Equitable Student Outcomes Research Articles

Beyond active learning: Using 3-Dimensional learning to create scientifically authentic, student-centered classrooms.

In recent years, much of the emphasis for transformation of introductory STEM courses has focused on "active learning", and while this approach has been shown to produce more equitable outcomes for students, the construct of "active learning" is somewhat ill-defined and is often used as a "catch-all" that can encompass a wide range of pedagogical techniques. Here we present an alternative approach for how to think about the transformation of STEM courses that focuses instead on what students should know and what they can do with that knowledge. This approach, known as three-dimensional learning (3DL), emerged from the National Academy's "A Framework for K-12 Science Education", which describes a vision for science education that centers the role of constructing productive causal accounts for phenomena. Over the past 10 years, we have collected data from introductory biology, chemistry, and physics courses to assess the impact of such a transformation on higher education courses. Here we report on an analysis of video data of class sessions that allows us to characterize these sessions as active, 3D, neither, or both 3D and active. We find that 3D classes are likely to also involve student engagement (i.e. be active), but the reverse is not necessarily true. That is, focusing on transformations involving 3DL also tends to increase student engagement, whereas focusing solely on student engagement might result in courses where students are engaged in activities that do not involve meaningful engagement with core ideas of the discipline.

Culturally Responsive Middle Leadership for Equitable Student Outcomes

Middle leaders are important conduits for school policy and are often required to lead, champion and monitor change initiatives in their departments. This paper examines secondary school middle leaders’ self-reported theories, promotion and leadership of culturally responsive teaching approaches for student equity. The study participants (n = 170) are curriculum leaders in state secondary schools throughout New Zealand, serving a range of diverse populations, including Indigenous Māori students. The quantitative and qualitative data for this project were thematically analysed to inquire into middle leaders’ articulation of their culturally responsive theories, practices, and pedagogical and curriculum leadership to assist members of their departments in supporting Māori student educational success. The study found that although middle leaders could clearly articulate culturally responsive, sustaining and revitalising pedagogies and leadership in alignment with government policies and expectations, they were less clear about the measures they used to evidence these practices. In addition, less than 30% of the middle leader participants mentioned academic achievement as an element of Māori student success, and few mentioned the importance of systematic monitoring of achievement data, or using them to support better learning outcomes for Māori students (184).

Centering Latinx students in STEM education research through pláticas methodology

Pláticas methodology is introduced in this article to advance the centering of Latinx researchers and Latinx students in STEM research. As an increase in Latinx educational researchers enter academia, engaging an appropriate epistemology and methodology that is culturally relevant and race-centered is key in the ongoing STEM education research which aims to diversify and create equitable outcomes for Students of Color. This article draws from a study with 24 Latinx STEM students and 48 pláticas. An overview of pláticas methodology, Chicana/Latina Feminist Epistemology, along with an examination of the principles of pláticas methodology in STEM education. This article is timely as the Latinx student population and Hispanic-Serving Institutions are growing in higher education. This article places emphasizes reframing methodology to provide a culturally relevant and holistic methodology to engage Latinx Students and advance STEM education research focusing on Latinx students.

Understanding the Work of Professional Learning Communities for English Language Learner Teachers: Possibilities and Limitations From Two Urban High Schools

The collaboration and learning of high school English language learner (ELL) teachers is an overlooked aspect of policy and research regarding the opportunities and outcomes of emergent bilingual (EB) students. In order to better understand the work of ELL teachers, this study examined their participation in an important setting: the professional learning community (PLC), a space with potential for promoting more equitable student outcomes. Analysis of ELL teachers’ participation in PLCs at two urban high schools, and the topics addressed in PLC meetings, provides implications for teacher and student learning, and reinforces the significance of ELL teacher expertise.

