Goal 3: Community Membership

Action Step 1
Review the current enrollment plan and identify goals.

Strategies to Support Action Step 1

Strategy 1

Reviewed enrollment plan and developed strategies to increase representation of Black/African/African American, Latina/o/x/e, and Native American/Indigenous students applying, enrolling, and re-enrolling at Catlin Gabel.

• Cultivate a culturally responsive enrollment management team by partnering with the Equity and Inclusion Department to strengthen staff and volunteer training, to help mitigate biases in the application review process, and to conduct an audit of application processes at the end of the 2022-23 admission cycle.
• Highlight non-dominant experiences in school communications, including The Caller, website, social, video, and newsletters, and accurately represent the school’s diverse community through images in marketing materials via an opt-in process.
• Conduct outreach to schools with significant populations of Black/African/African American, Latina/o/x/e, and Native American/Indigenous students who are within ten miles of school and accessible by CG bus routes.
• Develop and promote diversity and inclusion events to prospective families to provide better information on how the school recognizes and supports different racial and cultural identities.
• Create a culture of ambassadorship so the wider community better understands the important role each individual has in promoting the benefits of the school to prospective families.
• Establish relationships with community organizations that support Black/African/African American, Latina/o/x/e, and Native American/Indigenous populations. 
• Partner with divisions and Equity and Inclusion Department to increase retention of Black/African/African American, Latina/o/x/e, and Native American/Indigenous students.

Strategy 2

Develop enrollment goals for Black/African/African American, Latina/o/x/e, and Native American/Indigenous students:

• Aim for diversity in enrollment that is on par or greater than the Portland metro area and develop metrics to calculate percentages based on information from the 2020 Census Data.*
• Aim to enroll a minimum of two students who identify as Black/African/African American, Latina/o/x/e, and Native American/Indigenous per grade to create affinity.

*An average of Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington counties 2020 Census Data resulted in metro areas statistics of: Caucasian - 70%; Asian - 9%; Black/African/African American - 3%; Latina/o/x/e - 13%; Multiracial - 5%; Native American - 1%. We acknowledge the Census is an imperfect benchmark. For details regarding how Census Data is gathered, please visit Census.gov.

Action Step 2

Research the experience of Employees of Color and other historically-marginalized groups.

Strategies to Support Action Step 2

Strategy 1

Admin. team members conducted exit interviews with employees leaving the school. Themes included: Limited opportunities for career advancement; need to improve support for different points of view, e.g. political and faith-based; added responsibility of supporting students with similar identities; requests for increased amount of ongoing feedback from/to managers; work/life balance. Information collected will inform recruitment and retention plans going forward.   

Strategy 2

Focus group and individual interviews that helped inform the Catlin Gabel Culture Assessment also provided space for conversation and data collection. Separate from Assessment development, these data have been analyzed and common themes have been shared. Top themes included: valuing multiple perspectives and voices; perceived strengths and deltas about institutional support; feelings of isolation; wishes for increased support regarding identity-based difficult conversations. 

Strategy 3

Related to research endeavors, the school created more institutional avenues for engaging with diverse voices in decision-making. The Board, Board Inclusion and Diversity Committee (BID), and Admin Team met with several Family Affinity Groups to hear their concerns and ideas. Family Affinity Group facilitators are meeting together and providing input to school leadership.  

Action Step 3
Re-affirm purpose and structures for Affinity Groups across constituents.

Strategies to Accomplish Action Step 3

Strategy 1

All divisions developed clear plans to rebuild or maintain Student Affinity Groups to create better alignment throughout the school. We continue to evaluate the structure and purpose of Affinity Groups with the eventual goal of involving all students in conversations about DEI.

Strategy 2

Family Affinity Groups actively engaged in partnering with the school, sharing ideas and recommendations with the Board of Trustees. These affinity groups will continue to be supported by the school and new Family Affinity Groups will be encouraged to form as needed. This partnership will be on-going, and these groups will continue to bring community members together.

