Securing Accountability

Explicit and deliberate actions are urgently required to address inequities in our systems, structures, policies and practices that continue to impact student and staff success and well-being and to build trust with students, families, staff, and communities that we have been under-serving. 

The OCDSB Indigenous, Equity and Human Rights Roadmap, 2020-2023, focuses on six key areas. The following outlines how we intend to secure accountability in our governance and leadership structures.

Goal

To centre Indigenous and human rights, anti-oppression and equity in OCDSB’s governance and leadership structures, policies and practices and in all decision-making.

Key Indicators

  • Number of structures, policies and practices developed or revised to centre human rights and equity
  • Number of accountability mechanisms introduced and operating to collect, analyze and report on professional development, performance and service delivery from a human rights and equity perspective

Priorities

Organizational Structures

  • Establish an Indigenous, Equity and Human Rights Division with advisory support from the arms-length Human Rights and Equity Advisor (HREA)
  • Propose establishment of an Indigenous Student Trustee position

Policy Development and Review

  • Establish and implement a cyclical review of OCDSB policies and procedures applying an Indigenous, equity and human rights lens
  • Develop human rights policies and procedures (including a complaints process) to reflect expectations for addressing anti-Black racism, gender identity and gender expression, and Indigenous cultural practices
  • Review of Safe Schools policy and procedures including policies and practices around police engagement within schools

Advisory Committees

  • Review and update policy and practices, membership criteria, roles and responsibilities of Advisory Committees/Councils to ensure diverse representation
  • Establish a Student Equity Advisory Committee representative of the diverse identities of students, with whom the Director and senior staff may consult on student-related policies, programs and initiatives

Reporting

  • Conduct an internal Equity Audit using an OCDSB developed Equity Planning and Assessment Scorecard to review, identify and measure progress on key structures, policies and practices that create disparities and disproportionate outcomes and report to community
  • Establish an Annual Equity Accountability Report (to be included in the Annual Director’s Report) that reports on the following accountability measures, disaggregated by grade, Indigeneity, race, language, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression and socio-economic status:
  • Establish equity goals in Board and School Improvement Plans that reflect the accountability measures in the Annual Equity Accountability Report to identify, measure and address disproportionate access, opportunities, representation, outcomes and experiences for students

Professional Learning and Capacity Building

  • Develop a comprehensive professional learning plan and resources tied to specific goals, actions and measurable outcomes to engage Trustees, senior staff, and school leaders in Indigenous knowledge, anti-racism, anti-oppression, and human rights building for system and school change (to be reported on in Annual Director’s Report)
  • Establish and implement a mandatory annual orientation and learning plan to engage Trustees, senior staff, and school leaders in addressing legislative obligations and responsibilities as well as OCDSB governance and key policies, including but not limited to policies concerning Trustee conduct, conflict of interest, Indigenous, equity, and human rights education.
  • Performance appraisals for principals, supervisory officers, the Associate Director and Director will include accountability for human rights and equity goals aimed at eliminating disparity and disproportionality for students and staff

Milestones

By 2020-2021

  • Safe Schools Policy and Procedure revised
  • Review of police involvement with schools
  • Establish Indigenous, Equity and Human Rights Division

By 2021-2022

  • Annual Equity Accountability Report establishes a baseline for disparity and disproportionality indices and indicators of success against which progress can be monitored
  • Establish equity goals in Board and School Improvement Plans
  • Annual orientation established and implemented
  • Human Rights Policy and Procedure developed
  • Gender Identity, Gender Expression and Sexual Orientation Policy and/or Procedure developed
  • Multi-year plan for compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) is developed and implemented
  • Advisory Committee/Council review completed
  • Student Equity Advisory Committee established

By 2022-2023

  • Additional policies and procedures identified by the internal Equity Audit and the human rights and equity review are updated and revised to address disproportionate access, opportunities, representation, outcomes and experiences of Indigenous, Black, and minoritized groups
  • Performance appraisals for principals, supervisory officers, the Associate Director and Director are revised to include accountability for goals, actions and outcomes identified in the Indigenous Education, Equity and Human Rights Roadmap
  • Indigenous student trustee position established

 

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