In Search of Institutional Servingness: Institutional Characteristics and Outcomes of Minority-Serving Institutions

Minority-serving institutions (MSIs) are considered models of excellence to support underrepresented racial and ethnic students; however, multiple definitions of MSIs complicate the consumption and production of research on these critical institutions. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) uses set criteria to define MSIs, based primarily on enrollment. However, scholars and practitioners have argued for considering factors beyond enrollment, such as equitable student outcomes and institutional markers of a serving culture. This study used descriptive analyses of IPEDS data to explore the extent to which MSIs served their target population. We use national weighted averages to report results on each MSI category compared to all other institutions. We found that MSIs enrolled higher percentages of MSI-aligned students and employed more-significant percentages of MSI-aligned instructional staff. Most MSIs generally retained higher percentages of MSI-aligned students. Most MSIs showed higher completion proportions, though nearly all MSI categories had lower graduation rates among MSI-aligned students. Some MSIs provided institutional aid to higher proportions of students; others provided lower proportions. Findings confirm that enrollment alone cannot be a proxy for servingness. We encourage researchers, practitioners, and government agencies to use more-holistic definitions. We make recommendations for government agencies to remove burdens to researching MSIs.

Investigating science teacher educator identity through the politics of domestication and critical positional praxis

AbstractThe focus on identity in the field of teaching and learning continues to grow, especially when it concerns equitable outcomes for students. While most attention is placed on students' identities and increasingly those of teachers, lesser addressed are the identities of the teacher educators and researchers broaching the issue of identity. Additionally, identity research is not often linked to relationships between self, others, and transformative action. We recognize these as gaps to be addressed and offer critical positional praxis (CPP) as a response. CPP is the public manifestation of the insights gained through our sense of identity and reflexivity. More specifically, CPP is the actions (or inactions) that express who we are in response to an event in any given social context—especially oppressive ones. In this article, we draw from our own critical autoethnographies, as a context for putting CPP into practice in identity research. Our collective analysis of these critical autoethnographies revealed how our identity development was inseparable from the ways in which we have each resisted the politics of domestication. Our autoethnographies further point to the role of dissent as central to our experiences of becoming critical science teacher educators committed to equity, diversity, and anti‐racism in education. We draw from this analysis to offer recommendations for how identity and positionality can move beyond theoretical constructs toward transformative personal and collective change in science education.

Lifting the quality and effectiveness of mathematics education provision in English-medium schools in Aotearoa New Zealand

Mathematics education in English-medium schools in Aotearoa New Zealand currently reproduces inequity. There is widespread concern about overall levels of student achievement and who participates and who succeeds. Rapid, and accelerating, social and technological change impacts what students need to know in mathematics and statistics and increases its significance. There are fundamental debates about how mathematics education should respond to inequity and rapid change. Content and pedagogy are both contested spaces. Research in mathematics education tends to exacerbate rather than resolve this contestation. In this cacophony it is hard to hear marginalised voices and yet these groups are the most impacted by current practices. Mathematics education is entwined with other curriculum areas and has far-reaching consequences; therefore, policy has to treat improving system performance as a complex problem requiring intervention at multiple levels to achieve equitable outcomes for students.

Classroom Equity Data Inquiry for Racial Equity

ABSTRACT Longstanding inequities exist in community colleges across the United States. To address these inequities, California Community Colleges educators have engaged in a variety of practices including the writing of equity plans and participation in equity data inquiry. However, there is an urgent need for greater focus on racial equity and for more faculty involvement in equity work at the classroom level. This paper presents a teacher case study exploring Classroom Equity Data Inquiry (CEDI), a tool for faculty professional learning focused on equitable student outcomes. In CEDI, professors examine their disaggregated classroom data, reflect on their class equity gaps, and pursue relevant professional development. They implement targeted interventions and then assess those interventions. This paper describes the author’s sustained CEDI utilizing six years of equity data in her English as a Second Language classes at a small northern California community college. First, it provides a definition and rationale for CEDI. Second, it details the author’s CEDI process and challenges. Third, it shares the author’s changes in thinking and practice including high impact interventions the author implemented to reduce equity gaps for men of color in her classes. Fourth, the article describes positive qualitative student data and increased success and retention rates for Hispanic and multi-race males following the interventions. The article concludes that CEDI requires training, support, and time, but that the approach merits further research. More research is needed on CEDI methods and their possible impact on racial equity in the classroom.

