2020-21

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging

Roadmap Updates

2020-21 Roadmap in Action

The Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEI&B) Roadmap summary below contains progress updates through summer 2021 including numerous affinity group sessions, question and answer forums, informational coffees, and anti-racist training for our students, faculty, staff, and parents/guardians since August 2020. The summary features the action steps of the 2020-2021 School Year towards each of the priorities outlined in the Diversity Mission Statement and Holton’s ongoing commitment to anti-racist education. With humility and the acknowledgment that this work is ongoing and iterative, we want to highlight the recent updates to our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Statement, college counseling philosophy, curriculum review, and broad-ranging efforts to engender a deep sense of belonging for all members of our community.

The 2021-22 Roadmap will be released in October 2022. Please check the DEI & B webpage and Sunday Skim for updates throughout the year. Student perspectives of our DEI & B work will be shared in Holton Highlights (alternating Thursdays) throughout the year.

Hold Ourselves Accountable

A core feature of our roadmap is developing inclusive School policies that the entire School community can internalize and hold one another accountable to. This year we amended several of School policies and statements to ensure we were living into our DEI&B mission. Those statement updates include:

Updates to the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Statement

In spring of 2021, the DEI&B committee of the Board of Trustees worked together to revisit and refine the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Statement and to compose the Principles of Dialogue.  These two documents will work in tandem, the statement serves to articulate our commitment to foster a deep sense of belonging for all members of the community and the Principles of dialogue statement communicates the steps we will take in all learning environments to realize that commitment.

Holton-Arms cherishes the uniqueness of each of our members including current and former students, faculty, and staff. We seek to create an inclusive environment that sees, values, and supports diverse identities and experiences, cultivates engaging discourse, and empowers our students to be thriving members of the global community.

At Holton-Arms, each of us is responsible for fostering an equitable, respectful, and just community. We are committed to:

• Discovering, developing, and valuing our full authentic selves.
• Deepening awareness of personal and systemic biases and being accountable for the impact of our words and actions.
• Developing an understanding of the historical origins and perpetuation of systems of power and privilege.
• Engaging in open and brave conversations that promote growth, understanding, connection, and agency.
• Embracing every individual as essential to the community.

New Principles of Dialogue Statement (Replaces the Statement of Respect)

In Spring of 2021, the DEI&B committee of the Board of Trustees reviewed the Statement of Respect and determined that many of the ideas in the statement had been articulated in the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Statement.  The committee created a companion document that articulates clearly how students and teachers will engage in brave conversations. Principles of Dialogue, based on the faculty/staff created document “Critical Conversations” is a set of community norms that guides in walking our talk.  

Principles of Dialogue

Holton-Arms is a community where we engage in brave conversations by seeking out, listening to, and learning from multiple perspectives and lived experiences. We believe that by upholding the inherent dignity of each person, including when there is disagreement, we enable one another to thrive. To practice these beliefs, we commit to:

• Assuming the shared responsibility of fostering engagement and belonging;
• Participating in conversations that explore similarities and differences candidly;
• Viewing experiences of conflict as an opportunity to grow;
• Practicing humility, asking difficult questions, taking risks, and making mistakes; 
• Taking responsibility for the impact of our words and actions; and
• Reflecting on and engaging in restorative practices.

Though we encourage our community to seek out differences of perspectives, we do not ask students or adults to legitimize degrading views regarding race, ethnicity, religion, ability, sexuality, or gender identity.

Several policies were updated during the summer of 2020 in consultation with the School Administration, the student Resident Advisory council, and the Board of Trustees. Those changes included:

• Updating the Honor Code

By implementing Holton’s Diversity Mission Statement and anti-racism policies in conjunction with the Honor Council system, the Holton-Arms School demonstrates that students should “be accountable for the impact of [their] words and actions on others” (as stated in the Diversity Mission Statement). Students may not engage in behavior or language (oral, written, or virtual) that is demeaning, dehumanizing, degrading, or harmful toward individuals or social groups that students may belong to or identities that they may hold, inside or outside of the Holton community. Any oppressive behavior, language, gestures, pictures, images, or videos that are demeaning, dehumanizing, degrading, or harmful targeted at social groups or individuals based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, class, or ability are in violation of Holton’s Diversity Mission Statement, Statement of Respect, and the Bullying and Harassment Policy and are subject to disciplinary action. All students in violation of this policy will be required to reflect on their actions’ impact on their peers and the community, regardless of intent.

It is important to note that restorative practices do not replace disciplinary action.

• Updating the Student Handbook

N-Word and Derogatory Epithet Policy: No person should say or write the “n-word” or any other derogatory epithet under any circumstances, including in the context of a literary or historical text.

It is unquestionably clear that certain words articulate hateful messages even when historically contextualized and/or referenced. To honor our Diversity Mission Statement and our commitment to anti-racist practices, we will as a community, no longer accept the use of the “n-word” or other racial, ethnic, sexual, or religious epithets. In classrooms, we will use the accepted phrase, “the n-word,” and will do so with sensitivity and an awareness of the impact of that word.

