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s a result of Lowell's Five Year Strategic Plan completed in 2008, the
School resolved to create a strategic plan for diversity as a way of renewing
Lowell's institutional commitment to diversity, setting new goals, determining
a path toward achieving those goals, and establishing a plan to ensure goals
are being met. Below is a timeline outlining the steps taken to create Lowell's first strategic plan for diversity.
June 2011
Lowell's Board of Trustees approves the Five Year Strategic Plan for Diversity 2011.
Winter 2010
After drafting Lowell's Strategic Plan for Diversity, the writing
committee sends the draft to the Administrative team for review and
further refinement
Fall 2010
Further analysis of results continues. Faculty, staff, administrators, Board
members, and interested parents are invited to discuss the results and
prioritize goals for the plan in late November/early December 2010.
Summer 2010
NAIS sends survey
results to the School. Members of the Board, Parent, and Faculty/Staff
Diversity Committees review the results in July 2010, and share an initial
summary with faculty and staff in August.
Spring 2010
The entire school community participates in the AIM discovery
groups and in a confidential climate survey.
Fall 2009
Gene Batiste, NAIS Vice President, Equity and Justice Initiatives, comes to
Lowell to kick off the School's strategic planning process and help the community
envision the future of diversity work at Lowell. As a result, the School
decides to conduct the NAIS Assessment for Inclusivity and Multiculturalism
(AIM) to gather data to be used in strategic planning.
Assessment of Inclusivity and Multiculturalism (AIM)
In 2009, Lowell began a process of strategic planning for diversity. As a part of this planning process, Lowell conducted the Assessment
of Inclusivity and Multiculturalism (AIM),
a tool developed by the National Association of Independent Schools to evaluate
diversity, multiculturalism, equity, and justice in independent schools.
Results of AIM were used to write Lowell's Five Year Strategic Plan for Diversity, which was approved by the Board of Trustees in June 2011.
Goals of AIM
Determine progress in meeting diversity and
multiculturalism goals
Identify current diversity and multiculturalism
initiatives
Encourage participation of all affiliation and affinity
groups in assessing the school’s level of inclusivity
Facilitate meaningful dialogue
Provide benchmarking opportunities
Support a positive community-building process/experience
Step One – School Self Assessment
The AIM self assessment has ten sections that represent
the full scope of a school environment:
School Governance and Leadership
Policy and Administration
Admissions and Financial Aid
Faculty/Teachers
Teaching and Learning
Student Life
School Publications and Environment
Staff Involvement and Life
Parent/Guardian Involvement
Alumni/ae Involvement and Investment
Each section had at least one focus/discovery group that
met to discuss various questions relating to that subject or area of the
school. All constituent groups were encouraged to participate in these
discussions.
Step Two – School Climate Survey
The School Climate Survey is a confidential online tool.
There are seven affiliation groups, and each had its own set of questions:
Student
Administrator
Trustee
Faculty/Teacher
Alumni/ae
Staff
Parent/Guardian