Student-Principal Racial/Ethnic Match, Geographic Locale, and Student Disciplinary Outcomes

In-school suspensions represent one of the most frequently employed components of school exclusionary discipline systems, and they are also largely left up to the discretion of principals. The purpose of this study is to investigate in-school suspension disparities across student racial/ethnic groups, with a focus on differences between school geographic locales. We also examine the extent to which student to leader racial/ethnic matching is associated with the attenuation of in-school suspension outcomes for students of color. Drawing on state wide administrative data from Texas, representing over 24 million unique student-year observations, we use descriptive statistics and regression modeling to understand the relationship between student race/ethnicity and in-school suspension outcomes. The findings represent evidence of persistent in-school suspension disparities, specifically for Black students in non-urban school locales. Our findings also demonstrate a small but meaningful reduction in the likelihood of in-school suspension for a Black student in an urban school with a Black leader. We conclude with implications for educational leadership and policy, including a discussion of school leader hiring practices, culturally relevant school leadership, and the structuring of school disciplinary policies towards more equitable student outcomes.

What’s Next After a D/F/W Grade? Community College Students’ Online Course-Taking and Reenrollment Outcomes

ABSTRACT Community college students’ success in required gateway courses plays a key role in their academic progress toward credential completion. Focusing on students who earned a D, F, or W grade in their first attempt at a required gateway course, this study investigated if students’ initial attempt course modality is related to their later choice to reenroll, reenrollment modality, and success in the subsequent attempt. We followed 2,673 first course attempts with a D/F/W grade in either an online or a face-to-face section of five gateway general education courses between Fall 2017 and Fall 2019 terms at a large, suburban, Midwestern community college. We conduct analyses using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression analyses and find that student stop-out or dropout is prevalent after they earn a D/F/W grade. Additionally, students’ first-attempt modality is not related to their probability of reenrollment or passing the second attempt with a C or better grade, but first-attempt being F2F is associated with an increased likelihood of reenrolling in a F2F section in their second attempt by 166.8%. Students’ sociodemographic and enrollment characteristics are related to their reenrollment decisions and outcomes after earning a D/F/W in their first-attempt at the gateway course. We discuss practical implications to raise awareness on post-D/F/W reenrollment decisions, provide targeted support to reengage students, and increase online teaching effectiveness to improve equitable student outcomes.

A Teacher Self-Assessment of Culturally Relevant Practice to Inform Educator Professional Development Decisions in MTSS Contexts

When students require support to improve outcomes in a variety of domains, educators provide youth with school-based intervention. When educators require support to improve their professional practice, school leaders and support personnel (e.g., school psychologists) provide teachers with professional development (PD), consultation, and coaching. This multi-study article describes how the Assessment of Culturally and Contextually Relevant Supports (ACCReS) was developed with the purpose of assessment driving intervention for teachers in need of support to engage in culturally responsive practice. Items for the ACCReS were created via a multi-step process including review by both expert and practitioner panels. Then, results of an exploratory factor analysis with a national sample of U.S. teachers ( N = 500) in Study 1 yielded three subscales. A confirmatory factor analysis conducted with a separate sample of teachers ( N = 400) in Study 2 produced adequate model fit. In Study 3, analyses with another final sample of teachers ( N = 99) indicated preliminary evidence of convergent validity between the ACCReS and two measures of teacher self-efficacy of culturally responsive practice. Data from the ACCReS can shape the content of educator intervention (e.g., PD) and promote more equitable student outcomes for youth.

