Last Revised 11/26/2011 9:14 PM
About Community Education Partners
Purpose:Community Education Partners (CEP) is a broad-based coalition of organizations working as a catalyst to change the educational system and standing united to ensure the personal success and academic achievement of all children.
Beliefs:• The education system won’t succeed without strong diverse (racial & class) community participation.• We are stronger by valuing our deep multicultural and multiracial diversity.• We work with the whole family.• We work for action and results.• We need an education system that predicts and prepares students for the changing world of tomorrow.
Process:• We will stop divide and conquer strategies.• We will maintain the integrity of our individual organizations.• We will access the expertise across our organizations.• We are a learning group - we ask questions to understand.• Leadership is shared among all organizations on a rotating basis
Action Focus:
CEP concentrates on ending disparities in treatment of people of color in Portland Public Schools (PPS).It has focused its work on three major projects, two of which deal with racial disparities in discipline practices as a distinct, measurable indication of overall disparate treatment. The member organizations work individually on many different areas, while they work on discipline and related issues as a united body through their participation in CEP.
Four main action areas for this work:
1. A district-wide policy that publicly calls for a reduction in disparities in disciplinary actions.2. Creation of specific reduction targets and timelines to measure progress written into School Improvement Plans.3. When new discipline data is released – and analyzed – identify schools with the greatest disparities and implement best practices there – e.g. Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) or Restorative Justice..4. Collaborative development of alternatives to suspension and expulsion.
2. Creation of specific reduction targets and timelines to measure progress written into School Improvement Plans.
3. When new discipline data is released – and analyzed – identify schools with the greatest disparities and implement best practices there – e.g. Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) or Restorative Justice..
4. Collaborative development of alternatives to suspension and expulsion.
2005-07 – CEP participated in the Annenberg Study of Teaching and Learning commissioned by Portland Public Schools. Portland was the only city where Annenberg included community members as participants in the study. Not only did CEP members act as full partners with the teachers, principals and other education professionals conducting the study, but CEP spearheaded a major rewrite of the study’s conclusions to strengthen emphasis on racial disparities.
CEP_About.doc Last Revised 11/26/2011 9:14 PM
2007-09 – CEP worked with Portland Public Schools in a complete revision of the district’s discipline policies and supporting administrative directives, naming racism and calling for an end to racial disparities in discipline, especially in exclusionary practices like suspensions and expulsions. It also led PPS to adopt a relative rate index of disparities and increase training for administrators and staff in reducing these disparities.
2009-2011 –Concentrated on implementation of those policies through direct community observation of discipline work at selected schools. Initially, the PPS Chief Academic Officer committed to starting this work in the 2010-11 school year but the work was postponed until 2011-12. when 10 schools were selected for onsite CEP participation. The rest of 2011 through August was for planning, developing the collaboration with participating school, and making sure that each school has a focused, clear discipline plan aimed at reducing exclusionary referrals and racial disparities in them, with good, consistent data being collected to measure this reduction. In the 2011-12 school year, CEP worked with each partner school to put these plans into practice and follow the results.
2012-13 -- Continued with a subset of 6 schools, to build on the work from the prior year. In April, 2013 CEP organizations were honored by the Portland Public School board for their contribution to the education of Portland students.There is growing interest in restorative justice and restorative listening/dialogues in the schools. A progress report will come out in Fall, 2013.
In 2013-14, CEP will focus on key observations and family involvement in the 6 schools, and go more into depth on discipline practices, especially related to students who are chronically absent. CEP may add a 7th school or substitute a school as well. Early in the school year, CEP will make a presentation to the Board of Education on our work and findings to date, as well as our new focus and priorities.
Positions:
CEP occasionally takes positions on major actions relating to its focus.
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In 2010, it endorsed the Academic Priority Zones part of PPS High School Redesign.
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In 2011-12, CEP supported funding for the Restorative Justice discipline model being implemented at some PPS schools.
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In April, 2013, CEP presented concerns to the Portland Public School Board about the slow progress toward reducing disproportionate discipline, including testimony by a parent whose daughter was subjected to repeated suspensions beginning in kindergarten.