Strategy 3

Employees are supported in coming together in Employee Affinity Groups. These groups arise as needed, and are determined by employees annually.

Action Step 1

Report on enrollment and recruiting plan progress from 2021-2022.

Enrollment Goals

Aim to enroll a minimum of two students who identify as Black/African/African American, Latina/o/x/e, and Native American/Indigenous per grade to create affinity.

• 86% of grades enroll at least two students with Black/African/African American identity*
• 93% of grades enroll at least two students with Latina/o/x/e identity*
• 21% of grades enroll at least two students with Native American/Indigenous identity*

*These enrollment targets include multiracial students. 

Aim for diversity in enrollment that is on par or greater than the demographic representation in the Portland metro area and develop metrics to calculate percentages based on information from the 2020 Census Data. Compared to Portland Metro area demographics in Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington counties for 3-18 year olds:

• Black/African/African American student enrollment is a fraction under par. 
• Multiracial and Asian student enrollments are overrepresented.
• White, Latina/o/x/e and Native American/Indigenous student enrollments are underrepresented. 

See graphs in PDF of report on pages 8-11 for specific data.

ACHIEVED GOALS INCLUDED 

• Redefined a role on the IT team to include .5 institutional research position. This role assists with equity and inclusion work, including enrollment, to help us better understand attrition data, patterns in the admission cycle of inquiry to enrollment, the impact of financial assistance, and analysis of applicant and current student and family survey data related to experiences and expectations. Findings so far include: a clear need to focus on retention of Black/African/African American students, the financial assistance budget does not meet the demand of admissible Black/African/African American, Latina/o/x/e, and Native American applicants; and we need to increase satisfaction among our families before we can ask for ambassadorship.  
• Redefined a role on the enrollment team. This role supports current families from historically marginalized groups and works to form a stronger partnership between enrollment and equity and inclusion teams. The Assistant Director of Enrollment and Family Inclusion Coordinator is responsible for Family Affinity Groups, schoolwide Parent Faculty Association events, and assists with Beginning and Lower School enrollment.  
• Expanded events and outreach. New activities include a dedicated inclusion event within Open House to showcase our commitment and answer questions, deepened partnerships with schools with large populations of Black/African/African American, Latina/o/x/e, and Native American students via transparent discussions regarding the necessary services for their students, attendance at the Skanner’s annual MLK Breakfast, invitations to new families to spring events including the Juneteenth celebration.  
• Expanded storytelling capabilities. A new part-time videographer position helps create additional content. Marketing and Communications team members also meet regularly with divisional leadership, department heads, and the Equity and Inclusion Coordinator of Student Programs to be aware of upcoming events that showcase community events, which we can then highlight across platforms, and gain insights on employees and students who may be interested in sharing their knowledge and experiences through Q&A videos, interviews, and blogs. 

Action Step 2

Establish a baseline plan for recruiting and retaining employees of color.

A baseline plan for diversity-specific recruiting efforts was updated in 2023. A plan specific for employee retention is underway.

ACHIEVED GOALS INCLUDED

Outreach: Working from an existing recruitment plan, we continue to partner with diverse recruiting firms, job boards, professional organizations, and publications. Development of partnership with diverse associations and college career centers is planned. The number of job boards and recruiting agencies utilized has been increased. A list of job-specific sites has been developed. All positions are posted internally; most are posted externally. A new Applicant Tracking System (ATS) was implemented to direct job posting to the most productive job board and reports, including Indeed. The employment section of the school’s website was refreshed and now includes videos. The HR team attended three career fairs, two of which focused on diverse candidates, and the team plans to attend at least three job fairs in 2023-24.

Data: Systems have been established to track employee turnover data year-over-year, and reports have been developed to determine cost/benefit ratios of the most productive sites for candidates (note that most candidates decline to complete the voluntary self-identification form). We aim to develop an exit survey in addition to providing metrics to augment individual exit interviews in 2023-24.  

