American education is at a critical juncture of urgency and opportunity. The growing need for challenging, inclusive, and supportive learning experiences is heightened by an increasingly diverse and multilingual student population. Meanwhile, the profound and lingering impact of Covid-19 continues to make longstanding inequities within schools even more visible. Innovation and transformation in education are more vital than ever to ensure that every student has what they need to be successful.
Portrait of a School System: A Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Guide leverages this momentum to support school system leaders and their teams in creating schools by, with, and for every student. Whether used as a baseline to create aspirational goals, an accountability resource to measure progress, or a celebration tool to demonstrate quick wins, this roadmap supports education leaders in their system’s journey to becoming more culturally and linguistically responsive.
Updated from our 2021 version and positioned alongside our corresponding culturally and linguistically responsive guides for the school and classroom, Portrait of a School System offers dozens of reflection questions and look-fors that encourage system leaders to push beyond physical walls, traditional seat time, and standardized exams to create transformative learning for all children.