Cedar Rapids Community School District — Policy Analysis 2026
Grand Total
72 / 106
67.9%
Base Score
62 / 96
Extra Credit
10 / 10
Score by Section
| Section | Score | Max | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Culturally Responsive Training | 3 | 8 | Notes |
| Clear & Consistent Policies | 6 | 8 | Notes |
| Restorative Justice Practices | 5 | 8 | Notes |
| Bias Awareness & Mitigation | 4 | 8 | Notes |
| Culturally Relevant Curriculum | 4 | 8 | Notes |
| Community Engagement & Collaboration | 7 | 8 | Notes |
| Professional Development on Equity & Inclusion | 4 | 8 | Notes |
| Mental Health & Trauma-Informed Practices | 6 | 8 | Notes |
| Data Collection & Analysis | 7 | 8 | Notes |
| Student Voice & Leadership | 5 | 8 | Notes |
| Equitable Access to Support Services | 6 | 8 | Notes |
| Continuous Evaluation & Improvement | 5 | 8 | Notes |
| Extra Credit | 10 | 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 (29)
- 1.2 [Culturally Responsive Training]: Mentorship programs for culturally diverse staff — Currently: Not Implemented (0/2 pts). A 'Be The One' hiring-incentive and mentoring effort for staff of color existed in 2023, but <cite index="224-4,224-6">the Office for Civil Rights directed the district to ensure no hiring or recruitment incentives would be offered on the basis of race, and to deactivate all district affinity and employee resource groups, which have not been active since 2024</cite>. No current sta…
- 4.3 [Bias Awareness & Mitigation]: Cultural competence checks in hiring — Currently: Not Implemented (0/2 pts). A prior hiring bonus tied to experience with diverse populations was discontinued; <cite index="224-4,224-5">the Office for Civil Rights directed the district to ensure no hiring or recruitment incentives would be offered on the basis of race, referencing a 2023 bonus for newly hired teachers with experience working with Black, Indigenous and other people of color</cite>. No current cultural-comp…
- 5.4 [Culturally Relevant Curriculum]: Culturally specific courses/electives — Currently: Not Implemented (0/2 pts). No public documentation was found of a district-offered, credit-bearing culturally specific course or elective (e.g., ethnic studies); the one culturally-specific partner program (Academy for Scholastic and Personal Success) was an after-school/summer nonprofit partnership, not a district course, and that partnership ended in 2025.
- 8.2 [Mental Health & Trauma-Informed Practices]: Safe, supportive spaces (mindfulness/sensory) — Currently: Not Implemented (0/2 pts). No public documentation was found describing district-wide sensory rooms, calming spaces, or mindfulness rooms implemented by CRCSD specifically.
- 10.3 [Student Voice & Leadership]: Students facilitate restorative processes — Currently: Not Implemented (0/2 pts). Restorative circles/conferences in CRCSD (e.g., Kids First Youth Peace Project) are facilitated by adult staff, not students; no public evidence was found of students themselves facilitating restorative processes.
- 1.1 [Culturally Responsive Training]: Mandatory cultural competency training for all staff — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). Historically the district incorporated <cite index="300-4">implicit bias training and social-emotional learning into its required learning for staff</cite>, and <cite index="1-6">began providing monthly professional development for all staff with a focus on cultural responsive teaching and equity</cite>. However, in 2025 the district's DEI webpage was removed and programming was under…
- 1.3 [Culturally Responsive Training]: Culturally relevant PD resources in staff learning — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). District PD historically included <cite index="1-6">monthly professional development for all staff with a focus on cultural responsive teaching and equity</cite>, and the current curriculum page states commitment to a <cite index="271-6">standards-aligned curriculum that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive so that all students can see themselves reflected</cite>, but mandatory PD resour…
- 1.4 [Culturally Responsive Training]: Regular feedback/measurement on training effectiveness — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). The district used <cite index="2-7">equity coaches who debrief with school officials who take the Intercultural Development Inventory, a tool to help people better understand what biases they might have</cite>, and tracks belonging data via Panorama surveys, but no clear ongoing systematic measurement of training effectiveness was confirmed.
- 2.3 [Clear & Consistent Policies]: Staff training on consistent application — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). The district's 2024-25 safety plan recommends <cite index="74-3,74-5">professional learning for staff on understanding how to use the discipline matrix and PD that engages staff in identifying how their work supports safe and secure learning environments</cite>, but full district-wide mandatory training for consistent application is still being phased in through 2027-2032.
- 2.4 [Clear & Consistent Policies]: Centralized documentation of incidents/outcomes — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). The district publishes an <cite index="55-4">SRO Report Visual Dashboard</cite> tracking certain incidents by demographic group, and participates in mandated state discipline data collection, but a comprehensive centralized system covering all discipline incidents/outcomes was not fully confirmed.
- 3.2 [Restorative Justice Practices]: Staff training in restorative practices — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). The district's safety plan calls for <cite index="74-9">professional development opportunities that address equity, restorative practices, proactive practices and effective use of behavioral interventions</cite>, and DOJ confirmed the district <cite index="258-5">adopted new training and protocols and implemented a comprehensive behavioral support system across all district schools</cite>, though fu…
- 3.3 [Restorative Justice Practices]: Curriculum integrates conflict-resolution skills — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). A district case study describes classroom practices teaching students to pause, listen, and use <cite index="125-8">agree/disagree cards during an argument</cite> instead of name-calling, and the district has historically used behavioral curricula like PARRT in elementary schools, but a comprehensive conflict-resolution curriculum integrated district-wide was not fully confirmed.