Middle and Upper School Students participated in workshops on the historical harm of the “n-word” and derogatory epithet with Dr. Lisa Thomas, past parent and Associate Director of the American Federation of Teachers, during the 2020-2021 school year.

• Updating the Employee Contract and Employee Handbook

The School has included the following Policy Against Racist or Oppressive Language or Behavior in the Employee Handbook. Although racist or oppressive language or behavior is also generally covered in the Policy Against Harassment, Discrimination and Retaliation, Holton has chosen to include more specific language against racist or oppressive language or behavior.

Policy Against Racism and Racist or Oppressive Language or Behavior

Faculty, staff, and administration are accountable to and responsible for implementing Holton’s Diversity Mission Statement and anti-racism policies. Faculty, staff, and administration will “be accountable for the impact of [their] words and actions on others” (as stated in the Diversity Mission Statement). Students, faculty, and staff, may not engage in behavior or language (oral, written, or virtual) that is demeaning, dehumanizing, degrading, or harmful toward individuals or social groups that an individual may belong to or identities that an individual may hold inside or outside of the Holton community. Any behavior, language, gestures, pictures, images, or videos that are demeaning, dehumanizing, degrading, or harmful targeted at social groups or individuals based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, class, or ability, whether intentional or unintentional, is considered oppressive and is in violation of Holton’s Diversity Mission Statement, Statement of Respect, and the Bullying and Harassment Policy and is subject to disciplinary action, up to and including and possible termination.

Parent/Guardian Enrollment Contract

As we hold our students, faculty, and staff accountable for upholding Diversity Mission Statement and anti-racism policies and practices, we expect our parents/guardians to adhere to the same standards as stated in paragraph 10 of the Enrollment Contract.

Parent Cooperation: A positive and constructive relationship between the School and the parents or other person(s) interacting with the School and/or School community by virtue of their relationship with the student is essential to the mission of the School. Parents’ obligations in this relationship include, but are not limited to, participating in School activities, supporting the School's philosophy and policies, staying informed by reading School communications, completing and returning School forms by applicable deadlines, and communicating openly, constructively, and in a civil manner with all School personnel. Thus, if the behavior, communication, or interaction on-campus or off-campus (including during School-sponsored events) of parents other individuals interacting with the School and/or School community by virtue of their relationship with the student is disruptive, intimidating, overly aggressive, or reflects a loss of confidence or serious disagreement with the School, including but not limited to disagreement with its policies, procedures, responsibilities, personnel, leadership or standards, or imperils accomplishment of its educational purpose or program, parents understand and agree that the School has the right to dismiss the student from the School, the School property, a School event, implement other such restriction, or take other such action as determined in the School’s sole and exclusive discretion. In addition, parents understand and agree that the School has the right to place restrictions on the parents’ or other affiliated individuals’ involvement with or activity at the School, on School property, or at School-related events, if such parents/individuals engage in behavior that the School determines in its sole and exclusive discretion to warrant such a restriction.

If a parent/guardian violates the above, the Head of School and possibly another senior administrator will meet with the parent/guardian to debrief the incident, discuss expectations for the community, suggest restorative action, and next steps.

Additionally, we held numerous events throughout the year to educate our constituents about the updated policies, including:

• Assemblies in all three divisions, faculty, staff, parents, and alumnae to present our community commitment to the Anti-Racist Roadmap
• Meetings with Black Alumnae Union
• Road map update and parent coffee
• Parent/Guardian Affinity Group meetings
• Parent/Guardian Affinity Group town halls with Head of School and Division Directors

The Holton Board of Trustees’ Steadfast Commitment

The Board of Trustees is committed to the DEIB mission of the school and actively works towards achieving Holton’s goal of being an inclusive environment that sees, values, and supports diverse identities and experiences, cultivates engaging discourse, and empowers our students to be thriving members of the global community.

The DEIB Mission Statement in conjunction with the Principles of Dialogue guide our journey to be the equitable, respectful, and just  community we envision.  

On the education front, the Board:

• engaged in several Reading and Discussion Groups.  Readings included  White Fragility, Whistling Vivaldi, Push Out, How to Be Anti-Racist, Why Are the Black Kids Sitting Together in Cafeteria? Seeing White Podcast
• in conjunction with the entire school - read Stamped: Racism, Anti-racism, and You by Ibram X. Kendi
• participated in two 90-minute faculty-led Learning Sessions on Anti-Racism and Implicit Bias; these included readings from and jam sessions around “America’s Enduring Caste System”, “Monopoly”, “Racial Equity Impact Assessment Guide”, Miseducation of American Elites: and numerous others.