Institutional Partnerships for Transfer Student Success: An Examination of Catalysts and Barriers to Collaboration

Objective: Strong institutional partnerships are critical to the transfer process for students because they can help ease navigation from one college to the next. This research seeks to better understand the nature of high-performing transfer partnerships, and the factors that can either promote or hinder their development. Methods: Drawing upon qualitative data from a larger mixed methods study, we visited seven institutional pairs of community college (sending) and baccalaureate-granting (receiving) institutions and interviewed 170 administrators, staff, and faculty. Data were analyzed using perspectives on educational collaborations and the forces that can impact organizational change efforts. Results: Our findings highlight factors that influence the development, growth, or continuation of transfer partnerships. We propose a framework that can be used to analyze transfer partnerships based on institutional culture, practices, and policies. Contributions: This research extends the work on transfer partnerships by providing a comprehensive picture of the organizational forces that impact their change over time. We also offer suggestions for how these findings can be used to develop or enhance transfer partnerships that can move institutions toward more equitable student outcomes.

Reaching back to reach forward: Using culturally responsive frameworks to enhance critical action amongst educators

In this paper, I draw upon salient literature and collective discussions to map a conceptual framework that focuses on foundational understandings and practices needed to prepare majority white preservice teachers for educating the nation’s increasingly diverse student population. The presentation of framework in this piece reflects enhancements through the consideration of language choice and my individual application of Freire and Carlson et al.’s work. I introduce this topic with a brief explanation of culturally responsive practice and its importance in grounding the teaching profession in a concept and exercise to increase equitable outcomes for all students. Secondly, I provide a brief review of the foundational literature considered in mapping the conceptual framework as well as a rationale for the development of the proposed framework. I also employ Freire’s scholarship of consciousness and Carlson et al.’s extension on reflection to underscore the necessity of these abilities in ensuring equitable learning experiences and outcomes for students. Finally, I explore the notion and practice of othering and implications for the design’s use.

Exploring How Secondary STEM Teachers and Undergraduate Mentors Adapt Digital Technologies to Promote Culturally Relevant Education during COVID-19

The COVID-19 global pandemic presented unprecedented challenges to K-16 educators, including the closing of educational agencies and the abrupt transition to online teaching and learning. Educators sought to adapt in-person learning activities to teach in remote and hybrid online settings. This study explores how a partnership between middle and high school teachers in an urban school district and undergraduate STEM mentors of color leveraged digital tools and collaborative pedagogies to teach science, technology, and engineering during a global pandemic. We used a qualitative multi-case study to describe three cases of teachers and undergraduate mentors. We then offer a cross-case analysis to interpret the diverse ways in which partners used technologies, pedagogy, and content to promote equitable outcomes for students, both in remote and hybrid settings. We found that the partnership and technologies led to rigorous and connected learning for students. Teachers and undergraduates carefully scaffolded technology use and content applications while providing ongoing opportunities for students to receive feedback and reflect on their learning. Findings provide implications for community partnerships and digital tools to promote collaborative and culturally relevant STEM learning opportunities in the post-pandemic era.

Rethinking community colleges to serve 21st‐century students and communities: Lessons from research on guided pathways

AbstractIn this article, researchers from the Community College Research Center reflect on what they have learned from their study of Guided Pathways reforms at over 100 colleges nationally since the publication in 2015 of Redesigning America's Community Colleges. They examine five areas of practice: (1) program design, (2) new student onboarding, (3) remediation and academic support, (4) ongoing student advising, and (5) teaching and learning. For each area, they describe how their thinking about Guided Pathways has evolved from the model presented in Redesigning and discuss the implications for practice. In the conclusion, they provide guidance to college and state system leaders about how to advocate for adequate state fiscal support for evidence‐based reforms needed for achieving more equitable student outcomes and ensuring college survival in a very challenging environment for community colleges and their students.

Confronting the traditional system: a qualitative study on the challenges to school based restorative practices policy implementation

ABSTRACT With the abundance of research that has come to fruition in recent years about the school to prison pipeline and rampant disproportionality of exclusionary discipline, the United States is starting to see a shift to a school-based restorative practices approach. Because of the nascent nature of this framework, research is far behind practice in schools, and knowledge about barriers to implementation is limited. This qualitative research study used purposive sampling and semi-structured interviews to review the experiences of 12 education professionals in San Diego County involved with restorative practice implementation. Participants believe an absence of administrative buy-in and a lack of resources prevent restorative practices from being executed with efficacy. Participants also stated that the resistance to change and the drastic change in culture, as well as societal factors, challenged restorative practices implementation. Findings suggest that restorative practices should be prioritized with intentionality by all levels of the public education system for more effective implementation in schools and more equitable outcomes for students.

