a mental health condition such as major depression or generalized anxiety disorder56. Students of color are significantly less likely than their white peers to receive mental health care despite having similar rates of mental health problems57. Proactive school policies, trained and supportive school personnel, and clubs like Gay Student Alliance (GSA) and Black Student Alliance (BSA) can help to reduce hostility and negative self-esteem by reducing a culture of bullying58. These clubs and support groups need professionally trained staff who are culturally competent and able to provide intervention for students experiencing mental or emotional stress.

“There needs to be an understanding that all students learn differently.”

– Parent response to APEX equity survey

Issue 2Community organizations must work to ensure children can access mentoring, fieldtrips,andearlychildhoodeducation.

Su

pp

ortin

g the W

ho

le Ch

ildThe A

PEX Project

42

Policy suggestions Provide universal access to early childhood education: In order to achieve equity in early childhood education, increased funding and community partnerships must be leveraged to shift to a Universal Pre-K (UPK) model, within which all students have access to high-quality learning environments at an age fundamental for healthy brain development. This model should include clear equity and diversity goals because pre-K has remained unobtainable for most low-income communities59. Pre-K classes should be structured with a commitment to cultural competency, diversity, multi-lingual teaching, and early childhood development in tandem with affordable professional development for pre-K teachers. The recruitment of pre-K educators should focus on supporting diverse staff to implement inclusive learning strategies that support every child’s needs60, 61.

Provide mentorship programs for students through school-based models and college and community partnerships: Having support and respect from an adult ally and developing an open relationship with a mentor can provide students with opportunities to learn, access new ideas and resources, and feel personally valued and engaged with their goals. School-based mentorship models can take place within schools with faculty members and peers. Faculty and older students

can be trained at the beginning of the school year to be paired with younger students for one-on-one mentoring or mentoring small groups of students through facilitated activities or programming62,

63. Schools can also partner with local colleges to pair education, psychology, or social service undergrads with students in exchange for class credit64. Alternatively, schools can partner with community members or organizations that will train and pair volunteers with mentees. Local organizations can create programs that include the recruitment, screening, training, and supervision of mentors and the pairing of mentors with mentees based on their unique needs65.

Ensure equitable access to field trips for all students: Field trips should provide sensory “field” experiences that support young people to identify personal learning interests66. Policy makers need to ensure that funding is available and equitably distributed for every school67. Finding opportunities in the community that are stimulating, such as museums, historic areas, local nonprofits, and science centers, allows for student engagement and provides students with hands-on learning experiences68. Our school system and community can commit to increasing access to field trips through forming community alliances and partnerships that make field trips more cost effective.

“Schools need to try and address the whole child through health care, food, social concerns, and mental health.”

– Educator response to APEX equity survey

Fu

nd

ing O

ur F

utu

re

Funding Our Future

The APEX Project

44

Defining the problem We must recruit, support, and retain top-quality teachers to ensure our students are getting the quality of education that they deserve.

Ourelectedofficialsmustprovideadequatefunding that ensures we are recruiting the best teachersbyofferingcompetitivepaypackagesand incentives.

Our teachers must also be supported through quality teacher induction or onboarding programs and personalized professional development.

Quality induction programs provide adequate support and mentoring, as new teachers are often assigned to the most challenging schools and classes with little supervision and support80.

Ongoing professional development must empower teachers with up-to-date research on how children learn, emerging technology tools for the classroom, personalized curriculum resources, and comprehensive trainings for cultural competency, special education, language, LGBTQ+ support, gender, and diversity.

Funding Our Future

Fu

nd

ing O

ur F

utu

re

Issue 1Electedofficialsmustprovidefundsto

make all school facilities safe and healthy learning spaces, and there must be a long-term plan to keep them that way.

The APEX Project

46

Policy suggestions Fund an external audit of facility and maintenance needs: The first step to creating a sustainable, long-term capital funding plan is to fund an external audit to evaluate a comprehensive and prioritized list of school system facility and maintenance needs. This audit should assess facility safety issues, school capacity and population growth trends, building quality, and estimated cost to repair or replace schools75. This process will ensure fiscal responsibility when prioritizing current funding, the implementation a long-term plan to address deferred maintenance, the identification of ways to save and reinvest in the classroom, a reduction in the number of schools of concentrated poverty, the elimination of overcrowding, and the assurance of equitable school funding models.

Implement a long-term capital funding commitment linked to a clear strategic plan: Following an external audit of facility and capital needs, HCDE must create a long-term capital and maintenance plan that reflects an equitable distribution of funds across the school district76. This plan must work in conjunction with a strategic plan that is clearly linked to improved student outcomes77, 78. This long-term plan must be approved by school board officials and fully funded by our county commission.

Encourage community oversight and input in the budgeting process: Our community must be able to interact with and inform the school system’s budget and financial policy by receiving timely information through multiple media and communication channels79. This includes publishing the school system budget online each year in an easy-to-read format and providing clear processes for community members to voice specific concerns and desires for school spending. This can be accomplished through facilitated in-person meetings, forums, and surveys. Elected officials, in partnership with the Hamilton County Department of Education, need to create a community engagement process that ensures all financial decisions and capital management are community driven and approved. Including community voice in financial decisions will restore trust in the school system and ensure an equitable distribution of resources across the district.

“ALL students should be able to go to clean, safe schools. All students should have the same class offerings, sports, etc. All students should have great caring teachers and

there should be equipment and technology in all schools.”– Parent response to APEX equity survey

Issue 2There must be funding to recruit,

support, and keep the best teachers.

Fu

nd

ing O

ur F

utu

reThe A

PEX Project

48

Policy suggestions Prioritize competitive teacher pay: High-quality teachers are directly correlated with improved student outcomes and experiences. In the 2016–17 school year (most recent period for which data is available), the average Hamilton County beginning teacher salary was 15% lower than the average beginning salary of the ten top-paying districts in the state of Tennessee. Our county was also 35th in the State of Tennessee in beginning teacher pay81. The district must include competitive compensation packages for teachers in their long-term budget and strategic plan. In turn, elected officials must provide additional funding to support the recruitment and retention of the best teachers.

Fund recruitment strategies that prioritize a diverse teacher workforce: Our teacher population currently does not reflect the diversity of our students. Our teaching staff is predominantly white (87%), while more than 40% of our students are of color82,83. The diversification of teachers has substantial benefits to minority students because it increases the chance for culturally contextualized learning and supports the decrease of race-based biases and stigmas in student-teacher relations84,85. A diverse staff is also beneficial for non-minority students, as it helps dispel biases and stereotypes and introduces them to a wider variety of peoples and cultures86. Our elected officials must provide appropriate funding to support recruitment efforts that prioritize a diverse teacher workforce.

Fund quality induction programs and professional development opportunities: It is imperative that our elected officials appropriately fund high-quality induction and professional development opportunities for teachers. Children prosper when educators are given appropriate training and support.87 High-quality induction programs for new teachers enable veteran teachers to share their knowledge and expertise and provide new teachers with the proper supports to new teachers succeed.

Professional development must also be designed, implemented, and evaluated to meet the unique needs of each teacher. High-quality professional development for teachers must be: 1) content-focused and collaborative, 2) continuous, not episodic, with follow-up and support for further learning, 3) school-based and incorporated into the day-to-day work of teachers, 4) coherent and integrated, 5) inclusive of continuous inquiry and reflection through active learning, and 6) teacher-driven by responding to teachers’ self-identified needs and interests in order to support individual and organizational improvements88.

“Money is the biggest problem. When you can’t have your own piece of paper to study, it’s hard.”

– Community member response to APEX equity survey

conclusion

The APEX Project

50

Co

nclu

sion

The APEX Project’s grassroots organizing campaign demonstrated clearly that Hamilton County residents are ready and willing to tackle the equity issues that have long divided our community. In a short 6 months, more than 4,000 individuals contributed to building an equity-focused Policy Platform that outlines a set of key issue areas for our county’s schools. Our community is complex, but the need for equity in our schools is an undeniable reality. Achieving results within these key issue areas will take commitment, focus, and the willingness to be uncomfortable.

We know that achieving equity is not solely the responsibility of a few individual actors or institutions. As our APEX Policy Platform outlined, it is the duty of multiple stakeholder groups to engage deeply with the issues outlined by our community and to prioritize and begin tackling each issue in a transparent way. Hamilton County has seen many changes over the past year that demonstrate our community is within a window of opportunity to effect meaningful change. These changes include new leadership and a shift in staff structure at the Hamilton County Department of Education, an increased public visibility of equity issues and concerns, and upcoming elections within our county system. Now is the time to act!

