San Francisco Coalition of Essential Small Schools (SF-CESS)

San Francisco Coalition of Essential Small Schools (SF-CESS) intends to make an impact on the design and sustainability of new and existing small schools in San Francisco by providing coaching, technical assistance and professional development focused on equity, inquiry and achievement to a network of schools. SF-CESS will share best practices for creating the conditions necessary for schools to be equitable and high performing. SF-CESS intends to make a significant contribution to achievement and the lives of children in the San Francisco-Bay Area, as well as throughout the nation. SF-CESS is an Affiliate Center for The National Coalition of Essential Schools. SF-CESS’ WORKING DEFINITION of EDUCATIONAL EQUITY

SF-CESS defines Educational Equity as the practice of …

• holding a stance,

• developing policies and processes,

• using a set of tools, and

• making decisions and taking actions towards the explicit and intended goal of equal and excellent results for students regardless of external or internal, social or cultural contexts. SF-CESS’ work of prioritizing Educational Equity is built upon four tenets:

1. Equity is not Equality:

• Equality is about equal input (regardless of outcome) and assumes every student begins at an equal starting place and continues with constant and equal access to information, resources and support.

• Equity is about equal output – or results – based on authentic data related to student achievement and experience.

2. High Expectations are required regardless of biases or predictability of success or failure based on social or cultural contexts of students or schools.

3. Interruption may be required of current thinking, systems and constructs as well as behaviors. Alliances Across Difference will be necessary as long as there is an experience and culture gap between our teachers, students and families. We must work together to develop practices and leadership for equitable results.