OAR 581-022-2307: Educational Equity Advisory Committees

(1) The following definitions apply to Oregon Administrative Rule 581-022-2307: (a) "Parent" means one or more of the following persons: (A) A biological or adoptive parent of a student; (B) A foster parent of a student; (C) A legal guardian, other than a state agency; (D) An individual acting in the place of a biological or adoptive parent (including a grandparent, stepparent, or other relative) with whom a student lives, or an individual who is legally responsible for a child's welfare; or (E) A surrogate parent who has been appointed in accordance with OAR 581-015-2320, for school-age children, or 581-015-2760 for preschool children. (b) “Student” means a school-aged individual. (c) “Community Member” means: (A) A representative of a community-based organization that serves the local community; (B) A representative of a culturally specific organization that serves the local community; (C) A representative of an organization that regularly partners with the school district to network resources and assist students in meeting state and local standards, and prepare students for post high school transitions; or (D) A resident of the local community capable of representing underserved community voices. (d) “Underrepresented” refers to communities, groups, families and students that due to systemic barriers and intersectional oppression have been excluded from or have limited proportionate access to the dominant or mainstream educational system despite efforts to participate. This includes students of color, tribal students, English language learners, LGBTQ2SIA+ students, students experiencing and surviving poverty and houselessness, students with disabilities, women/girls, and students from rural communities. (e) “Underserved” refers to communities, groups, families and students that the dominant or mainstream educational system has historically and currently excluded, impacted, marginalized, underserved and/or refused service due to institutionalized and intersectional racism and systemic oppression. This includes students of color, tribal students, English language learners, LGBTQ2SIA+ students, students experiencing and surviving poverty and houselessness, students with disabilities, women/girls, and students from rural communities. (2) There shall be established at each school district an educational equity advisory committee. (3)(a) An educational equity advisory committee shall be selected by the school district superintendent and must be composed of parents, employees, students and community members from the school district. (b) The school district superintendent is responsible for coordinating the member nomination process and appointing members, ensuring that membership is primarily representative of underserved student groups. (c) For the purpose of selecting members, the school district superintendent: (A) May not deny members based on language; (B) May not deny members based on immigration status; (C) May not deny members based on protected class, including age, disability, national origin, race, color, marital status, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity; (D) May not appoint a voting member of the school board or themself to an educational equity advisory committee; and (E) Must ensure that the composition of an educational equity advisory committee elevates underrepresented parent, employee, student, and community member voices. (d) The school district superintendent, in consultation with the educational equity advisory committee, shall fill vacancies on the committee in the same manner as original appointments. ​​​(e) The school district board, in consultation with the superintendent, must select at least one member of the educational equity advisory committee to serve on the school district budget committee. A budget committee is not required to include a member of the educational equity advisory committee of the school district until a vacancy on the budget committee occurs by a member who is not also a member of the school district board. (f) Each school district, in consultation with the educational equity advisory committee, is required to provide sufficient support to educational equity advisory committee members to participate in meetings, including, but not limited to, access to district-managed emails, translation and interpretation services, and relevant public meeting and security trainings. (4) The duties of an educational equity advisory committee shall include: (a) Advising the school district superintendent about the educational equity impacts of policy decisions; and (b) Informing the school district superintendent of the larger district-wide climate and the experiences of underserved student groups, and advising the superintendent on how best to support. Examples include but are not limited to: (A) Informing the school district superintendent when a situation arises in a school of the school district that negatively impacts underrepresented students, and advising the superintendent on how best to handle that situation. (B) Informing the school district superintendent when a situation arises in a school of the school district that positively impacts underrepresented students, and advising the superintendent on how best to replicate within the district. (C) Considering whether such situations are unique to the school or indicative of a district-wide trend, and advising on how best to handle that trend. (5) In addition to the duties outlined in section (4) of this rule, an educational equity advisory committee may: (a) Consider topics that the educational equity advisory committee deems critical to its ability to represent and elevate educational equity impacts to student experience in the district. (b) Consider topics submitted by the school district board and school district superintendent. (c) Select a single member to serve as an advisor to the school district superintendent, for the purpose of providing updates and acting as a liaison between the educational equity advisory committee and the district. (d) Prepare an annual report that: (A) Includes, but is not limited to the following information: (i) The successes and challenges the school district has experienced in meeting the educational equity needs of students in the school district; and (ii) Recommendations the committee made to the school district superintendent, and the actions that were taken in response to those recommendations; (B) Is shared with the school district board: (i) By the school district superintendent; and (ii) If requested by the school district board, as a presentation by the committee or committee representative at a school district board meeting. (C) Is made available by being: (i) Distributed to the parents of the students of the school district; (ii) Posted on the school district’s website; and (iii) Sent to the State Board of Education. (6) The Oregon Department of Education shall review all submitted reports and annually prepare a summary for the State Board of Education. Members of the State Board of Education shall have access to all submitted reports.