As we move forward with the APEX Project’s implementation phase, The Equity Collective, we will be guided by the community-driven Policy Platform. Together, the Equity Collective teams will be responsible for prioritizing which issues to tackle first and for developing actionable and sustainable ways for our community to address the issues. The research upon which the policy recommendations in this report are based will serve as a guide for action teams to assess the possible interventions that could be personalized to our community in a timely way. The Equity Collective will reflect a continued commitment to the tenets of grassroots organizing, where relationship building, trust, knowledge development, and community-driven leadership will support the building of our shared community power to protect, support, and love every single child in our community.

We look forward to undertaking this important work with you and ask that you join us as we move forward. Our children deserve all of our voices raised in support of their future!

Sincerely, The UnifiEd Team

1. Tennessee Department of Education. 2018. “Profile and Demographics: School Membership Data Download 2016-2017.” Retrieved March 1, 2018 (https://www.tn.gov/education/data/data-downloads.html).

2. Rainwater, Kendi A. 2017. “Twenty years after schools merged, new leader faces similar challenges,” Times Free Press. August 10th. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2017/aug/10/fighting-same-battles-twenty-years-after-scho/442787/).

3. Whiteside, Kaitlyn. 2012. “An In-Depth Look at the Desegregation of Chattanooga City School.” The Tower 38(4): 56-67. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (http://hdl.handle.net/1853/47807).

Rainwater, Kendi A. 2017. “Twenty years after schools merged, new leader faces similar challenges,” Times Free Press. August 10th. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2017/aug/10/fighting-same-battles-twenty-years-after-scho/442787/).

Hardy, Kevin. 2014. “Brown v. Board 60 Years Later: What the Desegregation Case Has Meant for Chattanooga Area Schools.” Times Free Press. May 17th. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2014/may/17/brown-v-board-years-laterwhat-the/140522/).

4. Rainwater, Kendi A. 2017. “Twenty years after schools merged, new leader faces similar challenges,” Times Free Press. August 10th. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2017/aug/10/fighting-same-battles-twenty-years-after-scho/442787/).

Hardy, Kevin. 2014. “Brown v. Board 60 Years Later: What the Desegregation Case Has Meant for Chattanooga Area Schools.” Times Free Press. May 17th. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2014/may/17/brown-v-board-years-laterwhat-the/140522/).

5. Rainwater, Kendi A. 2017. “Twenty years after schools merged, new leader faces similar challenges,” Times Free Press. August 10th. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2017/aug/10/fighting-same-battles-twenty-years-after-scho/442787/).

Handley, Claire and Robert A. Kronley. 2012. “Lessons Learned: A Report on the Benwood Initiative.” Public Education Fund Chattanooga. August. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (http://www.pefchattanooga.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Lessons-Learned.pdf).

6. Rainwater, Kendi A. 2017. “Twenty years after schools merged, new leader faces similar challenges,” Times Free Press. August 10th. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2017/aug/10/fighting-same-battles-twenty-years-after-scho/442787/).

7. Rainwater, Kendi A. 2017. “Twenty years after schools merged, new leader faces similar challenges,” Times Free Press. August 10th. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2017/aug/10/fighting-same-battles-twenty-years-after-scho/442787/).

8. Rainwater, Kendi A. 2017. “Twenty years after schools merged, new leader faces similar challenges,” Times Free Press. August 10th. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2017/aug/10/fighting-same-battles-twenty-years-after-scho/442787/).

9. Potter, Halley, Kimberly Quick and Elizabeth Davis. 2016. “A New Wave of School Integration: Districts and Charters Pursuing Socioeconomic Diversity,” The Century Foundation. February 9th. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (https://tcf.org/content/report/a-new-wave-of-school-integration/).

10. Tractenberg, Paul, Allison Roda, and Ryan Coughlan. 2016. “Remedying School Segregation: How New Jersey’s Morris School District Chose to Make Diversity Work,” The Century Foundation. December 12th. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (https://tcf.org/content/report/remedying-school-segregation/).

11. The WNYC Data News Team. 2016. “‘Controlled Choice’ for Integrating Schools: What It’s All About.” WNYC. June 6th. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (https://www.wnyc.org/story/controlled-choice-public-schools-explainer/).

12. Boschma, Janie and Ronald Brownstein. 2016. “The Concentration of Poverty in American Schools.” The Atlantic. February 29th. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/02/concentration-poverty-american-schools/471414/).

Willie, Charles and Michael J. Alves. 1996. “Controlled Choice: A New Approach to School Desegregated Education and School Improvement,” New England Desegregation Assistance Center for Equity in Education. Providence, RI.; Brown Univ., Providence, RI. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED430265.pdf).

