BOCES of New York State, with support from Tangible Development, have created the Culturally Responsive Learning Exchange, a statewide collection of resources that support culturally responsive learning environments, student belonging, DEI programs and policies, as well as Portrait in Practice resources. Through collaboration across all 37 BOCES regions, districts can share proven practices, learn from one another, and strengthen opportunities for every student in New York.
Educators across New York State, including public, nonpublic, and charter schools, are invited to submit their resources to the Exchange to reflect the breadth and depth of work being done across the state and to provide the field with opportunities for collaboration, learning, and growth.
Learn more about how to submit your Culturally Responsive Learning Exchange Resources.
Browse Resources by Topic
Creating a Welcoming and Affirming Environment
A welcoming and affirming environment feels safe. It is a space where people can find themselves represented and reflected, and where they understand that all people are
treated with respect and dignity. The environment ensures all cultural identities (i.e. race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, language, religion, socioeconomic background) are affirmed, valued, and used as vehicles for teaching and learning.
Access resources for Creating a Welcoming and Affirming Environment.
Some resources contained within the exchange include:
Recruitment Flyer (Auburn Enlarged CSD)
- Audience(s): Parents and families, community members, BOCES leadership
DEI Movie Night Planning Overview (Rye Neck UFSD)
- Audience(s): Internal Staff
Equity Professional Development (PD) series English as a New Learner (ENL) flyer (Rush-Henrietta CSD)
- Audience(s): Community
Community Book Study flyer (Rush-Henrietta CSD)
- Audience(s): Community
Parent/Guardian University flyer (Auburn Enlarged CSD)
- Audience(s): Community
Equity and Inclusion LGBTQ (Rush-Henrietta CSD)
- Audience(s): Community
Identifying Inclusive Curriculum and Assessment
Inclusive curriculum and assessment elevate historically marginalized voices. It includes opportunities to learn about power and privilege in the context of various communities and empowers learners to be agents of positive social change. It provides the opportunity to
learn about perspectives beyond one’s own scope. It works toward dismantling systems
of biases and inequities, and decentering dominant ideologies in education.
Access resources for Identifying Inclusive Curriculum and Assessment.
Council of Champions (Elmira City SD)
- About the Resource: Council of Champions is designed to cultivate upstanding behaviors among students. The curriculum is aligned with NYS social emotional learning (SEL) Benchmarks (Equity Revisions) by ensuring that youth, particularly grades 5-8, have opportunities to develop self-awareness, nurture positive sense of identity, enhance their cross-cultural skills to effectively connect across differences, all while learning skills to become agents of positive change within their communities. In addition to the updated NYS SEL Benchmarks, the curriculum also aligns with the NYS Culturally Responsive-Sustaining (CR-S) Education Framework and DEI Policy Guidance.
- Audience(s): Students
Fostering High Expectations and Rigorous Instruction
High expectations and rigorous instruction prepare the community for rigor and independent learning. The environment is academically rigorous and intellectually challenging, while also
considering the different ways students learn. Instruction includes opportunities to use critical reasoning, take academic risks, and leverage a growth mindset to learn from mistakes. Messages encourage positive self-image and empower others to succeed.
Access resources for Fostering High Expectations and Rigorous Instruction.
Elementary Identity Inquiry (Potsdam CSD)
- About the Resource: The Elementary Identity Inquiry is a year-long inquiry for all students at Lawrence Avenue Elementary School. The project includes essential questions for each quarter and required read-aloud books, one per month, per grade level, with accompanying discussion questions. The books are aligned to each essential idea and represent diverse identities and topics.
- Resource: Potsdam CSD Identity Inquiry
- Resource type: Lesson Plan
- Audience(s): Teachers of prekindergarten through fourth grade, and their students
Board of Education DEI Presentation (Rye Neck UFSD)
- Resource: Rye Neck UFSD BOE DEI Presentation
- Audience(s): Board of Education, Greater Community
Community Conversation Flyer (Rush-Henrietta CSD)
- Resource: Rush-Henrietta CSD Community Conversation Flyer
- Audience(s): Community
Recommendation Slides BOE Equity & Inclusion Presentation (Rush-Henrietta CSD)
- Resource: Rush-Henrietta CSD Equity & Inclusion Needs Assessment Steering Committee Recommendations Presentation
- Audience(s): BOE, Stakeholders
Celebrating Holidays and Heritage Months (Monroe 1 BOCES)
- About the Resource: This resource has inclusive guidance on celebrating holidays and heritage months.
