Bowling Green Independent School District — Policy Analysis 2026
Grand Total
60 / 106
56.6%
Base Score
54 / 96
Extra Credit
6 / 10
Score by Section
| Section | Score | Max | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Culturally Responsive Training | 3 | 8 | Notes |
| Clear & Consistent Policies | 6 | 8 | Notes |
| Restorative Justice Practices | 0 | 8 | Notes |
| Bias Awareness & Mitigation | 3 | 8 | Notes |
| Culturally Relevant Curriculum | 3 | 8 | Notes |
| Community Engagement & Collaboration | 7 | 8 | Notes |
| Professional Development on Equity & Inclusion | 3 | 8 | Notes |
| Mental Health & Trauma-Informed Practices | 7 | 8 | Notes |
| Data Collection & Analysis | 7 | 8 | Notes |
| Student Voice & Leadership | 2 | 8 | Notes |
| Equitable Access to Support Services | 7 | 8 | Notes |
| Continuous Evaluation & Improvement | 6 | 8 | Notes |
| Extra Credit | 6 | 10 | Notes |
Suggestions to Improve the Score
Every item below its maximum, worst gap first, with the reviewer's own notes as the rationale.
Show suggestions (34)
- 1.4 [Culturally Responsive Training]: Regular feedback/measurement on training effectiveness — Currently: Not Implemented (0/2 pts). No public documentation was found indicating the district collects regular feedback or measures the effectiveness of cultural/equity training.
- 2.3 [Clear & Consistent Policies]: Staff training on consistent application — Currently: Not Implemented (0/2 pts). No public documentation was found describing specific staff training on consistent application of the discipline code.
- 3.1 [Restorative Justice Practices]: Restorative circles/conferences to repair harm — Currently: Not Implemented (0/2 pts). No public documentation specifically describing restorative circles or conferences was found for BGISD; the district's Student and Family Counseling program lists 'Alternatives to Suspension' but does not explicitly describe restorative conferencing.
- 3.2 [Restorative Justice Practices]: Staff training in restorative practices — Currently: Not Implemented (0/2 pts). No public documentation was found confirming staff training in restorative-practices specifically (as opposed to trauma-informed training).
- 3.3 [Restorative Justice Practices]: Curriculum integrates conflict-resolution skills — Currently: Not Implemented (0/2 pts). No public documentation was found indicating the curriculum formally integrates conflict-resolution skills.
- 3.4 [Restorative Justice Practices]: Peer mediation program — Currently: Not Implemented (0/2 pts). No public documentation of a peer mediation program was found for BGISD specifically (a peer-mentoring mention for the small Bowling Green Learning Center comes from a low-quality third-party aggregator site, not an official district source).
- 4.3 [Bias Awareness & Mitigation]: Cultural competence checks in hiring — Currently: Not Implemented (0/2 pts). No public documentation was found describing cultural-competence checks incorporated into the hiring process.
- 5.4 [Culturally Relevant Curriculum]: Culturally specific courses/electives — Currently: Not Implemented (0/2 pts). No public documentation of culturally specific courses or electives (e.g., ethnic studies) was found; only extracurricular clubs (Multi-Lingual Club, Muslim Student Association) were identified.
- 7.4 [Professional Development on Equity & Inclusion]: Participation in equity-focused conferences — Currently: Not Implemented (0/2 pts). No public documentation was found regarding staff participation in equity-focused external conferences.
- 10.3 [Student Voice & Leadership]: Students facilitate restorative processes — Currently: Not Implemented (0/2 pts). No public documentation was found of students facilitating restorative processes in BGISD.
- 10.4 [Student Voice & Leadership]: Student-led peer education — Currently: Not Implemented (0/2 pts). No reliable, official district documentation was found confirming a formal student-led peer-education program.
- EC5 [Extra Credit]: Describe additional policy… — Currently: Not rated (0/2 pts). No rationale recorded.