On the policy and execution front, the Board worked with each of its Committees to identify, establish, and make progress on at least one anti-racist goal for the 2020-2021 school year.  These include:

• The 403 B Committee put in place sessions aimed at  increasing financial literacy and understanding of the 403 B for all employees, particularly those from underrepresented communities.
• The Advancement Committee is engaged in evaluating language used in advancement communications to ensure it is inclusive, fosters diversity and equity, and is not exclusionary (i.e. identify acts of treasure, time, and talent in all communications from all affinity groups, alumnae solicitations, giving society programs and policies and procedures for dissemination of prospect information)  
•  The Audit Committee’s primary anti-racist objective for 2020-2021 is to begin to ensure that all of the service providers and vendors to the school have in-place DEIB policies and track records that comply with HAS’ values and vision for an anti-racist and anti-discriminatory future.
• The Buildings and Grounds Committee will:

• Evaluate all vendors through the lens of anti-racism and prioritize those that share our vision and value set as part of the criteria of doing business with them.
• Renovate/add to HAS buildings and grounds so that they take into account and are responsive to the needs of all of the humans who occupy and utilize, and who will occupy and utilize the campus.  

• The Finance Committee’s DEIB goal is to ensure the success (broadly defined) of the Faculty Fellows Program.  We believe that the  Faculty Fellows program will be something of a “game-changer” for Holton on the DEIB front, both

• in the narrow sense of helping us to develop some younger, diverse faculty members for Holton, and
• more broadly, in highlighting Holton’s commitment to “jump-starting” careers for new DEIB teachers even though many of them would go on to teach elsewhere.

• The Trustee committee will increase Board diversity by nominating at least one ethnically and/or racially diverse candidate for the 2021-22 slate.
• The Investment committee’s goal - consistent with its fiduciary duties to realize the School’s investment objectives - is to discharge said duties to embody the school’s institutional priorities of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.

Continue and Extend Anti-racist Training

The school is committed to becoming an anti-racist, anti-biased school. We recognize that extensive and ongoing training must be part of achieving this goal and we are committed to ensuring that all faculty, staff, and students engage in this effort. We also began efforts to provide similar opportunities designed for parents and guardians and spearheaded by the Parent Association’s DEI&B committee.

Faculty and staff engaged in myriad learning opportunities, including faculty workshops on choosing anti-racist content and grading for equity implementation; anti-racist training with the Racial Equity Institute; TIDE (FacStaff Diversity Committee) meetings held throughout the year; and conversations based on Robin DeAngelo’s White Fragility.

Senior administration led the way with town hall listening sessions with parent/guardian affinity groups and training held in conjunction with faculty. A retreat in June reviewed progress thus far and empowered administrators to set goals for the year ahead.

Students actively participated in conversations about racial literacy, racial, ethnic and religious epithets, and the anti-racism work being done across the School. Middle and Upper School worked with Dr. Lisa Thomas and advisors to ensure all students understood the changes to the Honor Code and the policy regarding epithets, and Lower School worked with the division director and assistant division director to understand the power of words.

Conversations on sensitive topics, such as the January 6 insurrection and Derek Chauvin trial, were held, and Upper School students organized forums on topics such as COVID and anti-Asian sentiment; white supremacy at Holton; anti-Seminitism; the justice system; Black@HAS; and more. Assemblies were held by student organizations, including the Black Student Union, Spectrum, Asian Culture Club and South Asian Culture Club.

Parents and guardians participated through a variety of affinity groups, books discussions, coffees, and town hall and state of school updates. The Board of Trustees revised the DEI&B Mission Statement and Principles of Dialogue, while Board committees each set anti-racist goals for their areas of responsibility.

Increase and Support Mentoring

Holton is committed to hosting safe spaces for our students, parents, and alumnae to connect with peers from similar backgrounds and life experiences. The lower and middle school affinity groups held meetings throughout the year, as did BIPOC faculty and staff.

The Black Alumnae Union, established in 2018, began working with affinity groups/allied Spaces for current students in Upper School (BSU) and Lower School (Common Threads) in 19-20 and expanded that mentoring to include Middle School Common Threads in 20-21. Additionally, students from the BSU and Asia and South Asia Culture clubs continued mentoring Lower School students. Upper School Mentors have been assigned to Lower and Middle School Common Threads Affinity Group Students.

Student Affinity Groups/Allied Spaces

US Allied Spaces: SPECTRUM (LGBTQ+), BSU, Asia Culture Club, East Asia Culture Club, Jewish Culture Club, Greek Culture Club, Hispanic Student Association, Muslim Student Associations, Persian Culture Club, Young Dems, Young Republicans

Affinity Groups (Common Threads) in MS: Black, AAPI and SPECTRUM (LGBTQ+); anticipate adding anti-racist white student group in 2022.

Affinity Groups (Common Threads) in LS: Students of Color (Black, APPI and Multi-racial) and Jewish; anticipate adding anti-racist white sstudent group in 2022.

Parents/Guardian Common Threads Groups: Anti-Racist White Families, Asian/Pacific Islander Families, Black Families, Jewish Families, Latinx Families, LBGTQIA+ Families, Multiracial Families, Students w/ Learning Differences

Recruit and Hire a Diverse Faculty and Staff

In the 2019-2020 School year, 14% of faculty identified as people of color. While this percentage is comparable to local independent school peers outside the District of Columbia, because we know our students will benefit, we are committed to increasing the diversity of our faculty.