Promising pathways from school restorative practices to educational equity

ABSTRACT Research in school discipline suggests that punitive and exclusionary sanctions have adverse effects on students and are disproportionately administered to students of color and low-income students. School-based restorative justice practices have recently gained attention as an alternative disciplinary approach that emphasizes the reparation of harm and reconciliation among students involved in conflict. These non-exclusionary practices have been increasingly considered as strategies to alleviate racial/ethnic disparities in discipline and academic achievement, particularly between Black and Latinx students and their White counterparts. In the current paper, we emphasize the unique potential of RP to achieve educational equity and discuss specific pathways by which RP implementation may lead to more equitable student outcomes, highlighting the importance of reduced reliance on exclusion, improved teacher–student relationships, and improved shame management.

Leadership for professional learning towards educational equity: a systematic literature review

ABSTRACT This systematic review of recent research explored the uncharted intersection of literature on educational leadership, professional learning, and educational equity. It investigated leadership approaches to shaping the professional development and ongoing learning of educators which supports more equitable outcomes for students. The underlying motivation for the work is our concern for the educational experiences and achievements of marginalised students, and for professional learning to address these inequalities. Guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Statement, and iterative selection of literature based on relevance and quality judged by the weight of evidence assessments, we identified 41 empirical items for detailed analysis. The outcome was five themes: Critical framing of social justice issues; Dialogue and enquiry; Learning and identity development; Context, resources, and motivations; Normalising inclusion and shared leadership. A further six articles informed a conceptual framework linking professional learning and outcomes that developed existing models. Critique of linear conceptualisations of learning, and affinity with the values and philosophy of the process model of education championed by Lawrence Stenhouse, prompted proposing the themes as nascent principles. These require further research, yet they have immediate practical utility for educational leaders and teachers working in pursuit of educational equity.

Social Capital in Schools: A Conceptual and Empirical Analysis of the Equity of Its Distribution and Relation to Academic Achievement

Background Schools face pressure to promote equitable student outcomes as the achievement gap continues to persist. The authors examine different ways in which social capital has been conceptualized as well as prior theory and research on its formation and consequences. While some theoretical and empirical work conceptualizes social capital as a mechanism for prosocial outcomes, other scholars address it as an apparatus of social status. Purpose This study was conducted to advance knowledge about (a) the validity of measuring social capital as an organizational construct, (b) the equity of social capital distribution in schools, and (c) the relationship between school social capital and academic achievement. Research Design In this paper, the authors examine these possibilities using data collected from 96 Midwestern high schools. Confirmatory factor analysis, hierarchical linear modeling, and structural equation modeling were employed to depict the relationships among social capital, socioeconomic status, and academic achievement in schools. Findings/Results The authors found that variance in social capital was significantly related to school membership and that confirmatory factor analysis supported the construction of a school social capital measure. Moreover, more than half of the variance in social capital is unrelated to social class, and social capital is a positive predictor of academic achievement. Conclusions/Recommendations Because of its positive relation to achievement, investments in the development of social capital may be worthwhile. Interventions designed to develop social capital in schools should be guided by efforts to strengthen access to school-based resources in poor and low achieving schools.

Bernstein in the urban classroom: a case study

Despite a long-standing concern within the sociology of education for ameliorating educational inequality, the challenge of improving educational opportunities for disadvantaged students remains deeply entrenched. While ‘macro’ issues such as segregation and systemic inequalities in school funding and access to qualified teachers must be addressed as matters of social and educational justice, Basil Bernstein's novel focus on ‘relations within’ education as the site of pedagogic discourse offers teachers and those working inside school systems a particularly powerful vision for promoting more equitable outcomes for students. This paper examines this assertion through a case study of the ‘mixed’ pedagogical practice of a successful teacher in a fifth-grade urban classroom in the United States.