- 1.1 [Culturally Responsive Training]: Mandatory cultural competency training for all staff — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). BGISD requires trauma-informed and refugee-simulation training for staff at specific sites (e.g., Bowling Green Learning Center, Purples/Teranga Academy) and Kentucky's EPSB Teacher Performance Standards include an Equity & Cultural Responsiveness standard for certification, but there is no evidence of a single mandatory cultural-competency training applied to ALL staff district-wide.…
- 1.2 [Culturally Responsive Training]: Mentorship programs for culturally diverse staff — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). The GameChanger certification-support program with WKU gives 'staff from diverse backgrounds' first priority, functioning as a diversity pipeline/support mechanism, but it is not described as a formal mentorship program and scope/mandatory status is unclear. https://www.bgreen.kyschools.us/employment
- 1.3 [Culturally Responsive Training]: Culturally relevant PD resources in staff learning — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). The Fugees Family partnership provided 'training and support for staff and leadership, and monthly site visits for continuous staff development' for newcomer-program staff, and refugee-trauma simulation trainings were held for staff at the Learning Center, but these are targeted programs rather than district-wide PD resources. https://www.kentuckyteacher.org/features/2022/12/bowling-gree…
- 4.1 [Bias Awareness & Mitigation]: Implicit bias training for staff — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). Kentucky's teacher certification standards include 'Standard 3: EQUITY and CULTURAL RESPONSIVENESS,' and BGISD's trauma team references culturally responsive practice reviews, but no evidence of a mandatory implicit-bias training program for all current staff was found. http://www.epsb.ky.gov/mod/book/tool/print/index.php?id=133
- 4.2 [Bias Awareness & Mitigation]: Processes to review discipline data for disparities — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). State law requires KDE to report school discipline data disaggregated by gender, race, and grade level, which districts including BGISD must supply, but no district-specific process for reviewing this data for disparities was documented. https://www.education.ky.gov/districts/tech/sis/documents/datastandard-behavior.pdf
- 4.4 [Bias Awareness & Mitigation]: Diverse perspectives & materials in curriculum — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). The newcomer academy's curriculum is explicitly described as anchored in 'Culturally responsive teaching and trauma-informed practices,' but this is specific to one program rather than confirmed district-wide curriculum. https://www.bgreen.kyschools.us/article/3011704
- 5.1 [Culturally Relevant Curriculum]: Curriculum materials reflect student backgrounds — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). Culturally responsive teaching is cited for the newcomer academy, and BGHS supports clubs like the Multi-Lingual Club and Muslim Student Association reflecting student backgrounds, but a district-wide curriculum audit for cultural relevance was not found. https://www.bgreen.kyschools.us/article/3011704 and https://bghs.bgreen.kyschools.us/o/bghs/page/student-organizations
- 5.2 [Culturally Relevant Curriculum]: Teacher PD on integrating diverse perspectives — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). Fugees Family provided staff training for culturally-responsive instruction specific to the newcomer academy, but broader teacher PD on diverse perspectives district-wide was not documented. https://www.kentuckyteacher.org/features/2022/12/bowling-green-independent-schools-meets-refugee-migrant-families-where-they-are-with-teranga-academy/
- 5.3 [Culturally Relevant Curriculum]: Community collaboration for supplemental resources — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). BGISD partnered with Fugees Family, the first public district in America to do so for newcomer programming support, and with WKU for staff certification pipelines, showing community collaboration, though mainly tied to specific programs rather than general curriculum supplementation. https://www.kentuckyteacher.org/features/2022/12/bowling-green-independent-schools-meets-refugee-migrant-…
- 6.3 [Community Engagement & Collaboration]: Advisory committees with community representation — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). SBDM councils include parent representation and the district's trauma-informed team includes FRYSC, mental-health, and law-enforcement partners, suggesting advisory-style groups, though a dedicated broad 'community advisory committee' was not documented. https://www.bgreen.kyschools.us/o/bgi/page/trauma-informed-plan
- 7.1 [Professional Development on Equity & Inclusion]: Ongoing anti-bias/equity training — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). The district's 2023-26 Comprehensive District Improvement Plan names equity as one of three strategic 'big ideas,' and ongoing trauma/refugee trainings occur, but a distinct, continuous anti-bias training series for all staff was not documented. https://www.bgdailynews.com/news/bg-independent-schools-receives-roadmap-for-future/article_6ea5403e-9783-5b73-8ba8-c9a10ae1a5b9.html