Half of our 2020-2021 school-year new hires identified as people of color. These new hires included roles in College Counseling, Upper School Counseling, Visual Arts, Middle, and Upper School Math, and Middle School Spanish.

The Director of Human Resources, the Administration and Program Leadership have set a goal to intentionally recruit and retain faculty/staff of Color.  We have added a budget dedicated to this effort and work with search firms to attract Faculty/Staff of Color. Over the last three year, we have seen significant growth in both Faculty and Staff of Color.

The Director of Human Resources, the Administration, and Program Leadership will establish annual and three-year goals for faculty diversity by December 2021 ahead of the 2022-2023 hiring.

Review and Revise the College Counseling Approach

The College Counseling Office took the opportunity to carefully review their programming. In the fall, the Office of College Counseling participated in anti-racist training specific to their field and conducted a thorough review of the college counseling process to include but not be limited to how they work with students to develop college lists. The College Counseling Office has long provided an annual workshop on financial aid that includes college financial aid officers; they also distribute scholarship information and advise individual families. The financial aid programming will also be part of the review of their processes. Additionally, Holton has integrated content for exploration of college choice, HBCUs, and affirmative action into the Live Well, Learn Well, Lead Well Seminar curriculum for grades 10 and 11. During the 20-21 school year, juniors received this content through advisory and class meetings.  This year, 21-22, juniors will explore this content in Seminar.  

The office revised and renewed the Board Report and Presentation of Report to highlight the updated mission and philosophy as a result of its review. Virtual programs were held, including a boot camp for the Class of 2022 to work on their essays and Common Application; HBCU information night; and interview and resume writing workshops for the Class of 2022.

Review and Revise Acceleration, Honors, and Advanced Placement

The administration, program leadership, and individual departments conducted an audit of honors and advanced class placement. Informed by this audit, we reviewed, revised, and published placement policies and practices that were included in the course proposal and course planning processes for the School year 2021-2022. This information was included in curriculum night presentations and other communications relevant to course planning.

We also piloted a placement process based on rubrics and proficiency benchmark assessments in science and math.

Review and Revise Curriculum

Over the course of the past six years, faculty worked in departments and cross-divisional teams to create a set of school-wide and content-specific goals and competencies to support Holton’s institutional priorities of Diversity, Wellbeing, and Global Education. Teachers researched and leveraged resources from the following organizations throughout this process: Teaching Tolerance, The Center for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, Facing History and Ourselves, The Asia Society, The International Society for Technology in Education, and national standards from discipline-specific organizations. This resulted in a robust set of School-Wide Learn Well, Live Well, Lead Well, and Department-specific goals and competencies that inform all programs and academic classes at Holton.  This nuanced and expansive curriculum aims to reflect the students on our campus and the world around us.

English

• 5th grade New Language Arts class based on identity, perspective, and taking action as a reader, writer, and citizen.
• 6th grade Language Arts explores the need for diversity, utopias/dystopias, American identity.
• 7th grade exploration of the concept of Windows and Mirrors through literature written by Latinx, Chinese, Indian, Black, and Jewish authors.
• 8th Grade short story units featuring authors and protagonists who identify as transgender, Black, and Asian.
• 9th Grade features an anti-racist literature circle unit designed to support our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging statement.
• 10th Grade focuses on the “American Dream” through the lenses of immigration, race, gender, sexuality, and personal identity.
• English 11 leverages literature to explore who wields power, the idea of “the other” and who is excluded from the narrative.
• English 12 elective features core texts by Black writers and features the novel Between the World and Me.

History

• 5th Grade Social Studies focuses on American history from the perspective of marginalized communities.
• 6th Grade World Studies explores ancient civilizations from Asia, Africa and the Americas.
• 7th Grade World Studies focuses on the cultures, geography, and political history of the continent of Africa.
• 8th Grade US Political History examines how the US government supports or suppresses the welfare of its citizens.
• 9th Grade Historian’s Craft teaches historical thinking skills and research methods.
• 10th Grade US History examines the histories, experiences, and perspectives of the communities that have shaped and make up the United States.
• 11th Grade focuses on modern US/European history, specifically examining systemic racism, acts of resistance, and civic participation.
• 12th Grade elective Amplifying Black Women’s Voices focuses on Black women who have exerted agency through activism, writing, and artistic creations in United States history from the nineteenth century to the present.  

World Language

• Chinese classes examine aspects of social identity and Asian American identity, the role of race in migration and immigration, and how and where xenophobia, racism, stereotyping, and prejudice manifest in today’s society.
• French students survey ways in which beauty standards vary across the French-speaking world, reflect on the oral histories of West Africa, and analyze ways in which we are all immigrants.
• Latin explores the question, “Why haven’t we heard of women Latinists?” Students identify female Latinists, the types of works they composed, and the why behind our general ignorance of their existence.
• Spanish students explore identity, cultural differences, discrimination patterns, and how racism through an examination of the Spanish caste systems in Latin America.