Valant, Jon. 2017. “Integrating Charter Schools and Choice-Based Education System,” Brookings Institute. June 23rd. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2017/06/23/integrating-charter-schools-and-choice-based-education-systems/).

13. Boschma, Janie. 2016. “Separate and Still Unequal: In 90 of the Largest

appendix: works cited

Ap

pen

dix

: Wo

rks C

itedThe A

PEX Project

52

95 U.S. Cities, More Students of Color than Whites Attend School with Mostly Poor or Low-income Peers.” The Atlantic. March 1st. Retrieved February 28, 2018 (https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/03/separate-still-unequal/471720/).

14. Barnes, Robert. 2007. “Divided Court Limits Use of Race by School Districts.” The Washington Post. June 29th. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/28/AR2007062800896.html).

15. Stacy, Michelle. 2013. “Teacher-Led Professional Development: Empowering Teachers as Self Advocates.” The Georgia Social Studies Journal 3(1): 40-49. Retrieved February 28, 2018 (https://coe.uga.edu/assets/downloads/misc/gssj/Stacy-2013.pdf).

16. Walker, Tim. 2015. “Want to Reduce the Teacher Shortage? Treat Teachers Like Professionals.” NEAToday. August 26th. Retrieved February 28, 2018 (http://neatoday.org/2015/08/26/want-to-reduce-the-teacher-shortage-treat-teachers-like-professionls/).

17. Eury, Allen D., Mark A. Snyder, and Jeff Melton. 2015. “How Administrators Can Empower Teachers.” Gardner-Webb University. Retrieved February 28, 2018 (http://www.teachhub.com/working-together-administrators-role-empowering-teachers).

18. Kahlenberg, Richard D. and Halley Potter. 2014. “Why Teacher Voice Matters.” American Federation of Teachers. Winter. Retrieved February 28, 2018 (https://www.aft.org/ae/winter2014-2015/kahlenberg_potter_sb).

19. New England Secondary School Consortium. 2016. “Can You Hear Me?!: The Power of Student Voice.” April 26th. Retrieved February 28, 2018 (http://www.newenglandssc.org/can-hear-power-student-voice/).

20. Kahlenberg, Richard D. and Halley Potter. 2014. “Why Teacher Voice Matters.” American Federation of Teachers. Winter. Retrieved February 28, 2018 (https://www.aft.org/ae/winter2014-2015/kahlenberg_potter_sb).

21. O’Brien, Anne. 2016. “3-Step Method to Increase Teacher Voice.” Edutopia. June 9th. Retrieved February 28, 2018 (https://www.edutopia.org/blog/increasing-teacher-voice-decision-making-anne-obrien).

22. Shafer, Leah. 2016. “Giving Students a Voice: Five Ways to Welcome Student Input and Bolster Your School’s Success.” Harvard Graduate School of Education. August 18th. Retrieved February 28, 2018 (https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/uk/16/08/giving-students-voice).

23. Palmer, Bill. 2013. “Including Student Voice.” Edutopia. March 29th. Retrieved February 28, 2018 (https://www.edutopia.org/blog/sammamish-2-including-student-voice-bill-palmer).

24. McCarthy, John. 2017. “Empower Student Voice Through Collaboration and Communication.” Partnership for 21st Century Learning. September 19th. Retrieved February 28, 2018 (http://www.p21.org/news-events/p21blog/2239-empower-student-voice-through-collaboration-and-communication-).

25. Dzurinki, Nijmie, Johonna McCants, and Jonathan Stith. 2011. “The Campaign for Nonviolent Schools: Students Flip the Script on Violence in Philadelphia.” Voices in Urban Education, Annenberg Institute for School Reform. Spring. Retrieved February 28, 2018 (http://www.annenberginstitute.org/sites/default/files/product/197/files/VUE30.pdf).

26. Cavanagh, Sean. 2014. “What is ‘Personalized Learning’? Educators Seek Clarity.” Education Week. October 20th. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2014/10/22/09pl-overview.h34.html).

27. Tennessee Department of Education. 2018. “Profile and Demographics: School Membership Data Download 2016-2017.” Retrieved March 1, 2018 (https://www.tn.gov/education/data/data-downloads.html).

28. Staff. 2014. “Personalized Learning: A Working Definition.” Education Week 34(9):s4. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (https://www.edweek.org/ew/collections/personalized-learning-special-report-2014/a-working-definition.html).

