As part of the 35-organization, statewide, California Reducing Disparities Project (CRDP), Gender Spectrum has been implementing and evaluating a school intervention to train school employees since 2016, with the goal of promoting gender inclusive practices in schools throughout the state. Surveys from adults who have participated in the training demonstrate that the intervention has been an impactful, positive experience for those adults. However, due to challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic, Gender Spectrum has not yet been able to understand student perspectives on the impact of their trainings.
Facente Consulting is helping Gender Spectrum gain insights into student perspectives on the intervention by implementing focus groups with transgender, non-binary, and gender expansive youth at three schools that have received training. In addition, Facente Consulting is conducting focus groups with adults at those same schools to paint a clearer picture of how student perceptions (understood through focus groups) and adult perceptions (understood through focus groups and survey data) fit together in understanding the intervention’s impact. Ultimately, results will both describe the impact of Gender Spectrum’s school trainings and identify opportunities to improve the intervention in the future.