SEATTLE — School can be difficult for any kid, but some students have an extra hard time at school because they face obstacles related to their race and class.
In order to reach those students, the Bellevue School District is developing a plan they hope will make those students feel heard and valued, and encourage them to graduate. Director of Equity for the Bellevue School District Shomari Jones said he believes every student has the potential to be successful if the community works together to support them.
The four-year high school graduation rate was 79.3% for the class of 2017. The year before, the adjusted four-year cohort graduation rate for the class of 2016 was 89.5%.
During the 2017-2018 school year, white students made up more than half of the school district (54.4%) and Hispanic/Latino students accounted for 23.1%. Students identifying as two of more races made up 8% of the population, and 7.7% of students identified as Asian. About 4% of students identified as Black/African American, and students identifying as American Indian/Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander each accounted for slightly more than 1%, respectively.
The school district created an equity department about six years ago. Efforts included hiring more diverse staff, creating professional development for staff, developing programming for students and finding ways to get parents and community members more involved in mentorship.
Two programs, the BOOM Experience and the SHOUT Experience, were designed to mentor middle and high school students who identify as African, Black, LatinX, Native American, Southeast Asian, Pacific Islander or a mix of any. The BOOM Experience was designed for male students and the SHOUT Experience for female students; Jones said the reason for the gender separation was to limit distractions for students.
The annual events were filled with workshops to address issues around race and culture, and inspire self-empowerment and find support. Adult speakers who also identified as the same race as the students were brought in to lead workshops and discussions. Both programs were launched about four years ago.
"What we're getting from our kids is an increased sense of belonging in our school district," Jones explained. "It gives them a sense of 'this is an organization that was built for me' when they go back to their schools."
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