29. Pane, John F., Elizabeth D. Steiner, Matthew D. Baird, and Laura S. Hamilton. Continued Progress: Promising Evidence on Personalized Learning. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2015. Retrieved February 28, 2018 (https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR1365.html).

30. Solberg, V. Scott, L. Allen Phelps, Kristin A. Haakenson, Julie F. Durham, and Joe Timmons. 2011. “The Nature and Use of Individualized Learning Plans as a Promising Career Intervention Strategy.” Journal of Career Development 39(6) 500-514. Retrieved February 28, 2018 (http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0894845311414571).

31. Ladson-Billings, Gloria. 2013. The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children, 2nd Edition. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishing Company.

32. Kozleski, Elizabeth B. 2010. “Culturally Responsive Teaching Matters!” The Equity Alliance. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED520957.pdf).

33. Dee, Thomas and Emily Penner. 2016. “The Causal Effects of Cultural Relevance: Evidence from an Ethnic Studies.” Center for Education Policy Analysis (CEPA Working Paper No. 16-01). January. Retrieved February 28, 2018 (https://cepa.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/wp16-01-v201601.pdf).

34. Reece, Cornelia A., Marlys Staudt, and Ashley Ogle. 2013. “Lessons Learned From a Neighborhood-Based Collaboration to Increase Parent Engagement.” School Community Journal. 23(2): 207-226. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1028862.pdf).

35. McAlister, Sara. 2013. “Why Community Engagement Matters in School Turnaround.” Voices in Urban Education. Annenberg Institute. Issue 36. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (http://vue.annenberginstitute.org/issues/36/why-community-engagement-matters-school-turnaround).

36. The Federation for Community Schools. 2009. “Community School Transformation: A Guide for Schools, Districts, Parents, and Community Members: Working Together to Improve Outcomes for Students, Families and Communities.” The Federation for Community Schools. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (http://www.communityschools.org/assets/1/AssetManager/WkshpI_GregHall_GuideCS_Transformation.pdf).

37. Parrett, William H. and Kathleen M. Budge. 2012. Turning High-Poverty Schools into High-Performing Schools. ASCD: Alexandria, VA. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/109003.aspx).

National Education Association. 2018. The Six Pillars of Community Schools Toolkit: NEA Resource Guide for Educators, Families, & Communities.” NEA. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/Comm%20Schools%20ToolKit-final%20digi-web-72617.pdf).

UnifiED. 2017. “Discover Community Schools: An Innovative Approach to Public Schools and Community Empowerment.” Retrieved March 1, 2018 (http://unifi-ed.org/community-schools/).Oakes, Jeannie, Anna Maier, and Julia Daniel. 2017. “Community Schools: An Evidence-Based Strategy for Equitable School Improvement.” Learning Policy Institute. June 5th. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/community-schools-equitable-improvement-brief).

38. McAlister, Sara. 2013. “Why Community Engagement Matters in School Turnaround.” Voices in Urban Education. Annenberg Institute. Issue 36. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (http://vue.annenberginstitute.org/issues/36/why-community-engagement-matters-school-turnaround).

Oakes, Jeannie, Anna Maier, and Julia Daniel. 2017. “Community Schools: An Evidence-Based Strategy for Equitable School Improvement.” Learning Policy Institute. June 5th. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/community-schools-equitable-improvement-brief).

39. Parrett, William H. and Kathleen M. Budge. 2012. Turning High-Poverty Schools into High-Performing Schools. ASCD: Alexandria, VA. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/109003.aspx).

National Education Association. 2018. The Six Pillars of Community Schools Toolkit: NEA Resource Guide for Educators, Families, & Communities.” NEA. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/Comm%20Schools%20ToolKit-final%20digi-web-72617.pdf).

Oakes, Jeannie, Anna Maier, and Julia Daniel. 2017. “Community Schools: An Evidence-Based Strategy for Equitable School Improvement.” Learning Policy Institute. June 5th. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/community-schools-equitable-improvement-brief).

40. Heers, Marieke, Chris Van Klaveren, Wim Groot, and Henriëtte Maassen van den Brink. 2016. “Community Schools: What We Know and What We Need to Know.” Review of Educational Research 86(4): 1016-1051. Retrieved February 28, 2018 (https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654315627365).

41. Boschma, Janie and Ronald Brownstein. 2016. “The Concentration of Poverty in American Schools.” The Atlantic. February 29th. Retrieved February 28, 2018 (https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/02/concentration-poverty-american-schools/471414/).