- Resource: Monroe 1 BOCES: Celebrating Holidays and Heritage Months
- Audience(s): BOE, Staff
A Journey through the CR-S Framework (Erie 2 Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES)
- Resource: Erie 2 BOCES: A Journey through the CR-S Framework
- Audience(s): Staff, Community
Engaging in Ongoing Professional Learning
Ongoing professional learning is rooted in the idea that teaching and learning is an adaptive process needing constant reexamination (Moll, et al., 1992; Gay, 2010). It allows learners to develop and sharpen a critically conscious lens toward instruction, curriculum, assessment, history, culture, and institutions. Learners must be self-directed and take on opportunities that
directly impact learning outcomes.
Access resources for Engaging in Ongoing Professional Learning.
Style Guide for Inclusive Communications (Capital Region BOCES)
- About the Resource: Handbook
- Resource: Capital Region BOCES Style Guide for Inclusive Communications
- Audience(s): Internal
Equitable Access to Opportunities Across All Grade Levels (Mohawk Regional Info. Center (MORIC)–Madison Oneida BOCES)
- About the Resource: These talking points and guiding questions are based on a November 2019 memo for equitable access to opportunities across grade levels.
- Resource: Equitable Access to Opportunities Across All Grade Levels
- Audience(s): Internal
Summer Leadership PD-DEI and SEL (Rush-Henrietta CSD)
- About the Resource: Leadership Development Presentation
- Resource: A Framework for Reimagining Education: Equity – Instruction – Cultural Responsiveness – Mental Health & Wellness
- Audience(s): Community
Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain Session Presentation (Rush-Henrietta CSD)
- Resource: Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain Presentation
- Audience(s): Staff, Community
Resources for Enhancing Cultural Humility (Elmira City SD)
- About the Resource: A collection of resources (articles, webinars, and modules) to enhance educators’ cultural humility skills. Note that the resource is not an all-inclusive list. It serves as a place to begin and/or continue enhancing one’s critical consciousness skills to enact responsive policies, practices, and behaviors within schools.
- Resource link: Elmira City SD Resources for Enhancing Cultural Humility
- Audience(s): Education Professionals, BOE
Transportation Circles Flyer (Rush-Henrietta CSD)
- Resource: Rush-Henrietta CSD Transportation Circles Flier
- Audience(s): Community
Inclusive Guidance on Discriminatory and Harmful Language Protocol (Monroe 1 BOCES)
- About the Resource: Inclusive guidance on discriminatory and harmful language protocol.
- Resource: Monroe 1 BOCES Inclusive Guidance on Discriminatory and Harmful Language Protocol
- Audience(s): BOE, Staff
DEI Data Online Course (Mohawk Regional Information Center)
- About the Resource: The DEI & Data online course addresses how to have data-rich DEI conversations, and provides insight into data sources and tools to consider using when hosting a DEI data meeting. The course is made up of ten asynchronous online lessons developed during the 2021-22 school year.
- Resource: Mohawk Regional Information Center DEI & Data Course
- Audience(s): School district administrators
Train The Trainer Workshop Announcement (Corning City SD)
- Resource: Corning City SD Train The Trainer Workshop Announcement
- Audience(s): Community
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity in Education (Schenectady CSD)
- About the Resource: In November 2021, the Schenectady City School District Board of Education approved this adopted policy which outlines generally accepted beliefs and agreements, as well as district goals related to providing equitable, inclusive, and diverse opportunities for all students.
- Resource: Schenectady CSD DEI in Education
- Audience(s): Internal
Equity, Inclusivity, and Diversity in Education Regulation (Eastern Suffolk BOCES)
- About the Resource: This regulation was adopted by Eastern Suffolk BOCES in May 2021 as part of its policy manual. The regulation “outlines the process for achieving educational equity and the elimination of barriers and bias, particularly institutionalized racism and cultural biases, and disparities that limit a student’s chance to graduate high school prepared for college, for a career, and for life.”
- Resource: Eastern Suffolk BOCES Regulation 5124R.1 Equity, Inclusivity, and Diversity in Education
- Audience(s): Stakeholders
Equity, Inclusivity, and Diversity in Education Policy (Eastern Suffolk BOCES)
- About the Resource: This policy was adopted by Eastern Suffolk BOCES as part of its policy manual. The policy establishes the Board’s responsibility “to develop the individual and organizational knowledge, attitudes, skills, and practices to create culturally responsive learning and working environments for all students and employees.”
