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Davis School District pushes belonging as strategy to boost student achievement
Summary
District staff and principals told the board the office of equal opportunity and school leaders are shifting from compliance to a culture of belonging—pairing standardized investigative systems with school-level practices designed to increase student connection and academic growth.
Dr. Montero told the Davis School District board that the district is moving its belonging work from compliance toward a culture-driven model because belonging, he said, “is a precondition for achievement.” He opened a workshop presentation that included Office of Equal Opportunity staff and school principals who described concrete policies and classroom practices meant to protect student dignity and improve learning.
Ben Hill, director of the district’s Office of Equal Opportunity, outlined the policy and procedural side: OEO operates under policy 11R-100 and coordinates with the student code of conduct (5S-100), using standardized investigative protocols, structured decision trees, and data systems to track incident types, findings and timelines. Hill said the district’s HDRS reporting tool is accessible from district and school home pages and that the district is tracking timeliness against a 10‑day policy goal from intake to notice of conclusion.
“OEO’s work is about both accountability and prevention,” Hill said, adding that investigators are trained to apply consistent standards aligned with state and federal civil rights law. He noted a recent upgrade to the district’s Encore documentation system to improve consistency and enable hotspot and recidivism tracking across schools.
Several principals and student leaders described how school-level practices are intended to translate policy into everyday experience. Adam Thompson, principal at Fairfield Junior High, described a relationship‑mapping exercise—an adult–student spreadsheet used to identify students with few adult connections—and a student leadership team that lets students raise and refine suggestions for activities, advisory classes and assemblies. Thompson described small, iterative practices such as two-by‑10 conversations with students who have fewer connections and monthly “pizza with the principal” sessions to build adult–student rapport.
Patty Arvin, an elementary director, said Adelaide Elementary links belonging directly to instruction: she said she works to know every student by name, uses progress-monitoring data in walkthroughs, and pairs classroom growth targets with supports such as pantry packs for families in need. “Belonging is not sentimental,” Arvin said. “It is intentional, relational and relentlessly focused on growth.”
Board members and Superintendent Lynford praised the presentations and tied belonging to teacher efficacy and student outcomes. Presenters and board members said the district will continue aligning policies, training and data systems while strengthening family engagement through PTA and school community councils.
The workshop included public questions about how to engage parents and share expectations; staff acknowledged that parent-facing orientation materials and stronger PTA partnerships are areas for improvement. The workshop recessed ahead of the formal board meeting at 6 p.m.
