DEI Audit Report

Over the past year, WT has engaged with The Glasgow Group in an audit of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices. Constituent groups (employees, parents, students, alumnae/i, and Trustees) were encouraged to participate through surveys and focus groups. Following are the high-level findings and recommendations.

For further information about the findings in this report, and to participate in the efforts already underway to address the recommendations, please contact WT’s Director of Equity, Inclusion, and Wellness, Jessica Walton, at waltonj@winchesterthurston.org.

Perception of Inclusivity

There is general agreement by survey respondents that although WT has publicly made a commitment to diversity, the school does not always act upon that commitment. Intentions do not always match impact, and protecting tradition is prioritized rather than becoming more equitable or inclusive. It is worth noting that the majority of survey respondents identified as white individuals. The perceptions of community members who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) differ from the majority of respondents, and report lower levels of inclusivity in their lived experiences at WT.

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Key Findings

• Socioeconomic status was highlighted as one of the biggest sources of inequity at WT.
• Constituents are unclear of to whom to go when they have questions around diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• There is a desire for increased opportunities to engage in dialogue with individuals who represent a diversity of thought.
• There is a feeling that WT is not open to or supportive of a range of learning abilities and emotional well-being.
• Many students indicated a noticeable imbalance between girls’ and boys’ Athletics programs.
• Employees would like more professional development around DEI through divisional/differentiated lenses.

Recommendations:

Normalize Academics and Student Affairs

• Create school-wide community norms for conversations on civic engagement in classroom settings.
• Review student handbooks, policies, and discipline procedures to ensure that consequences are clearly outlined and equitably applied.
• Review the placement process for advanced learning courses and the determination process for awards/honors.
• Create more opportunities for students to explore the value of and exposure to DEI concepts, including required programming in Middle and Upper School.

Engage Parents, Alums, and Trustees

• Include thorough information regarding the school’s values and efforts related to DEI in all admission materials.
• Make schoolwide expectations clear to current families.
• Collaborate with alums to reflect and learn.
• Recreate the DEI committee of the Board of Trustees.

Continue Learning and Create Accountability

• Increase support for employees’ understanding of emotional health.
• Review school traditions and history with a DEI lens.
• Create a system of accountability regarding microaggressions against individuals with historically marginalized identities.
• Create regular opportunities for BIPOC employees to meet with senior administrators.
• Work with Division Directors to develop formal feedback systems related to DEI.
• Conduct an annual parent satisfaction survey.

Diversify the WT Community

• Increase racial makeup of faculty and staff at WT; increase racial and economic diversity of the Board of Trustees.
• Refine admissions processes to be more equitable and inclusive.
• Create a taskforce to review the role of socioeconomic status within the WT community.
• Diversify the leadership of the Parents Association.