Math

• 3rd-4th Grades have added a part-time math teacher to support and enrich classes.
• 4th-6th Grade offers Math Olympiad sessions to all students.
• 6th grade offers a Math lab twice a week for enrichment and support.
• 7th and 8th-grade Algebra (1A and 1B) standard for all MS students.
• Upper School addition of various authentic projects and assessments. For example:

• Precalculus analyzes the impact of state income tax structures and income disparities on long-term wealth accumulation.
• Statistics explores inequality through the use of data on race and the death penalty to apply the use of quantitative methods to summarize categorical data.
• Calculus 1 and 2 students take part in the conversations that mathematicians are having today while forging their identity as learners and makers of mathematics.

• Honors Placement policy revised in the Upper School.

Science

• 5th Grade will focus on ways science perpetuates injustices and limits perspectives.
• 6th Grade investigates how the climate crisis affects marginalized populations.
• 7th Grade explores elements of urban planning and development and impacts of local and federal government policies on communities.
• 8th Grade considers how their consumer choices impact the global availability of precious resources and the health of different populations on earth.
• 9th Grade (Physics) includes a project that enables students to connect the topics to everyday life, including an examination of a social justice issue particularly salient for them.
• 10th Grade (Chemistry) applies concepts for tackling and promoting real change for issues such as acid rain and Covid-19 treatments.
• 11th Grade (Biology) discusses the debunking of historical race science and examines racial health disparities and medical biases in the study
• Microbiology students will examine infectious diseases and how they impact different populations and communities.
• Molecular Biology students write position papers on topics ranging from biotech and molecular biology to advance medical technology.  They research the problems technology was designed to address and the impact these technologies have on communities.
• Elective Forensics students examine how DNA evidence has overturned convictions through case studies.  
• Advanced Environmental Science uses UN Sustainable Development Goals to drive investigation while exploring systemic racism, environmental racism, and environmental justice locally, nationally, and globally.  

Performing Arts

• Dance explores the ways in which dance reflects culture. Students learn how different styles influence each other and examine the idea of a “classic” through the lens of race.
• Music students are challenged to create a musical representation of their own identity and learn about the influence of culture on the evolution of music. In the US, students analyze anthems and the moments/issues they honor.
• Strings students reflect and explore the origins of music from around the world and contemplate the narrative behind their evolution.
• Band students explore anti-racism through the review of repertoire and the ways in which it is becoming more inclusive.
• Drama continues to highlight the work of BIPOC theater artists and cultivates the opportunities for students to feel reflected and represented on our Holton stage. An excellent example from 2020-2021 was the student-written Voices for Change.

Visual Arts

• 3-12 Art: We encourage our students to look to established artists for inspiration as we teach skills. We are intentionally broadening the representation of artists included in the curriculum to better serve all students as they communicate dimensions of their identity and issues important to them through their artwork.
• Lower School Visual Arts: Students are able to work with materials and techniques in ways that elevate all ways of making art and are encouraged to reflect on their own identity and infuse their artwork with their authentic sense of self.
• Middle School Visual Art: In addition to units dedicated to identity and greater emphasis on artists of color, an Art 8 unit was added, asking students to consider who is represented and highlighted in local museums and why. They then chose a female artist from a diverse list for deeper study and inspiration for a project.
• Upper School Visual Arts: In Advanced Ceramics, for their “Defining Moment” project, students are asked to confront, reflect on, and visually respond to a contemporary social issue -- almost inevitably grounded in systemic racism. Advanced Photography contains a new unit where students research and create presentations of influential photographers (past and contemporary) who have used their camera to document and/or promote social change.

Physical Education

• Lower School Physical Education: adopted a more flexible, inclusive dress code, and added time between the conclusion of class and the next academic class to give students ample time to change comfortably.
• Lower School Physical Education: met with LS Affinity group to engage in conversation about how to improve the student experience (specifically around swimming) adjusted practices and responded accordingly.
• 3-12 Physical Education materials feature a diverse group of athletes and coaches so students had a chance to see themselves represented in all aspects of PE.
• Middle School Athletics continues to adapt to the needs and interest of students for all levels of development and gives equal student leadership opportunities.
• Middle School & Upper School Athletics provides required equipment to make all sports accessible and inclusive.

Library

• 3-12 Libraries audited the collection for diverse voices and continued to develop both the fiction and non-fiction for mirrors, windows, and sliding doors.
• 3-12 Libraries reached out to students in Holton@Home and Hybrid environments to circulate print materials and increase their sense of well-being and belonging to the Holton community.
• 3-12 Libraries provided assistance to the English department as they changed the literature highlighted in their curriculum.
• 3-12 Libraries supported new research units in the History curriculum that highlight diverse topics and experiences.
• Upper School Libraries researched new MELO for the 9th grade, including information on the Indiginous and BIPOC communities who resided in Montgomery County.
• Middle School Libraries facilitated research in the Grade Level projects whose topics were connected to UNSDG.
• Middle School & Upper School selected summer reading books written by BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and other marginalized authors.

