Equity Audit FAQ

Monomoy Regional School District is committed to elevating all students to achieve their full potential. To help support that effort, the school district will undertake an equity audit in which school district data as well as input from students, teachers, and parents/guardians is reviewed and analyzed to identify any possible disparities in student success and/or barriers to access. 

The Mid-Atlantic Equity Consortium (MAEC) will partner with Monomoy for the equity audit. MAEC was founded in 1992 as an education nonprofit dedicated to increasing access to high-quality education for culturally, linguistically, and economically diverse learners. A program of MAEC, the Center for Education Equity (CEE), will conduct the equity needs assessment in partnership with the American Institutes for Research (AIR). CEE works to improve and sustain the systemic capacity of public education to increase outcomes for students regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, language, ability, national origin, and socioeconomic status. CEE is funded by the US Department of Education under Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Our Strategic Plan and our Portrait of a Graduate lay out important goals for our students, and include a focus on each student being positioned for success. As part of implementing the Strategic Plan and Portrait of a Graduate, it’s important to understand if there are any barriers to student growth and success. The equity audit will help us learn that information.

The equity audit is divided into three data-gathering stages: 

1. Data Analysis: MAEC gathers data from Monomoy Regional School District, including quantitative metrics such as graduation rates, test scores, attendance, retention, disciplinary actions, school climate data, and more.
2. School Teams Self-Assessment: School Teams use the MAEC Equity Audit Tool to gather specific data for each school. These teams consist of a diverse group of staff members, parents and caregivers, and community members. They collaborate to answer questions about the school on MAEC’s Equity Audit Tool, which will create a snapshot of each school for MAEC’s analysis.
3. Surveys: Monomoy students in Grades 4–12, families, and staff will have an opportunity to share feedback via surveys. These surveys take a close look at how well students are doing, how they're disciplined, and the overall school atmosphere. This feedback can help determine where things are going well and where there's room for improvement. 

The Data Analysis, Surveys, and Equity Audit Tool consensus review are now slated to happen in September 2025. Findings and results will ideally be available in late 2025.

Students in grades 4 through 12 will take a survey in class at the start of the school day on September 19, 2025. There are three versions of the student survey, tailored to age groups: Grade 4, Grade 5-7, and Grade 8-12. 

The student surveys:

• will be taken online using their school-assigned Chromebooks.
• are anonymous. The results will be associated with the student’s school but not with a particular classroom or teacher.
• will take an estimated 15 minutes to complete.
• are multiple choice questions. This is not a test, and there are no “right answers.”
• are designed to gather students’ opinions about their experiences in school, related to three major areas: academic expectations; safety and relationships; and attitude and culture.
• students may skip or decline to answer any question on the survey.
• students will be asked several demographic questions, including their gender, race/ethnicity, and home language(s). These questions are also optional.
• parents/caregivers who do not want their child to participate in the survey may complete an opt-out form. Students who are not taking the survey will be given an in-class activity during that time.

All parents and caregivers have the option to complete a student opt-out form if they do not wish for their students to take the survey. Any student not taking the survey will be provided with an alternative, age-appropriate activity.

The parent/caregiver survey will be shared with all Monomoy families via email on September 15, 2025. The online survey can be completed on a computer, tablet, or smartphone. If any parent/caregiver does not have the access needed in order to complete the survey, a paper copy can be provided upon request. The parent/caregiver survey will close September 26, 2025.

Yes, translated versions of the parent/caregiver survey will be available.

The staff survey will be shared with all Monomoy staff via email on September 15, 2025. The online survey can be completed on a computer, tablet, or smartphone. If any staff member does not have the access needed in order to complete the survey, a device or a paper copy can be provided upon request. The staff survey will close September 26, 2025.

Yes, the surveys are completely anonymous. No names or identifying information for students, staff, or families will be collected. Participants will be asked to provide their school and optional demographic information.

The data collected through the surveys will be reported to MRSD in aggregate form only. This means that individual responses will not be identifiable, and the information will be compiled into overall trends and patterns. MAEC will provide MRSD with a comprehensive report that highlights key findings from the survey, ensuring that student, family, and staff privacy is maintained throughout the process.

No. MRSD will not have direct access to the raw data. MAEC will handle all data collected, ensuring that it is anonymized and aggregated before any findings are shared with the district. This approach is designed to protect the privacy of individual respondents while still allowing MRSD to benefit from the insights gained through the survey.

The surveys will take approximately 15 minutes to complete.

A presentation of findings will be provided to the Superintendent, the MRSD Diversity Council, the MRSD School Committee, school staff, and families and community members, in that order. 

MAEC will present preliminary findings, which will be reviewed and discussed by district leaders and school-based teams.

MAEC will facilitate a comprehensive presentation to the Monomoy Regional School Committee, including data, insights, and recommendations.

The final results will be presented in an online dashboard.

School-based teams will then create plans to address barriers and implement those plans, and MAEC will provide ongoing support and adjustments for the next year, as funding allows.

The current project timeline will have the results presented in late  2025.