- 7.2 [Professional Development on Equity & Inclusion]: Workshops on culturally responsive teaching — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). Workshops on culturally-responsive and trauma-informed teaching were provided to newcomer-academy staff via the Fugees Family partnership, but broader rollout to all teachers was not confirmed. https://www.kentuckyteacher.org/features/2022/12/bowling-green-independent-schools-meets-refugee-migrant-families-where-they-are-with-teranga-academy/
- 7.3 [Professional Development on Equity & Inclusion]: Equity topics in staff meetings/PD — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). The CDIP names equity as a strategic priority and district statements reference 'expanding staff professional learning opportunities,' indicating equity-related topics are part of PD planning, though explicit evidence of equity being a recurring staff-meeting agenda item was not found. https://www.bgdailynews.com/news/bg-independent-schools-receives-roadmap-for-future/article_6ea5403e-97…
- 8.2 [Mental Health & Trauma-Informed Practices]: Safe, supportive spaces (mindfulness/sensory) — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). A district special-programs director described creating 'a safe spot in a classroom' for students to calm down as part of trauma-responsive practice, but there is no confirmation this is a mandatory, district-wide sensory/calming-space standard. https://www.wbko.com/content/news/Bowling-Green-Independent-Schools-implement-mental-health-training-for-administration-484528271.html
- 9.2 [Data Collection & Analysis]: Regular audits of discipline practices — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). Kentucky's Office of Education Accountability conducts statewide analyses of district/school discipline data, but no BGISD-specific internal discipline audit process was documented. https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/CommitteeDocuments/117/35687/OEA_Discipline_EAARS_Draft_Final.pdf
- 10.1 [Student Voice & Leadership]: Student advisory councils/leadership groups — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). Bowling Green High School has a Student Government club, but district-wide student advisory councils across all grade levels/schools were not documented. https://bghs.bgreen.kyschools.us/o/bghs/page/student-organizations
- 10.2 [Student Voice & Leadership]: Student feedback informs policy/procedures — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). The district references school climate and safety survey results ('Students feel safe, loved, and are having their needs met') as informing its priorities, suggesting some feedback loop, though a formal policy-change mechanism from student input was not documented. https://www.wbko.com/2025/11/19/bgisd-receives-grades-state-department-education/
- 11.2 [Equitable Access to Support Services]: Targeted academic support (e.g., tutoring) — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). Community partners such as the Housing Authority's W.R.O.T.E. Foundation provide after-school tutoring in partnership with BGISD, and Purples Academy provides targeted intervention for newcomer students, but a comprehensive district-run tutoring system was not clearly documented. https://www.habg.org/w-r-o-t-e/
- 12.1 [Continuous Evaluation & Improvement]: Standing committee/task force for discipline equity — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). The district maintains a standing district mental health/trauma-informed team that reviews data and practices, but it is framed around trauma/mental health rather than explicitly 'discipline equity.' https://www.bgreen.kyschools.us/o/bgi/page/trauma-informed-plan
- 12.3 [Continuous Evaluation & Improvement]: Benchmarking vs. state/national comparators — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). State Report Card data allows comparison of BGISD demographics and outcomes against Kentucky state averages, but a deliberate district practice of benchmarking against peer/national comparators was not separately documented. https://ballotpedia.org/Bowling_Green_Independent_Schools,_Kentucky
- EC3 [Extra Credit]: Cultural Liaison staffing model providing bilingual translation, tutoring, and home-visit support across 8+ languages to bridge family-school communication gaps. — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). The district employs dedicated Cultural Liaisons with required bilingual skills (Spanish, Swahili, Pashto, etc.) who 'provide tutoring for students and translation services for families' and make home visits, reflecting an unusually robust family-liaison infrastructure for a district of its size.…
- EC4 [Extra Credit]: GameChanger teacher-certification pipeline with WKU that gives first priority to staff from diverse backgrounds pursuing certification, functioning as a 'grow your own' diverse-educator pipeline. — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). https://www.bgreen.kyschools.us/employment
Source Documents Used
Show source documents (1)
| Document | Date | Local Copy | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowling Green Independent School District Scoring Sheet | 2026 | Open file | file:///C:/_CSSD/CSSDWebsite/cssdisc.org_htdocs/DistrictPolicies/Bowling_Green_Independent_School_District/2026/Bowling_Green_Independent_School_District_Scoring_Sheet.xlsx |