Gresham‑Barlow equity advisory presents school visits, recommends signage, equity teams and private spaces

The Gresham‑Barlow School District board heard a presentation from the District Equity Committee and District Advisory Committee on inclusion, belonging and student‑centered practices on March 4.

Committee members and student representatives reviewed visits to five schools and identified "bright spots" — visible student work, student‑created norms, multilingual signage gaps and supportive staff presence — and made a set of recommendations the committees said would increase belonging for historically marginalized students.

Why it matters: Committee members told the board that small, noninstructional spaces — hallways, cafeterias, libraries, bathrooms, nursing and counseling offices — shape whether focal student groups feel included. Committee leaders said improving those spaces and systems would support learning and help close outcome gaps documented in the district’s inclusion audit.

The advisory committees said they focused site visits on vocal student groups identified from outcome and inclusion data: students of color, multilingual learners, students experiencing housing insecurity, Muslim and Orthodox students, neurodivergent students, newcomer/migrant students, students who are parents, nonbinary and LGBTQIA+ students and students with IEPs. The teams spent about three hours per school visiting multiple locations, then interviewed students, staff and families about what works and what is missing.

Among bright spots the committees reported were student artwork and displays; student‑authored school norms; inclusive library collections; visible staff photos so students recognized adults in the building; nonstigmatized reset or den spaces; and student‑led clubs that center culture and identity.

Committee recommendations included: creating universal, multilingual directional signage; establishing or standardizing equity teams and student advisories at each school; targeted staff training on inclusion and culturally responsive practices; expanding neutral and private restroom/changing spaces and clarifying access procedures; increasing representation of BIPOC staff; and funding time and staff for movement, counseling and high‑dosage interventions.

Students and committee members described a peer mediation pilot at an elementary school that trained fifth‑grade leaders to help mediate lower‑grade recess conflicts, and staff said incident referrals decreased after the program.

Board and district staff response: Interim Superintendent John Cook thanked the committees and said inclusion and belonging were priorities for the district. Board members praised student leadership and asked staff how the committee recommendations would be integrated into district policy and budgets. Committee leaders said the findings and recommendations will be shared with the district’s Cabinet and Instructional Leadership Team and folded into a new three‑year inclusion plan (years 4–6 of the district plan). The district equity committee will continue to refine implementation steps and present a final plan to the board when ready.

Ending: Committee leaders said the next steps include sharing artifacts of engagement, solidifying growth targets tied to outcomes, and working with the district equity committee and district advisory committee to track progress.