42. Payne, Pamela B. and Daniel S. Hubler. 2017. “Family Science and Community-Based Learning: Using Speed Networking.” Journal of Family & Consumer Sciences 109(2): 57-61. Retrieved February 28, 2018 (https://doi.org/10.14307/JFCS109.2.57).

43. Maertz, Carl P. Jr., Philipp A. Stoeberk, and Jill Marks. 2014. “Building Successful Internships: Lessons from the Research for Interns, Schools, and Employers.” Career Development International 19(1):123-142. Retrieved February 28, 2018 (https://doi.org/10.1108/CDI-03-2013-0025).

44. Hoffman, D., K. Spada, and Heather L. Fox. 2016. Strategies for Transformative Change: Service Learning for Engaged Work-Based Learning. Champaign, IL: Office of Community College Research and Leadership, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Retrieved February 28, 2018 (https://occrl.illinois.edu/docs/librariesprovider4/tci/strategies-for-transformative-change/service-learning.pdf).

45. Becton, VW. 2001. “School-Business Partnerships.” Business Partnerships with Schools, National Education Policy Center (2): 5-8. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (http://nepc.colorado.edu/files/EPRU-0108-60-OWI.pdf).

46. Frankl, Evie, Katherine Dunn, Mary Kingston Roche, Kyle Serrette, and Connie Razza. 2016. “Community Schools: Transforming Struggling Schools into Thriving Schools.” The Center for Popular Democracy. February. Retrieved February 28, 2018 (http://www.southerneducation.org/Publications/Community-Schools-Layout_021116.aspx).

47. Parrett, William H. and Kathleen M. Budge. 2012. Turning High-Poverty Schools into High-Performing Schools. ASCD: Alexandria, VA. Retrieved February 28, 2018 (http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/109003.aspx).

48. Moore, Kristin Anderson and Carol Emig. 2014. “Integrated Student Supports: A Summary of the Evidence Base for Policymakers.” Child Trends White Paper. February. Retrieved February 28, 2018 (http://www.childtrends.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/2014-05ISSWhitePaper3.pdf).

49. Bower, Corey and Sue Baldwin. 2017. “Poverty, Stress, and Academic Performance: ACE Scores and the WSCC Model in an Urban District. October 18. Retrieved February 28, 2018 (https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3055140).

50. Campbell, JA., RJ Walker, and LE Egede, 2016. “Associations Between Adverse Childhood Experiences, High-Risk Behaviors, and Morbidity in Adulthood.” American Journal of Preventive Medicine 50(3): 344-352. Retrieved February 28, 2018 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26474668).

Holman, D., K. Ports, N. Buchanan, N. Hawkins, M. Merrick, M. Metzler, and K. Trivers. 2016. “The Association Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Risk of Cancer in Adulthood: A Systematic Review of the Literature.” Pediatrics 136 (1): 81-91. Retrieved February 28, 2018 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27940981).

Merrick, M., K. Ports, C. Tracie, E. Afifi, T. Gershoff, and A. Grogan-Kaylor. 2017. “Unpacking the Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Adult Mental Health.” Child Abuse & Neglect 69(1): 10-19. Retrieved February 28, 2018 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28419887).

51. Maura McInerney and Amy McKlindon. “Unlocking the Door to Learning: Trauma-Informed Classrooms & Transformational Schools.” Education Law Center: 1-24. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (https://www.elc-pa.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Trauma-Informed-in-Schools-Classrooms-FINAL-December2014-2.pdf).

52. Morris, Edward W. and Brea L. Perry. 2016. “The Punishment Gap: School Suspension and Racial Disparities in Achievement.” Social Problems 63(1): 68-86. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (https://doi.org/10.1093/socpro/spv026).

53. Maura McInerney and Amy McKlindon. “Unlocking the Door to Learning: Trauma-Informed Classrooms & Transformational Schools.” Education Law Center: 1-24. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (https://www.elc-pa.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Trauma-Informed-in-Schools-Classrooms-FINAL-December2014-2.pdf).

54. Gregory, Anne, Clawson, Kathleen, Alycia Davis and Jennifer Gerewitz. 2016. “The Promise of Restorative Practices to Transform Teacher-Student Relationships and Achieve Equity in School Discipline.” Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation 26(4): 325-353. Retrieved March 1, 2018. (https://doi.org/10.1080/10474412.2014.929950).