Retention: In addition to a 3-day new hire orientation centered on student-facing faculty and staff, all newly-hired employees are invited to periodic mixers and gatherings specifically for them. We plan to partner with a local university to offer two-year paid fellowships for BIPOC teachers entering the teaching field, enabling them to work alongside experienced faculty and instructional coaches to develop teaching skills and experience. We hope to train managers on how to have “stay interviews” to support professional development and goal setting for BIPOC employees.

See graph for specific employee data on PDF of report, page 13.

Action Step 3

Begin affinity group communication process to share themes and recommendations.

Catlin Gabel provides different types of support for student, family, and employee Affinity Groups. For student Affinity Groups, we take responsibility for structure, support, and programming. For family and employee Affinity Groups, we support logistics and build institutional-group partnerships and communication.  

Achieved Goals for Student Affinity Groups

• Student Affinity Groups met consistently in all three divisions and have been structured to meet developmental differences between Upper, Middle, and Lower School students.
  • Upper School Affinity Groups were largely student-led, with designated teachers ready to support.
  • Middle School Affinity Groups were primarily teacher-led, with the goal of creating space for students to spend time together and discuss topics of interest.
  • Lower School Affinity Groups (Grades 1-5) were led by teachers, with the goal of building community and teaching about inclusivity.

Next Steps for Improving Student Affinity Groups

• Ensuring that all students, of any identity, have groups or clubs they can choose to attend.
• Articulating specific and aligned goals for Affinity Groups, across divisions. 
• Supporting faculty to grow their skills in leading Affinity Group spaces. 
• Building student leadership skills, including facilitation, to create more possibilities for cross-divisional Affinity Group time. 

Achieved Goals for Family Affinity Groups

• Development of Family Inclusion Coordinator position. This position was created to have a formal structure for building stronger partnerships between Family Affinity Groups and Catlin Gabel and the Parent Faculty Association. (Position was filled in August 2023).

Achieved Goals for Employee Affinity Groups

• The Equity and Inclusion Department shared information regarding logistics and budget support available for Employee Affinity and Discussion Groups.
• One Employee Discussion Group met quarterly.
   

Action Step 4

The Board Governance Committee develops a more intentional plan for diverse trustee recruitment.

• The Board Governance Committee, which is responsible for the recruitment, nomination, and evaluation of trustees and the board, has prepared a diversity recruitment plan to reflect current practices and ensure future success. 
• In the last 5 years, the Board Governance Committee has included 40-45% of trustees identifying as nonwhite. Moving forward, the Head’s Office will track various demographic data, which will be reviewed annually by the governance committee and used to assess board diversity in key areas of identity (gender; race/ethnicity; divisional/alumni/past parent/grandparent affiliation; professional skills; and potential giving capacity). The Committee seeks to ensure that trustee membership is on par or greater than demographic representation in the Portland metro area and supports the strategic priorities of the school. 
• The Governance Committee sets recruitment priorities on an annual basis and invites names and suggestions from a variety of sources, including the Board of Trustees; Board Inclusion and Diversity Committee; PFA Executive Council; Parent Affinity Group Leaders; Alumni Council; and Portland community.
• The Board Inclusion and Diversity Committee tracks Inclusion and Recruiting Plan progress and identifies training and education to ensure all trustees understand the value and purpose of a diverse board. 
   

Action Step 1

Report on enrollment and recruiting plan progress for 2023-24.

ENROLLMENT GOALS

Aim to enroll a minimum of two students per grade who identify as Black/African/African American, Latina/o/x/e, and Native American/Indigenous to create affinity.

• 93% of grades enroll at least two students with Black/African/African American identity.*
• 100% of grades enroll at least two students with Latina/o/x/e identity.*
• 21% of grades enroll at least two students with Native American/Indigenous identity.*

*These enrollment targets include multiracial students.

Aim for diversity in enrollment that is on par or greater than the demographic representation in the Portland metro area and develop metrics to calculate percentages based on information from the 2020 Census Data. Compared to Portland metro population:

• Black/African American, Latina/o/x/e, Native American/Indigenous and White students are underrepresented.
• Multiracial and Asian students are overrepresented.