Computer Science

• 3rd and 4th grade Science and Design Technology explores folks left out of the story we tell about science and technology across the centuries via conversations about women such as Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Gobels Johnson, and Mary Hagedorn. Through the study of Mongolian culture, students examine multi-generational family units and the similarities and differences they share with Mongolian people. The unit culminates in the construction of model Gers. In the seed dispersal unit, students read If You Plant a Seed and discuss the power of the smallest acts of compassion and generosity. Through literature rooms students explore social justice issues. Using Tinkercad, students create 3D sustainable flashlights affording each child the 1:1 time with teachers.
• 6th grade Design Technology connects with alumnae and professionals in the DMV with expertise in the fields of STEAM. Teachers have implemented regular check-ins that foster an equitable learning environment and conduct regular 1:1 conferences with students to foster connection and offer differentiated instruction. Students examine the digital divide in global communities and the power of innovation to close the equity gap.
• 8th grade Computer Science employs routines and classroom norms that support creative innovators and risk takers by ensuring that everyone feels seen, heard, and treated fairly.
• Upper School

• Introduction to Computer Science examines the sexism of Silicon Valley and traces the field of computer science from it’s white male origins to the diverse set of women prominent in the field today. Students discover that tech companies are beginning to understand the importance and value of diversity and inclusion.  Students learn about coders and mathematicians such as the ENIAC Five and Katherine Johnson who are paving the road for a more diverse tech sector.  
• Computer Science-Web Development continues the exploration of the significant gender imbalance in the tech world by tracing the continuous decline of women’s participation over several decades. In this course, students are exposed to HTML and CSS and learn to build websites. As students dig deeper, they gain confidence and proficiency that we hope inspires future interest and study.  
• Computer Programming and Robotics is an asynchronous class that leans heavily on anti-racist and inclusive protocols and practices in order to provide students the access and support necessary for success and continued study.  In this course, students research underrepresented and influential contributors and practitioners in the world of computer science. 

Learn Well, Live Well, Lead Well Seminar

• 4th Grade highlights family cultures and explores the multi-dimensions of each student's identity.
• 5th Grade delves into social identifiers, gender, culture, dominant U.S. culture, equality vs. equity, and affinity spaces.
• 6th Grade introduces concepts of intersectionality to further their understanding of how dimensions of their identity overlap to create their unique selves.
• 7th Grade looks at stereotypes and prejudice, intent vs. impact, code switching, and ways to interrupt hegemonic messaging in media
• 8th Grade explores implications of power, privilege, and oppression and invites students to consider dimensions of their identity within these systems, and explores intricacies of gender and sexuality spectrums.
• 9th Grade revisits the intersecting dimensions of identity and how these intersecting dimensions affect how we see/experience the world. Students deepen their understanding of how biases and microaggressions perpetuate inequity while learning anti-racist ways to interrupt systems of oppression.
• 10th Grade discusses dominant culture, Holton culture, and personal identity to understand how these elements shape our worldview and notions of self. Students explore positive identity development while engaging in a body empowerment project. Students also reflect and demonstrate their ability in combating systems of oppression by becoming an active participant in social justice issues by developing a social justice instagram project of their choosing.
• 11th Grade engages students in discussions and activities centered in intersectionality and dimensions of sexuality through the creation of a 15-minute workshop presentation.

Commencing in the spring of 2020, departments began to use the Backwards Design process to embed these mission-driven learning goals throughout their units of study. Additionally, Program Leadership read Grading for Equity by Joe Feldman as a guide to review our grading policies. Teachers again used Holton’s process of curricular renewal, PRISM, to ensure our course offerings and units of study provide an anti-racist education for students that are delivered by teachers committed to anti-racist pedagogy. The PRISM process for this work is outlined below:

Pinpoint the driving questions:

• How can this department ensure its course offerings and units of study provide all students with an anti-racist education?
• How will teachers build their capacity to mitigate bias and utilize anti-racist pedagogy in their classrooms?
• How does a teacher’s white frame impact the choices they make in their curriculum and classrooms?

Research multiple resources and perspectives

• What organizations can support Holton in this work?
• What experts can consult with faculty as they reimagine the curriculum?
• Whose voices should inform the decision-making process?
• What learning experiences do teachers need to build their understanding of the historical underpinnings of racism and the ways they uphold a white frame?

Illustrate the ideal

• What courses should all students be required to take within our department in support of an anti-racist education?
• What electives should be offered in our department to support anti-racist education?
• What units should be included in our courses to support anti-racist education?
• What topics, concepts, and understandings related to systemic racism and one’s responsibility in a racist society will students learn through this subject?

Strategize steps to reach the ideal

• What immediate changes can we make/are we making in support of our commitment to anti-racist education?
• What changes can be made to the curriculum and course offerings for the 2021-2022 school year in support of our commitment to anti-racist education?
• What ongoing training will teachers need to implement anti-racist education?

Move

• This process will be completed in time for new course proposals and course planning for the School year 2021-2022.