55. Brenda E. Morrison and Dorothy Vaandering. 2012. “Restorative Justice: Pedagogy, Praxis, and Discipline.” Journal of School Violence 11(2): 138-155. Retrieved March 1. 2018. (https://doi.org/10.1080/15388220.2011.653322).

56. National Alliance on Mental Illness. 2018. “LGBTQ.” Retrieved March 1, 2018 (https://www.nami.org/find-support/LGBTQ).

57.Marrast, Lyndonna, David U. Himmelstein, and Steffie Woolhandler. 2016.“Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Mental Health Care for Children and Young Adults: A National Study.” International Journal of Health Services 46(4): 810-824. Retrieved February 28, 2018 (https://doi.org/10.1177/0020731416662736).

58. Hatzenbuehler, Mark L., Laura Schwab-Reese, Shabbar I. Ranapurwala, Marci F. Hertz, and Marizen R. Ramirez. 2015. “Associations Between Antibullying Policies and Bullying in 25 States.” JAMA Pediatrics 169(10):e152411. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26437015).

59. Chen, Michelle. 2016. “Segregation Begins in Pre-K,” The Nation. October 25th. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (https://www.thenation.com/article/segregation-begins-in-pre-k/).

Frankenberg, Erica. 2016. “Segregation at an Early Age,” Center for Education and Civil Rights. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (https://cecr.ed.psu.edu/sites/default/files/Segregation_At_An_Early_Age_Frankenberg_2016.pdf).

60. National Council of Teachers of English. 2016. “Equity and Early Childhood Education: Reclaiming the Child, A Policy Research Brief,” NCTE. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (http://www.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles/EquityEarlyEdBrief.pdf).

Ap

pen

dix

: Wo

rks C

itedThe A

PEX Project

54

61. National Council of Teachers of English. 2016. “Equity and Early Childhood Education: Reclaiming the Child, A Policy Research Brief,” NCTE. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (http://www.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles/EquityEarlyEdBrief.pdf).

62. Gordon, Janet, Jayne Downey, and Art Bangert. 2013. “Effects of a School-Based Mentoring Program on School Behavior and Measures of Adolescent Connectedness.” School Community Journal 23(2): 227-249. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (http://www.adi.org/journal/2013fw/GordonDowneyBangertFall2013.pdf).

63. Oscar, Daniel F. and Margo Ross. 2016. “School-Based Peer Mentoring: A Powerful Tool to Help Close the Mentoring Gap.” National Mentoring Resource Center. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (http://www.nationalmentoringresourcecenter.org/index.php/nmrc-blog/130-school-based-peer-mentoring-a-powerful-tool-to-help-close-the-mentoring-gap.html).

64. Seepersad, Rehana, Kimberly Hagood-Elliott, Kathy-Ann Lewis, and Samantha L. Strickland. 2007. “Cross-cultural mentoring: Exploration Through the Lens of African American Students.” Pp. 102-107 in Sixth Annual College of Education Research Conference: Urban and International Education Section, edited by S. M. Nielsen & M. S. Miami: Florida International University. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (http://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1269&context=sferc).

65. Gordon, Janet, Jayne Downey, and Art Bangert. 2013. “Effects of a School-Based Mentoring Program on School Behavior and Measures of Adolescent Connectedness.” School Community Journal 23(2): 227-249. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (http://www.adi.org/journal/2013fw/GordonDowneyBangertFall2013.pdf).

66. Abrams, Rich. 2017. “How Field Trips Boost Students’ Lifelong Success.” National Education Association. September 4th. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (https://www.neamb.com/professional-resources/how-field-trips-boost-students-lifelong-success.htm).

67. Poiner, Jessica. 2015. “The Opportunity Gap: Extracurriculars and Field Trips Aren’t Just for Fun.” Thomas B. Fordham Institute. November 3rd. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (https://edexcellence.net/articles/the-opportunity-gap-extracurriculars-and-field-trips-aren%E2%80%99t-just-for-fun).

68. Nabors, Martha L., Linda Carol Edwards, and R. Kent Murray. 2009. “Making the Case for Field Trips: What Research Tells Us and What Site Coordinators Have to Say.” Education. 129(4): 661-667. Retrieved March 1, 2018 (http://teamhoward.pbworks.com/f/Case_for_field_trips.pdf).

69. UnifiED. 2017. “It’s Time for a Long-Term Capital Plan!” Retrieved February 28, 2018 (http://unifi-ed.org/2017/05/24/time-for-capital-plan/).