See graphs in PDF of report on pages 8-11 for specific data.

ACHIEVED GOALS INCLUDED

• Expanded promotional outreach to schools, and faith-based and non-profit organizations to meet and share information about Catlin Gabel with increased numbers of BIPOC students and families.
• Expanded marketing efforts to reach a larger scope of BIPOC families including media placements, print materials, and web strategy.
• Expanded programming specific to retaining Black/African/African American students given they are leaving at disproportionate rates. 

• Early school year (and ongoing) relationship building between Division Heads and families of Black/African/African American students.
• PDX community outings led by Black/African/African American students for Black/African/African American students and their families across divisions (e.g., OMSI Black Science Night, roller skating outing, Blazers Black History Month Celebration), led by TRIBE students and Black employees, resourced and supported by the E&I Team.
• Regular E&I Team support and check-ins with trusted adults of our Black/African/African American students.
• Thorough consultation and planning for student placement in advisories.
• Exit interview data and learnings from conversations with families to directly inform customized program for improving our Black/African/African American students’ experiences.
• Established sponsorships budget line intended to provide opportunities for employees to attend events hosted by organizations that support BIPOC community members, and build connections by sponsoring those events.
• Expanded enrollment events to target BIPOC prospective students including at Open House, events for admitted students, and online events with our Family Affinity and Discussion Groups.
• Parent Inclusion Coordinators serve as PFA liaisons for Family Affinity and Discussion (A&D) groups to enhance collaboration and support for parent-school connections.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The school needs to decide how committed it is to the enrollment and retention of Black/African/African American, Native American/Indigenous, and Latina/o/x/e students in terms of resources. At a minimum, to make durable progress on increasing enrollment, the school needs to more substantially invest in financial assistance, student programming, and BIPOC employee recruitment.

Action Step 2

Establish a baseline plan for recruiting and retaining employees of color.

Development of a plan specific for employee retention is underway. A baseline plan for diversity-specific recruiting efforts was updated in 2023.

ACHIEVED GOALS INCLUDED

• Expanded learning and outreach for recruiting employees of color, resulting in more comprehensive knowledge about career fairs, attendance at college fairs for early-career educators (Pacific University of Oregon and Oregon State University), and increase in number of fairs attended (including Oregon Professional Educator Fair and Pacific Northwest Independent School’s Diversity Fair).
• Increase in postings and listings on job boards (e.g., Indeed, LinkedIn) and networking with organizations focused on recruitment and organizations focused specifically on recruitment of employees of color (e.g., community colleges, Partners in Diversity, Strategenius).

• Comprehensive employee onboarding, including ongoing cohort gatherings throughout the school year.
• Increased support of wellness through sponsorship of community-building activities, including Catlin Gabel Team for the Portland Marathon and Catlin Gabel Team for Bike MS Oregon.
• Specific support of Black/African/African American employees through stipends, project management management structure, and funding for helping Black/African/African American students lead outings and activities intended to build community for Black/African/African American students and families across divisions.
• Increased HR availability for supporting employee concerns through regular office hours and improved practices and policies (Catlin Cares program to demonstrate care of employees in need such as flower delivery for bereavements).
• Annual attendance opportunity for faculty of color to attend the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) People of Color Conference (POCC). Consistently, 10+ employees attend. Plans to continue cohort gatherings to further community-building established.
• Training with stipends for attendance, resources, and regular check-ins arranged for student affinity group faculty leaders to further define shared purpose across affinity groups, foster community across affinity group leaders, and support leaders’ steady and committed work to support our students of historically underrepresented identities—launching in 2024-2025.
• Plan for consistent and clear student behavior support and documentation pilot built, launching in 2024-2025.
• Increased support of integration of equity and inclusion in curriculum, including racial literacy curriculum in the Beginning and Lower School, increased engagement with individual teachers and departments, and specific support of teaching about cultural humility for global trips.
• Alignment of cultural observances and accompanying planning and implementation support for teachers and students to help honor different cultures across the school.
• Regular check-ins across trusted adults to support them and align efforts in their care for our students, particularly but not limited to those of historically underrepresented identities. 

