Tips for Inclusive School Communities: Building Belonging & Equity

February 20, 2024

How can you promote equity and belonging in your inclusive school community? Try the tips in today’s post, excerpted and adapted from the new book True Inclusion With UDL by Patti Kelly Ralabate. Explore eight key elements of an inclusive, culturally responsive community—and for each one, discover specific aspects of equity and belonging to focus on.

Element #1: Values and Beliefs

To promote equity…

• “All families want the best for their children” should be a core belief.
• School leaders should communicate the importance of family engagement and the belief that all families add value to the school community.
• School leaders should collaborate with teachers, staff, and stakeholder groups to conduct regular equity audits.

To promote belonging…

• Ensure that terminology includes a variety of family arrangements.
• Family and community engagement must be viewed as a shared responsibility among school leaders, teachers, staff, and family and community members.
• Educators, students, and families should jointly develop aspirational postschool goals and individually focused learning plans.

Element #2: Trust Relationships

To promote equity…

• Make sure every family receives good news at beginning of year (a welcome postcard, good news phone call/email).
• Engagement should be regularly assessed and approaches adjusted.
• School decision-making should proactively include families and community members.
• Ensure that everyone has access to ample snacks at meetings and events to accommodate attendees who come directly from work or those with food insecurity.
• Equity ambassadors must look for opportunities to foster equity in the community (e.g., connecting with community and faith-based organizations).

To promote belonging…

• School staff should greet learners every day using greetings in their home language, as appropriate.
• Conduct regular surveys to gauge belonging and respect among students, families, and staff.
• Ensure that symbols, including school mascots, respect cultural identities.

Element #3: Two-Way Communication

To promote equity…

• Use school events, home visits, and communications to share what the students are learning.
• Ensure that locations for events are convenient and accessible.
• Parent–teacher conferences, curriculum nights, and home–school events should include options for transportation and childcare.

To promote belonging…

• Align the school calendar with family work schedules, holidays, and celebrations.
• Be sure that events offer accessible technology/digital options to allow family members with work or home commitments to attend and participate.

Element #4: Safety

To promote equity…

• School events should be planned without stereotyping and in identity-safe ways.

To promote belonging…

• All educators and staff must work to eliminate stereotype threats and microaggressions for students and families.
• Discipline and behavioral programs should take a conflict resolution and/or restorative justice approach to repair relationships.

Element #5: Partnerships & Shared Decision-Making

To promote equity…

• Representatives from teachers, staff, families, and the community should serve on stakeholder groups.
• School leaders can regularly survey families, students, and staff about partnership effectiveness and share disaggregated data with family and community members.

To promote belonging…

• Stakeholder groups should collaboratively create and update mission, vision, and core values.
• Schools can establish home–school book study groups to learn together about relevant community issues.

Element #6: Resource Assets

To promote equity…

• Schools should offer quality mental health and social-emotional learning opportunities to all learners.
• Families should receive information and access to community services and resources.

To promote belonging…

• Schools can offer adult education courses on topics such as literacy and general educational development.

Element #7: Cultural & Social Capital

To promote equity…

• School leaders should establish family advocates, liaisons, or coordinators who can make connections with families and build social networks.

To promote belonging…

Educators should use a strength-based approach to learn about the cultures in the community by reading, participating in community events, asking questions, and visiting local shops.

Element #8: Curriculum & Instructional Practice

To promote equity…

• Performance expectations for all teachers and staff should align with the school’s mission, vision, and values.
• Families must receive accessible information on student expectations and skills required for all subjects.

To promote belonging…

• Performance expectations for all teachers and staff should be consistent with culturally responsive practice.
• Educators, families, and students should jointly develop relevant individual student expectations.

Want more guidance on creating school communities that are welcoming, respectful, engaging, and safe for every learner? True Inclusion with UDL is scheduled for publication in March 2024; order your copy today!

True Inclusion With UDL

Designing to the Edges to Reach Every Learner
By Patti Kelly Ralabate, Ed.D.
Going far beyond the fundamentals of Universal Design for Learning, this planning guide shows educators the secret to truly inclusive schools.