Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

The Culturally Responsive - Sustaining Education Framework

The CR-S framework helps educators create student-centered learning environments that: affirm racial, linguistic and cultural identities; prepare students for rigor and independent learning; develop students’ abilities to connect across lines of difference; elevate historically marginalized voices; and empower students as agents of social change. 

The CR-SE Briefs

The purpose of the briefs (linked below) is to highlight the important concepts of the CR-S Framework as an introduction for educators, administrators, parents/caregivers, community members, and students. These briefs can be used as a professional development resource that encourages the reading of the CR-S Framework in its entirety.

Brief 1:  What is Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education?

Brief 2:  What is the Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Framework?

Brief 3:  What Do Students Gain When Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Guides Our Education System?

Brief 4:  Why Should Schools Focus on the Cultures of Their Students?

Brief 5:  What Are the Four Principles of the Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Framework?

Brief 6:  How Does Implementing CR-S Improve Your School Community as a Whole?

Digital Equity
Achieving Digital Equity in New York State:

This resource gives a brief overview of the digital inequities in the state and provides an overview of the state's plan to help districts overcome them.

Recorded Digital Equity Summit Presentation Videos: The Board of Regents and the State Education Department convened a series of Digital Equity Summits to establish a shared understanding of digital inequity and create a joint vision toward achieving digital equity in New York State. The summits brought together education, government, community, and business partners to recommend next steps (both short-term and long-term) at all levels—federal, state, local, and organizational.

Four+ Agreements for Courageous Conversations

Singleton’s 4+ agreements for courageous conversations may help guide and navigate through conversations of institutional equity  and its impact on teaching and learning.

Conducting an Equity Audit

The goal of an equity audit is to identify institutional practices that produce discriminatory trends in data that affect students.  Equity audits guide schools in answering several questions: What supports do students need at each intersection? How well is the district providing these supports? Which students are disengaged? Where can the district improve? An audit has the power to confirm equity concerns and bring new ones to light. 

Family-School Relationships Survey 

Make a copy of this survey, based on work from Panorama Education, to help guide decisions about addressing needs in improving relationships between families and the school. Modify it to meet your needs. (Please note that there are numerous tabs at the bottom of the spreadsheet.) 

Editable CRS Roadmap 

The NYS CRS Implementation Roadmap has been designed to assist and support districts and educators with the implementation of these important key principles and the CRS Framework. The Roadmap links to pertinent guidance and resources that are provided throughout the roadmap. Based on a need assessment, districts are encouraged to tailor the suggested implementation activities to meet their specific district level needs during the transition process.

Classroom Self-Audit
Take this self-audit to see how culturally relevant your classroom is! 

From Uncommon Schools
Check out Revising Curriculum with the DEI Lens Tool – A Collectivist Approach by Amy Parsons and the DEI Lens Toolkit to help you consider ways to make changes in your curriculum.