Equity in Schools:Moving Toward Deep Levels of

Change

JoEtta Gonzales, DirectorThe Equity Alliance at ASU

February 15, 2011

Why Shift Toward Culturally Responsive

Policy & Practice?

Explanations for Achievement Disparities

Linguistic Difference

s

Cultural Differenc

es

Societal Racism

Inferior Education

Rationales for

Schooling

Au, 1998

From a Deficit Based Model to an Assets Based Model

Early interventio

n in the primary

language can

prevent disabilities

Primary language and culture are strengths to

be build upon

Students not succeeding in school need high quality instruction

Students who are

differently labeled and/or

culturally and

linguistically different should be educated

in an inclusive

environment.

All Children

Can Learn

Socio-Historical Context

Culture is not inherited; rather we

are socialized to behave according

to traditions established over

generations

The cultures of schools may or may not be in harmony

with the culture each student brings

to school

Schools greatly influence how

young people see themselves and

therefore need to understand and

validate their backgrounds

How do the Professional Learning opportunities that your district supports attend to culturally responsive pedagogy?

Equity Pedagogy

School Culture

Knowledge Construction

Prejudice Reduction

Content Integration

ARIZONA

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 20060

0.5

1

1.5

ELL Placement Risk in Special Education

(Artiles, et al., 2010)

Rela

tive R

isk

Rati

o

ARIZONA

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4

Learning Disabilities Mild Mental Retardation

ELL Placement Risk by Disability(Artiles, et al., 2010)

ARIZONA

19992000

20012002

20032004

2005

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Learning Disabilities Mild Mental Retardation

Percent of Districts with ELL Overrepresentation by Disability

(Artiles, et al., 2010)

Evidence: ELLs in Special Education

The magnitude of the problem changes depending on the level of analysis.

Increasing numbers of ELLs are being placed in special education (e.g., LD in Arizona, MR in California).

A considerable proportion of school districts have ELL overrepresentation.

School poverty level matters, since it had complex associations with ELL placement risk.

What do we know about change?

The Equity Alliance at ASU’s Framework for Approaching and Assessing Systemic Change

Equitable Resource Development & Distribution

The ways new teachers get assigned to schools, grade levels and/or content areas

How buildings and grounds are renewed across the district

How class sizes are distributed

The ways in which schools get equipped with furniture and technology?

Educational Equity: District Level

Local school councilsTeam and committee structuresBuilding Leadership TeamsDecision makingShared VisionContinuous Improvement

Cycles

Shared Governance and Leadership for Equity

Educational Equity: District Level

Culture of Renewal & Improvement

How reform initiatives are selectedYour district’s process for choosing professional learning topics and activitiesThe opportunities your district provides for mentoring or coaching How often and how the district develops and reviews an improvement plan

Educational Equity: District Level

District/Community Participation and

PartnershipsThe ways your district connects with families in your community

What community centers and houses of worship your district collaborates with around after-school programs

How the district ensures that family/community events are distributed by day of week and time of day

Educational Equity: District Level

Design and Use of Time and Space

 

How schools’ appearances differHow school schedules and calendars maximize learning timeWhere students’ classrooms are locatedThe structures supported for Professional Learning

Educational Equity: District Level

The forms of inquiry used to think about student dataOther forms of data that drive dialogue and decision makingHow educators are engaged in researching their own and others’ practiceThe cycles for continuous improvement

Inquiry for Equity in Education

Educational Equity: District Level

Tools for Learning

Resources to Guide Professional Learning

Opportunities to Network ~ Learn ~ Collaborate

Culturally Responsive Leadership Certification Training

Ready to Use and Customize -Professional Learning Modules

Equity exists, in part, to the degree that all

students feel they belong, are included, and are

empowered.