The purpose of the equity audit is to zero-in on those aspects of educator practice, system policies and guidelines that structure barriers to the wellbeing and success of Black, African and African-Caribbean students.
With your selected school team you will complete the Equity Audit linked here. You can also use the QR code provided on the right.
Make a copy of the Equity Audit Tool to record reflections, evidence and begin your School Improvement Equity Planning using the prompts in each section of the tool.
This landing page provides you with Peel District School Board resources that connect to the Equity Audit, an Initial Assessment tool, multiple entry points to the audit, timeline of completion and connections to the School Improvement Equity Planning process.
Setting The Context
This audit tool for equity will assist educators and school leaders in:
an ongoing disruption of racist/colonial/oppressive practices by critically examining the everyday practices, processes, programs and structures
even the application of policies and procedures to support systemic patterns of equity while unlearning deficit belief systems.
assist educators and school leaders to notice, identify and address systemic inequities embedded in organizational practices, procedures, policies and structures
guiding change in schools and classrooms
Ministry Directive 18 & The Equity Audit
The Ministerial review outlines disproportionalities in student engagement, experiences, and outcomes as a result of system policies, programs, and practices that stem from the systemic and longstanding anti-Black racism in the district school board of Peel region. The Equity Accountability Report Card - Directive 9 clarifies the discriminatory over-representation of Black and Indigenous students in student discipline, special education programs (i.e., locally developed and vocational programs); and that these student groups are under-represented in gifted programming (special education) and regional learning choice programs, student achievement and wellbeing outcomes. Streaming practices have relegated Black and Indigenous students to narrow educational pathways that disregard their inherent capabilities, capacities and interests. The systemic oppressions named by the Review which Black and Indigenous students have experienced need to be eliminated and replaced with safe, equitable identity-affirming and responsive schools led by anti-racist principals and vice-principals and staff with caring anti-racist educators and education workers to facilitate learning and wellbeing in classrooms.
Directive 18 states, The Board shall, through its Equity Office, established pursuant to Direction 10, undertake a comprehensive diversity audit of schools, which shall include naming, mascots, libraries and classrooms. The Board shall evaluate books, media and all other resources currently in use for teaching and learning English, History and Social Sciences for the purpose of utilizing resources that are inclusive and culturally responsive, relevant and reflective of students, and the Board’s broader school communities. The Board shall ensure that the audit is among the first priorities of the Equity Office and allocate the appropriate resources to conduct a detailed audit.
School and mascot naming, library (and classroom collections; and by extension text selection) and classroom pedagogy and learning environments are the foci for the system audit process. This work focuses on a tool to review classroom pedagogy and learning environments to ensure the wellbeing and success of African, Black and African-Caribbean students.
Systemic equity is a way to achieve this end. But transforming the ways in which systems and individuals typically operate to ensure every Black and Indigenous student can reach their potential with equity of access to resources and opportunities often collides with routinized practices embedded with biases, prejudices and stereotypes that do not uplift all students in the same way. An audit tool for equity will assist educators and school leaders in an ongoing disruption by critically examining the everyday practices, processes, programs and structures; even the application of policies and procedures to support systemic patterns of equity while unlearning deficit belief systems.
The School Equity Audit Tool (SEAT) is grounded in critical race theory (Gilborne, 2006), anti-racist (Dei, 1996); and de-colonizing education (2013). Critical race theory is a perspective that helps to clarify how race and racism function at the individual, organization and systemic levels in our social world in ways that impact racialized individuals and groups (that is, Black and Indigenous students in PDSB). This theory outlines how claims of neutrality, colorblindness and meritocracy can be examined critically especially against the historical testimonies and lived experiences of non-white people. Dei’s (1996) ten principles of anti-racism education provides educators and school leaders with critical tenets to analyze the intersectionality of identities, racialized power and advantage to achieve educational equity. Breaking free from the socializing effects of colonialism and Eurocentricity through approaches, practices, methods and ways of knowing that represent the experiences and cultures of First Nation, Inuit and Metis students (Battiste, 2013), in particular as well as Black and racialized students in the goal of decolonizing practices in education.
Rationale & Theoretical Framework
The implementation of the Ministry Directives in PDSB provides a meaningful context for an audit to be utilized. PDSB’s framing of the 27 directives into four areas: Relationships, Student Achievement and Wellbeing, Leadership/Capacity Building and Accountability organizes system, school and classroom activities and actions so that staff can re-consider their interactions and partnerships with students, their families and staff; revise approaches to teaching and learning, continue to develop capacity and ensure that improved outcomes for Black and Indigenous students is measured, monitored and reported on with regularity.