- 3.4 [Restorative Justice Practices]: Peer mediation program — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). Facilitators (not students) conduct <cite index="120-4,120-5">one-on-one sessions where a Kids First peace facilitator meets individually with those involved in a conflict, teaching new skills like self-awareness and managing emotions</cite>, and a new DOJ grant will expand this to <cite index="121-7">about 600 student conflict-resolution circles each year</cite>; this is facilitator-led mediation rather than a trad…
- 4.1 [Bias Awareness & Mitigation]: Implicit bias training for staff — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). Historically, <cite index="30-5">findings included professional development with a focus on watching for implicit bias</cite> and the district made implicit bias training part of required staff learning, but current mandatory status post-2025 DEI review is unconfirmed district-wide.
- 4.4 [Bias Awareness & Mitigation]: Diverse perspectives & materials in curriculum — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). The district's curriculum page states commitment to <cite index="271-6">standards-aligned curriculum that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive so that all students can see themselves reflected in their school experience</cite>, and historically <cite index="202-9">educators revisited social studies, language arts, AP and music curriculum to incorporate inclusive, anti-racist teaching and includ…
- 5.1 [Culturally Relevant Curriculum]: Curriculum materials reflect student backgrounds — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). Current district curriculum page states the office of teaching and learning is <cite index="271-6">committed to standards-aligned curriculum that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive so that all students can see themselves reflected in their school experience</cite>, though specific implementation evidence across all subjects/grades is limited.
- 5.2 [Culturally Relevant Curriculum]: Teacher PD on integrating diverse perspectives — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). Historically <cite index="202-10">teachers and school staff were trained in cultural proficiency, implicit bias and accountability</cite> while curriculum was revised, but ongoing mandatory PD specifically on integrating diverse perspectives is not confirmed as current district-wide practice.
- 6.4 [Community Engagement & Collaboration]: Outreach to ensure all families are informed/involved — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). The district provides <cite index="49-7">translated surveys so all voices can be heard</cite> and holds community meetings at multiple high schools, but a comprehensive system ensuring all families (especially non-English speaking or hard-to-reach) are informed was not fully confirmed.
- 7.1 [Professional Development on Equity & Inclusion]: Ongoing anti-bias/equity training — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). The 2024-25 safety plan calls for ongoing PD with <cite index="74-9">special attention to equity, restorative practices, proactive practices and effective use of behavioral interventions</cite>, but sustained anti-bias training is uncertain given the 2025 DEI program review.
- 7.2 [Professional Development on Equity & Inclusion]: Workshops on culturally responsive teaching — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). Historically the district held <cite index="1-6">monthly professional development for all staff with a focus on cultural responsive teaching and equity led by a Director of Diversity and Cultural Responsiveness</cite>, though this role/program's current status is unclear post-DEI review.
- 7.3 [Professional Development on Equity & Inclusion]: Equity topics in staff meetings/PD — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). Safety-plan PD explicitly addresses <cite index="23-8">guiding principles with special attention to equity, restorative practices, proactive practices and effective use of behavioral interventions</cite>, suggesting equity topics appear in ongoing staff PD, though frequency/consistency district-wide is unconfirmed.
- 7.4 [Professional Development on Equity & Inclusion]: Participation in equity-focused conferences — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). Historically the district cited <cite index="197-6">participation in the Georgetown Racial Disparity Certification Program</cite> and school visits to Chicago to study best practices, but no current evidence of ongoing equity-conference participation was found.
- 9.2 [Data Collection & Analysis]: Regular audits of discipline practices — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). The district underwent federal DOJ and OCR reviews of discipline/restraint practices, and <cite index="258-5">DOJ's closure letter noted CRCSD eliminated seclusion, adopted new training and protocols, and reduced restraint incidents by more than 85%</cite>, but a regular internal audit cycle independent of external investigation was not clearly confirmed.
- 10.4 [Student Voice & Leadership]: Student-led peer education — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). Black Student Unions function as <cite index="174-6">groups at Kennedy, Jefferson, Washington and Metro high schools each led by two students and an adviser</cite>, providing some student-led peer space, though not a formal peer-education curriculum program.
- 11.1 [Equitable Access to Support Services]: Counseling & mental-health access for all — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). The district has <cite index="163-9">30 full-time counselors on staff</cite> and partners with Tanager Place, but <cite index="160-4">524 students were referred to or waiting for school-based therapy services</cite>, indicating access gaps remain.
- 11.4 [Equitable Access to Support Services]: Systems to remove access barriers — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). The district's Hoover Community School model <cite index="178-2">offers classes in English as a second language, health care and legal services</cite> as a 'community school,' with plans to expand this model to more buildings, but this is not yet district-wide.
- 12.1 [Continuous Evaluation & Improvement]: Standing committee/task force for discipline equity — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). The district has a <cite index="199-6">Safe and Secure Learning Environment Coordinator</cite> role and a Policy Review Committee, functioning similarly to a standing discipline-focused task force, though not explicitly named a 'discipline equity committee.'
- 12.3 [Continuous Evaluation & Improvement]: Benchmarking vs. state/national comparators — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). The district compares its belonging data against <cite index="2-6">the 90th percentile</cite> nationally via Panorama, but systematic benchmarking against state/national discipline-equity comparators specifically was not clearly confirmed as routine.
- 12.4 [Continuous Evaluation & Improvement]: PD & reflective practice culture — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). The district emphasizes <cite index="271-7">teachers working with collective efficacy through professional learning communities (PLCs)</cite> and reflective practice case studies, suggesting an established PD/reflection culture, though not specifically tied to discipline equity.
Source Documents Used
Show source documents (1)
| Document | Date | Local Copy | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Rapids Community School District Scoring Sheet | 2026 | Open file | file:///C:/_CSSD/CSSDWebsite/cssdisc.org_htdocs/DistrictPolicies/Cedar_Rapids_Community_School_District/2026/Cedar_Rapids_Community_School_District_Scoring_Sheet.xlsx |