Throughout the 2020 Summer, teachers reviewed curricular units and courses to support Holton’s priorities of Diversity, Wellbeing, and Global Education through the integration of the Learn Well, Live Well, Lead Well, and Departmental goals and competencies. This process centered on inclusive content, issues of social justice, and authentic ways for students to take action. Examples of this work from History and English are summarized below:

History

Teachers designed new units, assignments, and authentic assessments to better align the study of history with the lived experiences of the students and to make teaching more focused on skill-building. Teachers also convened an anti-racism reading group and, based on these discussions, have started the process towards a redesign of the Upper School history curriculum. The curriculum aims to foreground the tools and methods of historiography, to amplify the voices of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, and to lay bare the intersection of power, race, class, gender, and sexuality in societies of the past and present.

English

As English teachers, we recognize how literature acts as a mirror and a window, allowing students to learn more about themselves as well as about the lives of others. To that end, we began last year to take a hard look at the texts we use in grades three through twelve and ask how we can better represent our students and allow them to understand a variety of perspectives. Each grade has reconfigured units, bringing in new voices, or worked on ways to use texts to spur discussions that push students to question their position in society and how to navigate systems of oppression and privilege.

Moving forward, the English Department will collaborate with other departments to lay the foundation for an anti-racist education by complementing their exploration of the history of racism, including the scientific justification of racism, definitions of racism, etc with an examination of historical and contemporary memoirs, speeches, and essays. We will continue to explore literature that helps students to understand the legacy of slavery, oppression, and privilege through fiction and non-fiction and are committed to featuring additional texts to celebrate Black joy and accomplishments within the BIPOC community.

World Language

The World Languages Department seeks to nurture dialogue and culturally sensitive interaction with people of diverse languages, perspectives, and practices. Our main goal is for our students to communicate effectively in the target language, with respect and empathy, accounting for the thoughts, opinions, and norms of others. Every year, we work to bring in missing voices from different communities through the study of literature, history, the arts, and current events. We want our students to investigate and reflect through comparisons of cultures studied and their own and to share their voices. Our reading program, which currently goes from grade 5 to 12th, our workshops with guest speakers and artists, and our local engagement opportunities are a few examples.

It is important to recognize that World Languages teachers come from diverse ethnicities and nationalities. Most were born and raised outside the USA, and are therefore products of diverse forms of racial socialization. The lenses we bring to the classroom often allow us to critically examine American racial bias. However, these same lenses can prevent us from deeply examining our relationship with race. This year, we will engage in deep self-reflection to examine our own racial identities and biases to understand how they shape our relationships with others and impact our teaching practices.

Math

In the Math Department, we want every Holton girl to love math and learn it to her full potential. We are committed to providing opportunities for every student to study mathematics at the highest level. This summer we have begun the process of transitioning our curriculum to cover Pre-Algebra and Algebra 1 over the course of three years. Heterogeneous classes of Pre-Algebra in Grade 6, Algebra 1A in Grade 7, and Algebra 1B in Grade 8, every student will have the opportunity to build a strong foundation and better and better cultivate the critical 21st-century skills of mathematical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration. Our reimagined Grades 6-8 sequence will give all students access to the same opportunities for success, along with the time they need to engage in, process, and develop a deep conceptual understanding of Algebra. This foundation is essential for all students to find success in future math courses.

Moving forward, we are committed to evaluating and improving our process for honors placements and recommendations in the upper school, with an explicit focus on confronting our unconscious biases and eliminating discrimination. We will strive to make the criteria more objective and clear. We will strive to make honors and advanced placements more transparent, fair, and accessible to all students.

Science

It is the goal of the Science Department to nurture students who will become informed citizens, knowledge seekers, and change-makers. We hope that our students will pursue science beyond classes at Holton and to that end, we are committed to making sure that all students have the opportunity to participate in the highest level of courses, science research, and science-based extracurricular activities like Robotics and Chemathon. Within our courses, the science department has shifted content to include a variety of important topics. To focus on social justice we’ve included an examination of the Flint Water Crisis in 7th grade and Forensics case studies that include discussions of the role of race in the conviction of people accused of committing crimes. Students are learning to take action in their communities - as they learn about the periodic table and chemical reactions, the eighth grade will consider how their consumer choices concerning electronics impact the global availability of precious resources and the health of different populations on earth. They will also investigate the physical mechanisms of detergents and draw conclusions regarding the efficacy of hand-washing as a means of infection control. Physics classes will include discussions of social justice such as kneeling during the national anthem, Title IX, and paying college athletes while learning about concepts such as Newton’s Laws of Motion. Chemistry classes are applying concepts to making real changes in issues such as acid rain and COVID-19 treatments. Biology courses will be shifting discussions of genetics, body systems, and diseases to embrace social justice and diverse perspectives. Environmental science has shifted to studying global applications in environmental science and uses the sustainable development goals to drive investigations. The course will include discussions of privilege and the environment. All science classes are highly focused on teamwork and collaboration to effect change in the world. We are using science concepts to have open discussions about the world around us.

