Trustees received an update on the Upstander Partnership and other equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives within RISD during the Oct. 24 work session.
In a nutshell
Angie Lee, RISD executive director of equity, diversity and inclusion, said the district worked with elementary and secondary principals and campus staff to identify a program that made sense for the district. The Upstander Partnership, which is between RISD and the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum, includes strategic planning, access to the Upstander Portal and field trips held on school campuses.
“We have the ability to customize it to the needs of our students,” Lee said. “We’ve spent about the last year [developing the program within] focus groups.”
The program is aligned with RISD and state-required character traits and curriculum, including Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, or TEKS, and the district’s North Star goal, Lee said. The elementary school program will likely focus on character traits of an upstander, which is aligned with the district’s Project Wisdom, while the secondary curriculum supplement will tie into TEKS.
Field trips for the program include:
- Shadow puppet theater for second graders
- Spotlights of TEKS-aligned Texas upstanders for fourth and seventh graders
- A field trip to the Dallas museum for sixth graders
- A program on confronting hatred and prejudice for ninth graders
Lee also provided an overview of campus pathway to equity plans, which are designed to help address all categories of RISD’s graduate profile, according to board documents. The plans provide an overview of goals, progress measures and action items to create more equitable school environments.
District officials also provided an overview of the family engagement framework and the Parent University initiative, which is designed to help parents understand how they can support their children in reaching student growth goals.
Looking ahead
Superintendent Tabitha Branum said campuses throughout the district’s four learning communities are expected to roll out the curriculum on a pilot basis in the spring semester.
Lee said district staff have worked to ensure the program aligns with RISD’s strategic plan before classroom instruction begins.
“We get to do a slow roll [to] make sure that the implementation is done with fidelity and we get time for quality training for our teachers and staff,” Lee said.