70. UnifiED. 2017. “Fund Hamilton County’s Future!” Retrieved February 28, 2018 (http://unifi-ed.org/school-funding/).

71. UnifiED. 2017. “Fund Hamilton County’s Future!” Retrieved February 28, 2018 (http://unifi-ed.org/school-funding/).

72. Hamilton County Schools Budget Working Group. 2017. Budget Working Group Final Report: Finding & Recommendations. Hamilton County, TN.

73. Leach, Paul. 2017. “Hamilton County Commission Approves Tax Hike, Relief for Elderly, Disabled.” Times Free Press, September 6th. Retrieved February 28, 2018 (http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/breakingnews/story/2017/sep/06/county-commission-tax-hike-/447483/).

74. Hughes, Rosana. 2017. “Hamilton County School Board Unanimously Approves Superintendent’s Facility Building Plan.” Times Free Press, October 20th. Retrieved February 28, 2018 (http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2017/oct/20/hamiltcounty-school-board-unanimously-approve/455187/).

75. Barriere, Jonas. 2017. “Open Letter to the School Board: Before You Spend that $100 Million on Schools…” UnifiED, September 12th. Retrieved February 28, 2018 (http://unifi-ed.org/2017/09/12/open-letter-to-hcde-capital-audit-and-plan-needed-for-new-county-money/).

76. Barriere, Jonas. 2017. “Open Letter to the School Board: Before You Spend that $100 Million on Schools…” UnifiED, September 12th. Retrieved February 28, 2018 (http://unifi-ed.org/2017/09/12/open-letter-to-hcde-capital-audit-and-plan-needed-for-new-county-money/).

77. Hamilton County Schools Budget Working Group. 2017. Budget Working Group Final Report: Finding & Recommendations. Hamilton County, TN.

78. Jackson, C. Kirabo, Rucker C. Johnson, Claudia Persico. 2015. The Effects of School Spending on Educational and Economic Outcomes: Evidence from School Finance Reforms, (NBER Working Paper Series, Working Paper 20847). Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research. Retrieved February 28, 2018 (http://www.nber.org/papers/w20847).

79. Barriere, Jonas. 2017. “Barriere: School Officials Must Put Meat on Bones of Capital Plan.” Times Free Press, November 5th. Retrieved February 28, 2018 (http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/opinion/columns/story/2017/nov/05/barriere-school-officials-must-put-mebones-ca/456099/).

80. Edutopia. 2008. “Why Is Teacher Development Important?: Because Students Deserve the Best.” Edutopia. March 16th. Retrieved February 20, 2018 (https://www.edutopia.org/teacher-development-introduction).

81. Hamilton County Department of Education. 2017. Great Teachers, Great Leaders. Retrieved February 28, 2018 (https://www.dropbox.com/s/5b148lammccgp0h/Teachers_complete.pdf?dl=0).

82. Hamilton County Department of Education. 2017. Internal Data.

83. Tennessee Department of Education. 2018. “Profile and Demographics: School Membership Data Download 2016-2017.” Retrieved March 1, 2018 (https://www.tn.gov/education/data/data-downloads.html).

84. Egalite, Anna J. and Brian Kisida. 2016. “The Many Ways Teacher Diversity May Benefit Students.” The Brookings Institute. August 19th. Retrieved February 15, 2018 (https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2016/08/19/the-many-ways-teacher-diversity-may-benefit-students/).

85. Wong, Alia. 2016. “Why Are There So Few Black Children in Gifted Programs?” The Atlantic. January 19th. Retrieved January 31, 2018 (https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/01/why-are-there-so-few-black-children-in-gifted-and-talented-programs/424707/).

86. Barshay, Jill. 2016. “Bright Black Students Taught by Black Teachers Are More Likely to Get into Gifted-and-Talented Classrooms.” The Hechinger Report. January 19th. Retrieved January 31, 2018 (http://hechingerreport.org/bright-black-students-who-are-taught-by-black-teachers-are-more-likely-to-get-into-gifted-and-talented-classrooms/).

87. Oberle, Eva and Kimberly A. Schonert-Reicht. 2016. “Stress Contagion in the Classroom? The Link Between Classroom Teacher Burnout and Morning Cortisol in Elementary School Students.” Social Science & Medicine 159: 30-37.

88. Kedzior, Margarete. 2004. “Teacher Professional Development,” Education Research & Development Center (Education Policy Brief Volume 15). Retrieved January 31, 2018 (http://dspace.udel.edu/bitstream/handle/19716/245/v15_May.pdf?sequence=1).

Action Plan for

Educational eXcellence