Inclusion
Belonging By Design
At EBIA, inclusion means building a middle school where students with different identities, cultures, languages, strengths, learning profiles, interests, and experiences can participate meaningfully. Every student should have access to rigorous learning and opportunities to be known for what they contribute.
Belonging Starts With Relationships
Because EBIA serves only grades 6-8, students are known across classrooms, advisory, programs, athletics, and support teams. Teachers, advisors, education specialists, culture and climate staff, school leaders, coaches, and afterschool staff share responsibility for helping students succeed.
Advisory For All Three Years
Advisory is the backbone of the EBIA community. Students remain with the same advisory group and advisor throughout their three years at EBIA, creating a long-term relationship with an adult who knows their goals, strengths, patterns, and growth.
Advisory includes check-ins, organization, goal-setting, community circles, reflection, self-advocacy, identity work, and social-emotional learning. Experiences such as Oakland-based Be the Change help students examine identity, empathy, leadership, community, decision-making, and social responsibility. These experiences support students in becoming stronger critical thinkers and community members.
Each quarter, students lead conferences with their families. They share positives, explain goals, identify areas for growth, and reflect on their progress. Students are expected to speak about their own learning rather than have adults speak around them.
The advisory journey culminates in eighth grade with a reflection project focused on how each student has grown academically, personally, and as a member of the EBIA community.
Academic Support
Targeted intervention and enrichment are built into the school day. For details on the twice-weekly block, IXL, and flexible grouping, visit Academics.
Special Education
Education specialists collaborate with general-education teachers, students, families, school leaders, and related-service providers. Their shared goal is to help students with IEPs access instruction and make progress toward individualized goals. Depending on the IEP, support may include specialized academic instruction, push-in or small-group support, case management, accommodations, progress monitoring, and coordination of related services.
Multilingual Learners
Students developing English receive support accessing grade-level content while strengthening academic language. Reading, writing, speaking, and listening are developed across subjects. Language development is connected to the same meaningful texts, problems, investigations, and projects students encounter throughout the academic program.
Culture + Climate
EBIA has dedicated staff focused on restorative justice + discipline, culture, relationships, accountability, and student support. Proactive check-ins and restorative conversations help students understand the impact of their choices. Reflection, family communication, and re-entry planning support students in repairing relationships and reconnecting successfully to learning.
When A Student Needs More
A concern may be academic, social, emotional, behavioral, or attendance-related. Grade-level and student-support teams review relevant information and communicate with families. They can identify a plan, assign an adult lead, monitor progress, and move into more formal SST, MTSS, or special education processes when appropriate.
Diversity As Part Of Learning
Our mission begins with preparing a diverse group of students. That diversity strengthens the learning experience. Students practice listening, perspective-taking, self-advocacy, respectful disagreement, collaboration, and communication across differences. These are essential skills for thoughtful citizens, leaders, and innovators in an evolving world.
Known. Challenged. Supported. Included.
Belonging by Design means students should be able to name adults who know them, support they can access, places where they contribute, and opportunities where their strengths are visible.