• American Indian/Alaska Native: Increase of 1 employee
• Asian American: Decrease of 1 employee
• Black/African/African American: No change
• Latina/o/x/e: Increase of 6 employees
• Pacific Islander/Native Hawaiian: Decrease of 1 employee
• Two or More Races: No change
• White: Increase of 2 employees

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Support of employee retention has increased in intentional programming; reliable care; and specific efforts to integrate equity and inclusion into daily work.
• The school needs to decide how committed it is to the recruitment of Black/African/African American, Indigenous, and Latina/o/x/e employees in terms of resources. At a minimum, to make durable progress on increasing recruitment efforts, the school needs to more substantially invest in program and outreach.

See graph for specific employee data on PDF of report, page 14.

Action Step 3

Begin affinity group communication process to share themes and recommendations.

ACHIEVED GOALS FOR STUDENT AFFINITY GROUPS

• Plans for affinity group training of adult and Upper School student leaders occurred in November 2024.
• An intentional paradigm shift to “we’re all in this together” in student affinity programs planned and launching in 2024-2025. Program promotes unity and solidarity between affinity groups, specifically including idea sharing, collaboration, and peers helping peers.
• Increased student leadership support for alignment with faculty leaders and across affinity groups planned to foster greater sense of community and shared practices, and increase possibilities of cross-affinity group gatherings, for launch in 2024-2025.
• Building connections with student affinity groups at other schools in the Portland area (OES, Jesuit, NW Academy, Valley Catholic, St. Mary’s, Cascades Academy - Bend), for launch in 2024-2025.

ACHIEVED GOALS FOR FAMILY AFFINITY GROUPS

• Community-building support from the E&I Department built practices and shared purpose across family affinity groups. Greater sense of connection and support between the school and affinity groups, as well as streamlining of process, was created. Possibilities for cross-affinity group and all school community building was developed.

ACHIEVED GOALS FOR EMPLOYEE AFFINITY GROUPS

• Time and resources for affinity groups during all-school professional learning days increased.
• Plans for increasing support and programs for employee affinity group in process, for launch in 2025-2026.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Increased support, alignment, and connection to each other and the school are well underway for family and student affinity groups. For employee affinity groups, the school must assess its commitment to providing workday time for affinity group meetings, which remains the biggest impediment for robust employee affinity group engagement.
 

Action Step 4

The Board Governance committee develops a more intentional plan for diverse
trustee recruitment.

• The Board Governance Committee, which is responsible for the recruitment, nomination, and evaluation of trustees and the board, continues to follow a diversity recruitment plan to reflect current practices and ensure future success.
• From this plan, the Governance Committee sets recruitment priorities on an annual basis and invites names and suggestions from a variety of sources, including the Board of Trustees; Board Inclusion and Diversity Committee; PFA Executive Council; Parent Affinity Group Leaders; Alumni Council; and Portland community.
• Trustees are selected based on a proven commitment to the mission and values of the school and an understanding of the strategic, generative, and fiduciary responsibilities of the board. We seek to ensure representation by gender, race, and ethnicity that is on par or greater than demographic representation in the Portland metro area, and to balance divisional, affiliation, and professional representation in support of the school’s strategic priorities. Current professional skills sectors represented on the Board include: education, medical/dental, finance/business, construction/landscape architecture, government, marketing/communication, non-profit, law, technology.
• The Board Inclusion and Diversity Committee tracks inclusion and progress in accordance with the Strategic Inclusion Plan, and identifies training and education to ensure all trustees understand the value and purpose of a diverse board.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

A diverse board is essential in helping the school assess the impact of strategic and financial decisions, in keeping with the school’s mission and values. Meetings and decisions are organized to invite diverse perspectives, questions, and ideas to strengthen our effectiveness. A diverse board ensures we identify and consider tension or conflict between equity and inclusion goals and financial or strategic needs and opportunities.

See graph for specific board member data on PDF of report, page 17.