The system equity audit tool for school learning environments is grounded in critical race theory (Gilborne, 2006), anti-racist pedagogy (Dei, 1996), and de-colonizing education (2013). Critical race theory is a perspective that helps to clarify how race and racism function at the individual, organizational and systemic levels in our social world in ways that impact racialized individuals and groups (that is, Black and Indigenous students in PDSB). This theory outlines how claims of neutrality, colorblindness and meritocracy can be examined critically especially against the historical testimonies and lived experiences of non-white people. Dei’s (1996) ten principles of anti-racism education provides educators and school leaders with critical tenets to analyze the intersectionality of identities, racialize power and advantage to achieve educational equity. Breaking free from the socializing effects of colonialism and Eurocentricity through approaches, practices, methods and ways of knowing that represent the experiences and cultures of First Nation, Inuit and Metis students (Battiste, 2013), in particular as well as Black and racialized students is the goal of decolonizing practices in education.
The School Equity Audit Tool for equity assists in the accountability practices of school and classroom staff by:
requiring knowledge and understanding of equity principles (anti-racist, anti-oppressive and anti-colonial) as foundations for classroom instructional practice and school leadership
building-in ongoing professional learning to hone professional practice of anti-racism education and support implementation via a professional learning plan
building-in opportunities to document what is being learned, actions taken
ongoing reporting by school teams, principals through the School Improvement and Equity process on the
impact of the actions educators in grade groups, departments and other collectives/structures have taken on the success and well being of African, Black and African-Caribbean students
next steps to be taken as a result of the impact review
providing a completion report to superintendents of the audit by principals
Accountability is a powerful force in the push towards education equity and a key theme in the Ministry Report on the Peel District School Board.
The system equity audit tool will assist educators and school leaders to notice, identify and address systemic inequities embedded in organizational practices, procedures, policies and structures. It aims to guide change in schools and classrooms that incorporate Gorski’s Equity principles, namely:
The Direct Confrontation Principle: The path to equity requires direct confrontations with inequity—with interpersonal, institutional, cultural and structural racism and other forms of oppression. “Equity” approaches that fail to directly identify and confront inequity play a significant role in sustaining inequity.
The Equity Ideology Principle: Equity is more than a list of practical strategies. It is a lens and an ideological commitment. There are no practical strategies that will help us develop equitable institutions if we are unwilling to deepen our understanding of equity and inequity and reject ideologies that are not compatible with equity.
The Prioritization Principle: In order to achieve equity we must prioritize the interests of the students and families whose interests historically have not been prioritized. Every policy, practice, and program decision should be considered through the question, “What impact is this going to have on the most marginalized students and families? How are we prioritizing their interests?”
The “Fix Injustice, Not Kids” Principle: Educational outcome disparities are not the result of deficiencies in marginalized communities’ cultures, mindsets, or grittiness, but rather of inequities. Equity initiatives focus, not on “fixing” students and families who are marginalized, but on transforming the conditions that marginalize students and families.
The systemic oppressions named by the Review which Black students have experienced need to be eliminated and replaced with safe, equitable identity-affirming and responsive schools led by anti-racist principals and vice-principals and staff with caring anti-racist educators and education workers to facilitate learning and wellbeing in classrooms.
The Equity Audit: An Assessment Instrument
The tool is organized into a series of tables. In each table are columns that identify (i) what to address, that is, what schools are to audit, (ii) the expected practice (iii) look fors (iv) evidence of the expected practice and, (v) action plan.
Overarching Learning Goals (What to address): in this column, schools will find the area to be reviewed. School team will ensure there is a shared understanding of the description so that team members can identify the presence or absence of the focus.
Learning Goals (Expected practice): in this column, are the actions or steps that schools are taking or need to take in order to fulfill the focus. All items must be checked for the focus to be satisfied. However, the presence of all items under this column interacts with the tangible evidence of the expected practice at the school and in classrooms; and most importantly through the changed outcomes for African, Black and African-Caribbean students. Schools can use the check boxes to show which actions are in place vs those that need to be established.
Success Criteria (Look fors): this column lists suggested indications that the Expected Practice is in place. The lists are not exhaustive and can be added to in the school team discussions.
Evidence: schools can record and/or link to the tool observations/conversations/artifacts to show the extent to which baseline practices have changed.
Action Plan: in this column, schools will identify what has changed over time for Black, Indigenous and racialized students as a result of the review. This is a place to also include changes in educator practices, school programs and processes. The information in this column will be part of the summary information provided to the Superintendent of Education report on completion of the Equity Audit.
School and mascot naming, library (and classroom collections; and by extension text selection), classroom pedagogy, and learning environments are the foci for the system audit process. This work focuses on a tool to review classroom pedagogy and learning environments to ensure the wellbeing and success of African, Black and African-Caribbean students.
