Room to improve school services for LGBT students
(Calif.) Even with all of the progress made in recent years to improve educational services for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students, their well-being is still at risk in many schools with only a handful of districts attempting to address the issue through their Local Control Accountability Plans, advocates said.
School climate – one of eight California priorities for which districts must set goals and detail improvement efforts in their LCAPs – covers the overall culture of a school campus. Positive climates allow students to thrive academically and socially, and negative climates may result in higher suspension, bullying or absenteeism rates.
“The LCAP is the perfect vehicle because it allows districts to put into policy ways to target a group that has tremendous struggles in school,” said Laura Kanter, director of Policy, Advocacy and Youth Programs for the LGBT Center OC, based in Orange County. “Moving forward, one of the goals should be that LGBT youth are lifted up as a category in and of themselves that needs attention and specific strategies within the LCAP to support them,” she said.
Under the Local Control Funding Formula, adopted in 2013, additional resources are allocated to schools with more disadvantaged students, including English learners, foster youth and those from low-income families. The LCAPs created by school districts, charter schools and county offices of education must detail how student achievement will be increased per the state priorities.
Many of the 10 largest districts in the state – including Los Angeles Unified and San Francisco Unified – have programs or funds detailed in their LCAPs dedicated to mental health, suicide prevention or intervention services related to conflict resolution between students.
Restorative justice techniques are popular in the area of maintaining a safe and healthy school Room to improve school services for LGBT students :: SI&A Cabinet Report :: The Essential Resource for Superintendents and the Cabinet: