Equity Audit - Section 3: Classroom & School Design

This is the third section of the Full SEAT found on page 6.

Context and Connections

The way that a classroom and a school are designed can speak to the learning and cultural environments within them. Identity and power are at the forefront of both the physical and social and emotional learning environments in schools and the classroom. When we are affirming identities, we are seeing and understanding students' lived experiences. Also, understanding how the "Culture of Power" plays a role in both classroom and school learning environments provokes us to challenge it and change the status quo. As Lisa Delpit states, "to act as if power does not exist is to ensure that the power status remains the same."
The goal of We Rise Together 2.0 is to address our obligation to create an equitable, anti-racist, anti-oppressive and inclusive learning environment. This section of the Equity Audit will prompt you to collect and review data pertaining to the Physical and Social and Emotional Learning Environments both in the classroom and the school as a whole. Through Student Improvement and Equity Planning, you will identify goals and strategies to document evidence of impact and monitor for improvement which is centred around the needs of students who have been historically marginalized.
Implementing the learning vision from Empowering Modern Learners will provide educators with the resources to give students agency and ownership in their learning in order to create an equitable learning environment for student success. All of these contexts are used to rethink the traditional design of the physical and social learning environments.
Questions to Consider:

How is identity affirmed in the classroom? In the school?
How can power be redistributed in the classroom? In the school?
How are students seen, heard and valued in the classroom? In the school?

Learning Links

Learning links is a resource page where you can extend your learning about critical concepts in this section of the Equity Audit. As your team deepens their understanding of how schools can manifest a culture that challenges systemic racism, you can begin to reflect on the success criteria outlined in the audit.

Reflective Questions

Physical Learning Environment:

How does the creation of a learner-centred classroom ensure the well being and success of African, Black and African-Caribbean students?
How are Black students represented on the walls and bulletin boards in the classroom and the school?
How much of the classroom set up is guided by the students?
What are the flexible seating arrangements that allow students to learn best? How is this reflected in school assemblies?
Do students have choice in where they sit?
Do students know where they learn best?
How do student access learning materials and resources?

Social Emotional Learning Environment

In what ways do students in the class/school have the opportunity to be heard?
How is student choice embedded in daily practice? In the classroom? In the school?
In what ways have students demonstrated collaboration?
How do you know that Black students feel comfortable in the classroom? In the school?
How are the lives and lived experiences of Black students embedded in the curriculum content?
In what ways can students demonstrate their strengths?
How do students learn best?
How are classroom norms created?
How are students motivated?
How are students challenged?
How are relationships with students and their families nurtured?

School Improvement and Equity Planning

What immediate adjustments can be made to redistribute power to the physical learning environment? In the classroom? In the school?
What changes to the physical learning environment will need a longer time to implement? In the classroom? In the school? What is needed from educators and/or administrators to do this?
What immediate adjustments can be made to affirm student identity to the social and emotional learning environment? In the classroom? In the school?
What changes to the social and emotional learning environment will need a longer time to implement? In the classroom? In the school? What is needed from educators and/or administrators to do this?

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