The Equity Audit: A Provocation for Ongoing Inquiry & Professional Learning
The School Equity Audit Tool, is directed to be an assessment (not an evaluative) tool. Therefore it makes sense that schools/teams will be noticing gaps in application and evidence of anti-racist/anti-colonial/anti-oppressive practices; these gaps must be addressed as opportunities for ongoing professional learning. Schools can differentiate the professional learning needed and connected to the SEAT through the use of resources found on this site.
School professional learning must embody the beliefs and elements of the PDSB EML vision in order to meaningfully transform our practices, processes, and systems. Professional Learning and this assessment tool, must follow an assessment cycle of 1) Assess Against Criteria (found in the 6 sections of SEAT, 2) Analyze the Results/Evidence in Relation to Criteria, 3) Plan for Action & Learning Based on the Results/Evidence, 4) Adjust/Improve programs (repeat cycle). Assessment is ongoing and never final, as is learning. This School Equity Audit Tool allows for ongoing assessment of our school based practices, processes, and systems, never ending, and always evolving to better serve PDSB students and communities.
This initial assessment is a tool that school teams can use to determine an entry point into the School Equity Audit Tool. Click on the picture to access the document.
Timeline 2022-2023
Identify starting points- what are your school's entry points into the Equity Audit?
Clarify what you know and what you need to know in terms of your critical understanding
Engage in the Equity Audit as part of the SIEP cycle
Submit the completion report by June 2023.
Extending and Connecting Your Learning
As you engage with the Equity Audit, your school team can refer to the following Peel District School Board produced resources to extend and connect your learning where needed.
This strategy outlines the priorities and actions that will assist PDSB in continuing to deepen its anti-racism/anti-oppression (ARAO) efforts and embed ARAO into everything the Board does in order to foster anti-racist learning and working environments. PDSB owes it to the Black students and staff who are presently within the system, but also future generations of students and staff, to address anti-Black racism. We are touching not only the lives of Black students and staff but also shaping the perceptions and worldviews of all students and what they will take into the world as adults.
In March 2020, the Ministry of Education issued a report containing a series of 27 Directives with over 54 actions intended to establish strong accountability measures and responsibilities, restore good governance, and model equity-focused leadership at all levels of the organization, with specific focus on eradicating anti-Black racism and inequities throughout the Peel District School Board (PDSB). While the Peel board is on the right track, there is a long journey ahead to truly transform the board and dismantle systemic racism.
We are accountable to actively identify, disrupt, and dismantle inequities and barriers that uphold racism and other forms of oppression so learners of all identities are empowered through education that embraces their identities and lived experiences. As we uncover and acknowledge our past and commit to a better future, a focus on models of learning that centre student identity is needed. Learning environments must honour critical thought, adaptability, innovation; understanding that these concepts look different and have different implications for each learner.
We problematize practice, not students, by continuously auditing our instruction and assessment to effectively adjust pedagogy to support student achievement. We honour students’ multiple, intersecting, and sometimes shifting identities by valuing diversity of thought, honouring their ways of knowing and being, and amplifying student voice and agency. We believe representation matters. We centre students in their learning by amplifying mathematicians, histories, texts, and curricula that reflect their identities and lived realities (mirrors) and that introduce views outside of their own (windows).
Assessment practices must be transparent and focused on student excellence and well-being. Educators have the professional imperative to commit to identify, disrupt, and dismantle racism and oppression, specifically anti-Black racism, Indigenous genocide, and systemic barriers to traditionally marginalized populations. Educators must recognize learning frameworks are not inherently anti-racist or anti-oppressive. It is important to note that UDL is a single part of a larger pedagogical practice: explicit and ongoing work to dismantle racist, colonial, and oppressive teaching practices needs to continue to develop inclusive learning spaces for all students.
The purpose of destreaming is to ensure that the well documented and historical disparities and disproportionate outcomes in student achievement and experiences are eliminated. Destreaming is addressed in Directive 19, which is in line with PDSB's direction and intersects with other directives that are responsible for changes that impact curriculum delivery and educational outcomes. In order to adequately address how streaming has led to the systemic inequities that persist today and continue to deny Black, African, Afro-Caribbean students equitable access to pathways and programs, we must understand how it manifests itself at the elementary level in literacy and numeracy.
Learning Links
Extend your learning with resources that will deepen your understanding of Learning Goals and Success Criteria in each section of the audit.
The Equity Audit Tool Contents
After reviewing the Initial Assessment and PDSB produced resources your team is ready to engage in the Equity Audit. Click on the titles to select an entry point with your team to begin the Equity Audit.
Board and School Improvement Equity Planning
Connect with your School Improvement Equity Planning team, equity and leadership teams to review data collected from your Equity Audit to set goals that address the needs of our Black, African, and African-Caribbean students.