- Resource: Eastern Suffolk BOCES Policy 5124 Equity, Inclusivity, and Diversity in Education
- Audience(s): Stakeholders
BOCES Strategic Plan (Eastern Suffolk BOCES)
- Resource type: Eastern Suffolk BOCES Strategic Plan 2025-2032
- Audience(s): Stakeholders
Strategic Plan for Equity (Niskayuna Central School District)
- About the Resource: The purpose of this document is to publicly share Niskayuna’s commitment to addressing inequities within their community and to continually report on these and other data points. This public-facing document is a summary of the Niskayuna Central School District’s Strategic Plan for Equity. This plan was developed in collaboration with a team of 21 stakeholders, which included administrators, teachers, family members, current and former students. It outlines differences in student outcomes in areas such as attendance, suspensions, and participation in AP/college-credit courses.
- Resource: Niskayuna CSD Strategic Plan for Equity
- Audience(s): District staff, faculty, administration, and community members
DEI Strategic Plan (Auburn Enlarged CSD)
- Resource type: Auburn Enlarged CSD Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Strategic Plan 2024-2025
- Audience(s): Stakeholders
DEI Board Policy and Presentation (Eastern Suffolk BOCES)
- Resource: Eastern Suffolk BOCES Policy 5124 Equity, Inclusivity, and Diversity in Education
- Resource: Eastern Suffolk BOCES Policy 5124 Board Report
- Audience(s): Board of Education, Stakeholders
2023 DEI Plan (Erie 2 Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES)
- About the Resource:
- Resource: Erie 2 Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES 2023 DEI Plan
- Audience(s): Stakeholders
DEI Policy (Delaware Academy CSD at Delhi)
- Resource: Delaware Academy CSD at Delhi DEI Policy
- Audience(s): Stakeholders
DEI Policy (Highland CSD)
- Resource: Highland CSD Board of Education DEI Policy
- Audience(s): Internal
DEI Policy (Southern Westchester BOCES)
- Resource: Southern Westchester BOCES DEI Policy
- Audience(s): Stakeholders
Strategic Plan for Equity Executive Summary (Gates Chili CSD)
- Resource: Gates Chili CSD Strategic Plan for Equity Executive Summary
- Audience(s): Stakeholders
DEI Policy (Corning City SD)
- Resource: Corning City SD DEI Policy
- Audience(s): Community
DEI Policy (Elmira City SD)
- Resource: Elmira City SD DEI Policy
- Audience(s): Stakeholders, BOE
Board Policy: Anti-Racism (Kingston City SD)
- Resource: Kingston City SD Board Policy 77: Anti-Racism
- Audience(s): Board of Education, Administration
ISS Leadership Team Equity Plan (Cattaraugus-Allegany-Erie-Wyoming BOCES)
- About the Resource: This plan may be helpful for other schools to see how we’ve planned our approach to developing our internal cultural proficiency, with a high focus on data for improvement.
- Resource: Cattaraugus-Allegany-Erie-Wyoming BOCES/Instructional Support Services Equity Action Plan
- Audience(s): Staff
DEI Policy (Chester UFSD)
- Resource: Chester UFSD DEI Policy
- Audience(s): Internal
About the Exchange
What is the Culturally Responsive Learning Exchange?
The Culturally Responsive Learning Exchange is the state’s educator-to-educator resource-sharing network to support Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education, Portrait of a Graduate competencies, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives such as student belonging, inclusive instructional excellence, family and community engagement, and college, career and civic readiness.
How are materials selected for the Exchange?
All materials in the Exchange are submitted by educators from around the state. Each submission is reviewed by Tangible Development to ensure the resources are in alignment with the Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Framework.
Who is responsible for the Exchange?
This initiative is led by the BOCES of New York State in partnership with the diversity, equity, and inclusion consulting firm Tangible Development, and the State Education Department.
This work is grounded in the Culturally Responsive-Sustaining (CR-S) Education Framework developed by the New York State Education Department, in collaboration with a panel of experts and input from stakeholders.
About Tangible Development
Tangible Development, a diversity, equity, and inclusion consulting firm headquartered in Latham, NY, brings global insight and over 50 years of combined experience developing tangible outcomes for clients advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work. Using a blend of scholarship as researchers and practical, hands-on experience as educators and administrators, the Tangible Development team brings a research-informed approach to this work.
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