Equal Educational Opportunity Plan (Students)

Code: JB-AR

Amity School District 4J

Adopted: 12/30/92 Revised/Readopted: 10/6/93, 1/8/97

Equal Educational Opportunity Plan (Students)

Goal #1:

To ensure that all students, regardless of financial ability, age, disability, national origin, race, color, religion, sex or marital status, have the right to fair, equal, and impartial education and the right to equal access to course offerings and opportunities in all aspects of the school curriculum and activities.

Objectives:

1. To review and, as necessary, to modify instructional and guidance materials, especially those prepared by the district in order to eliminate stereotypes based upon financial ability, age, disability, national origin, race, color, religion, sex, or marital status.

1. Each textbook review committee will include one member whose specific responsibility shall be to identify stereotypes in textbooks which are being reviewed.
2. The presence or absence of stereotypes will be one of the criteria by which proposed textbooks are evaluated.
3. In all curricula the district encourages the use of instructional materials which deal positively with differences among cultures, religions, races, sexes, native and ethnic groups, and physical and mental abilities.

2. To review and modify, as necessary, course catalogs and policies to assure equal access to courses for all students;
3. To provide supplemental instruction to a student for whom English is a second language, at least until he/she is able to use English proficiently in regular classroom instruction;
4. To ensure that students are not denied educational rights because of their religious beliefs;
5. To ensure that as far as is consistent within the school each student receives an education without curtailing the expression of his/her cultural, ethnic, racial, and religious background.

Goal #2:

To maintain an effective and responsive set of complaint procedures.

Complaint Procedure:

A student or his/her parent or guardian who believes that he/she is the recipient of discrimination from another student may report the incident to the staff member on duty at that time or to the student’s teacher or to the administrator. The administrator will investigate the complaint. Other staff members will report the incident to the administrator, who will take appropriate action, which may include following the rules for discipline outlined in the student handbook.

A student and his/her parent or guardian is encouraged to attempt to resolve concerns informally. However, if they are unable to and believe the student is the recipient of discrimination from a district staff member or the district generally or one of its volunteers, are encouraged to follow the district’s discrimination complaint procedure. Staff members whose behavior is found to be in violation of this policy will be subject to the investigation procedure which may result in discipline, up to and including dismissal. The district’s discrimination complaint procedure is as follows:

STEP 1.

When a formal complaint is filed, a conference will be held with the complainant within five

5. school days. A written response will be given to the complainant within ten (10) school

days following the conference.

STEP 2.

If the complainant is not satisfied with the decision of the building principal he/she may submit a written appeal to the superintendent. The superintendent shall meet with all parties involved to discuss the complaint and will respond, in writing, to the complaint within ten (10) school days.

STEP 3.

If the complainant is not satisfied with the decision of the superintendent, he/she may submit a written appeal to the Board. This appeal should be filed within five (5) school days of receipt of the superintendent’s decision.

STEP 4.

The Board shall consider the appeal at its next regularly scheduled Board meeting. The Board will reply to the complaint, in writing, within ten (10) school days.

A complaint may be filed at any time with the Director of the Office of Civil Rights, Seattle Office, Western Division, U.S. Department of Education, 915 Second Avenue, Room 3310, Seattle, Washington 98174-1099

Changes to the above procedure may be made if an administrator is named in the complaint.

Confidentiality will be maintained and no reprisals or retaliation will be allowed to occur because of the good faith reporting of charges of sexual harassment.

Goal #3:

To achieve sensitivity to bias and stereotyping on the basis of financial ability, sex, race, color, age, disability, national origin, religion, or marital status and to avoid degrading and discriminating practices.

Objectives:

1. Staff and volunteers shall be sensitive to those areas in which different treatment of students is mostly likely to occur within the school setting:

1. Course offerings must be open to students regardless of disability, national origin, race, religion, sex, or financial ability;
2. A student’s access to classes must not be denied solely on the basis of disability, national origin, race, religion, sex, or financial ability;
3. Students must not be ignored, made to be visible, or segregated on the basis of disability, national origin, race, religion, sex, or financial ability;
4. Use of descriptive terms which are derogatory to persons by disability, national origin, race, religion, sex, or financial ability must be avoided.

2. To ensure that appropriate staff are knowledgeable about the cultural, ethnic, and racial backgrounds of students in the district the following activities will be offered:

1. To require all employees to attend in-service training on cultural sensitivity and bias awareness every three years.

Goal #4:

To assure that school-sponsored activity programs provide equal opportunities for all students regardless of financial ability, sex, race, color, age, disability, national origin, religion, or marital status.

Goal #5:

To assure equal access to equipment and facilities and to provide adequate funding to meet the needs of student educational programs and activities for both sexes.

Objectives:

1. To ensure that each principal is delegated the responsibility for identifying potential access problems in his/her school and for proposing solutions for remedying the situation;
2. To ensure that district facilities, such as classrooms, restrooms, toilet stalls, locker rooms, dining areas, drinking fountains, telephones, sidewalks, parking areas, curbs, entrances, exits, vocational facilities, and athletic facilities, are constructed or remodeled in such a way that an individual with disabilities can function safely and comfortably.

HARASSMENT COMPLAINT FORM (SEXUAL/RACIAL)

Complainant	School	Date of Incident
Address	City, State, Zip	Phone

Name of person(s) accused of harassment

Name of witnesses, if any

Description of incident(s). Describe actions and statements of all persons involved, including yourself. Be specific.

Adjustment or remedy requested:

Signature Date

Complaint submitted to:

DO NOT WRITE BELOW THIS LINE

Received Initials Date Received