The 44-page guide, Working Together to Remove Racial and Ethnic Barriers for Student Achievement (Facilitator Discussion Guide) by Everyday Democracy, was published January 2009. The facilitators guide discusses the Montgomery Country Public Schools (MCPS) Study Circles Program and provides minute-by-minute details for how to facilitate this six session Dialogue-to-Change program. This Study Circles Program was created to remove the racial and ethnic barriers to student achievement and parent involvement within the Montgomery Country Public School system. The objectives of this program were to build a unified group of diverse parents, teachers, and students that understand the challenges and benefits of a diverse school; encourage an environment in which racial and ethnic issues are talked about openly and productively; and create personal and group action steps that address racial and ethnic barriers to student achievement.
More about the guide
This facilitator guide is organized to help participants:
-Build lasting relationships among diverse stakeholders
-Become more aware of the issues, their own beliefs, and the perspectives of people who are from different backgrounds
-Develop action plans that will address racial and ethnic barriers to student achievement and parent involvement.
Each session, and each activity, are designed specifically to meet these goals. As a facilitator, you need to pay attention to all three of these goals throughout the study circle. Study Circle groups however, are always different. They won’t respond the same way to all activities. You may need to adapt the sessions or activities to meet the specific needs of your group. To do this successfully, you must understand the goals of the activities, how they fit in with one another, and how they fit into the overall design of the study circle.
-Sessions One and Two are designed to develop trusting relationships.
-Sessions Three and Four are designed to have honest and challenging conversations about race and the impact of race on the student achievement and parent involvement.
-Sessions Five and Six are meant to develop actions steps that will address the racial and ethnic barriers.
To learn more and access the full workbook guide, download the PDF below.
About Everyday Democracy
Everyday Democracy (formerly called the Study Circles Resource Center) is a project of The Paul J. Aicher Foundation, a private operating foundation dedicated to strengthening deliberative democracy and improving the quality of public life in the United States. Since our founding in 1989, we’ve worked with hundreds of communities across the United States on issues such as: racial equity, poverty reduction and economic development, education reform, early childhood development and building strong neighborhoods. We work with national, regional and state organizations in order to leverage our resources and to expand the reach and impact of civic engagement processes and tools.
We have learned that some of the key components to ensuring racially-equitable systemic change include building relationships, establishing a diverse coalition, having trained peer facilitators during dialogues, building on assets, and linking actions to individual, community, and policy change. We provide online tools and in-person trainings on organizing, racial equity, facilitation, communications, and action planning. We act as a catalyst and coach for communities, knowing that the people of each community are best suited to carry out and sustain the work that will make a difference. The communities we serve are the focal point of our work. Our ultimate aim is to help create communities that value everyone’s voice and work for everyone, and to help create a strong national democracy that upholds these principles.
Follow on Twitter: @EvDem
Resource Link: Remove-Racial-Ethnic-Barriers-to-Student-Achievement.pdf