Fine and Performing Arts

As art teachers, we are committed to providing our students with experiences that provide richly diverse viewpoints, outlets where they can express themselves and make their voices heard, and spaces for them to come together to create and grow both as individuals and as a community. During the 2020 school year, the Visual and Performing Arts departments sought out diversity workshops and training through the office of Well-being, Diversity, and Global Education. Our goal was to engage in brave conversations about who we are and what we teach so we could examine our own implicit biases and strive to address those biases in our teaching, as well as help our students to recognize and address their own implicit biases through their experiences in the arts. We plan to continue that training through the 2020-2021 school year and beyond. As our arts curriculum naturally evolve and change with each year, and even from trimester to trimester, we are committed to continuing to seek out works, projects, pieces, and repertoire that represent and champion the voices of women, Black, Indigenous and People of Color as well as the broad spectrum of gender and sexual diversity. We believe that the arts are one of the main places where students can learn to embrace and foster empathy. And only through empathy can we begin to dismantle the systems of racism, sexism, and bigotry in our world.

Physical Education

Physical education is an essential component of a curriculum that serves to educate the whole child. Physical activity improves both physical and mental health, by implementing carefully selected and diverse activities, we hope to encourage and promote healthy habits. Risk-taking is encouraged in an environment that is supported by respect and positive reinforcement. Cooperative team situations provide the student with the opportunity to problem-solve and feel successful through a group effort. A major goal of the physical education program is to promote an interest in physical activity that continues throughout the student’s time and school and beyond.

This summer we continued to build upon our mission and made adjustments to meet the needs of our students. Whether in person or virtual, the department is confident that we will be able to adjust and give the kids what they deserve to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Our curriculum changes each year to always meet our students’ needs and this year will be no different. We will work as a department to add more skills and diversity to our already existing beliefs. In closing, we take great pride as a department in meeting the needs of our students in every aspect and we will continue to do so.

Student-Centered Support

The Student-Centered Support Department has taken action in the last three years to address equity in regards to psychoeducational testing, access to tutors, and academic support that may be more or less available to students.

• The Students Centered Support Team developed a seven-step plan to guide students and families in accessing resources and accommodations.
• On-campus tutors have been phased out and in-house resources have been enhanced to ensure that all students have the support they need to be successful.
• Addition of a testing coordinator and academic coach for all MS/US students.

Review and Revise Discipline Trends and Policies

The Head of School, the Upper School Director, the Dean of Students, Grade level Deans, the Director of Diversity, Wellbeing & Global Education, and the Upper School Counselor will audit Upper School discipline by examining which students receive points and detention and the reasons for those points and detention as well as disciplinary cases that come before RA and Honor Council. This audit will inform a review of disciplinary policies and practices to align them with the Diversity Mission Statement. We will also determine where to implement restorative justice best practices. The Administrative Team and Upper School Deans will continue Restorative Justice training throughout 2021-2022. Restorative Justice practices are currently being employed in the Upper School and Middle School.

Review and Revise Transportation Routes

Division Directors, Director of Finance and Operations, Director of Diversity, Wellbeing & Global Education, Director of Enrollment Management, Director of Admissions, and Facilities Manager for Transportation are actively reviewing and revising bus routes and evaluating the equity of quality across the fleet of busses. Additions were made to the Prince George’s County route, and there is an ongoing examination of how we are increasing access to community-wide events for everybody. Please note that COVID-19 may significantly delay any major transportation changes.

Review and Revise Admissions Process

During School Year 2020-21, the Admissions Department engaged in anti-bias/anti-racist education to include:

• Examining bias in a school’s admission process
• Participating in the Kirwan Institute Implicit Bias Module Series
• Taking part in Individualized anti-racist work (such as reading White Fragility or, How to Be an Anti-racist or listening to the “Seeing” White podcast series)

The Admissions Office conducted a thorough audit of the admissions process from an anti-racist perspective. The audit was conducted in association with the Glasgow Group and included the following changes to to the admissions process:

• Eliminated external standardized testing requirements
• Implemented an in-house assessment with additional fees for applicants
• Implemented a fee waiver option for families
• Accepted teacher recommendations from pre-COVID
• Added choice in essay options to the application
• Reviewed and renewed the Financial Aid Policy Manual
• Updated Admissions Committee Application Reading Training
• Changed Focus of Admissions from fit to Learn Well, Live Well, Lead Well goals and competencies
• Assembled an admission team that included a wider variety of stakeholders

Ongoing Advice and Consultation

As Holton engages in the ongoing process of becoming an anti-racist institution, we will continue to seek input from various constituents. Several alumnae from the Black Alumnae Union have generously agreed to serve as an advisory committee on issues related to anti-racism. We will also continue to work with outside experts, particularly The Glasgow Group (Admissions), Ali Michael (Parent Association-sponsored trainings for families), Racial Equity Institute (Professional Development for all Faculty, Staff and Senior Administrators), as well as peer diversity practitioners at the Wells Collective (Senior Admin/Alumnae).