Equity In Schools Research Articles

Planting the Seeds of Culturally Responsive, Equity-Centered, and Trauma-Informed Attitudes Among Urban Educators

This qualitative study explored the influence of implementing a virtual culturally responsive and equity-centered trauma-informed professional development series with seven urban educators in the U.S. The study's findings suggest that a culturally responsive, equity-centered trauma-informed professional development series can enrich educators’ knowledge and awareness regarding racial trauma. Furthermore, the series has the potential to improve interpersonal interactions between teachers and students and increase student engagement. Lastly, the professional development series can help prepare educators to become confident and assertive social change agents advocating for racial equity in schools. Implications are provided for practice, research, and policy.

Review of Improvement Science: Promoting equity in schools

Review of Improvement Science: Promoting equity in schools

URBAN–RURAL DIFFERENCES IN PRIMARY SCHOOL RESOURCES IN CHINA: A CASE STUDY OF YUNCHENG COUNTY

Resources in primary schools can be classified into three types: campus, teaching, and community resources. Urban–rural differences in the resources of Chinese county schools, which are triggered by population migration and residents’ preference for high-quality schools, are a common phenomenon emerging in the context of rapid urbanization. Despite the negative effects of these resource differences on social sustainability and the increasing need to comprehensively analyze urban–rural differences in school resources, to date there has not been an effective analytical framework for resolving these issues. To address this research gap, this study develops a method using the entropy-based Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), spatial analysis, and statistical analysis for assessing resource equity in primary schools by means of the relative proximities of resources. The resource differences between urban and rural primary schools are quantitatively investigated through taking Yuncheng County as a case study. The urban–rural differences in the three types of resources are discovered and presented according to geographical location. The research findings make contributions to understanding the unbalanced distribution of school resources, promoting equity in education, and improving the social sustainability of counties. Additionally, the analytical framework has the potential to be extended to analyzing urban–rural resource differences in secondary or high schools.

Race-based Bullying Victimization and Adjustment Difficulties: Racial-Ethnic Differences in the Protective Role of School Equity

Race-based Bullying Victimization and Adjustment Difficulties: Racial-Ethnic Differences in the Protective Role of School Equity

Development and validation of a multi-domain survey assessing student experiences with school-based restorative practices implementation: community based participatory research at work for school equity

ABSTRACT The emerging research base on Restorative Practices (RP) efficacy in schools lacks validated instruments of RP implementation fidelity that capture youth responsiveness to RP components. Therefore, members of a University-District Community Based Participatory (CBPR) project collaboratively developed the Student Restorative Culture Survey (SRCS). This study seeks to examine the construct validity of the SRCS using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to test the theoretical foundations of the instrument. This study found evidence supporting the construct validity for the SRCS with a five-factor structure of RP Benefits, RP Quality, School Support, Repair Harm, and Feeling Left Out. Given that RP is rooted in an emancipatory paradigm, it is critical to ensure that implementation measures reflect contextual modifications and center student experiences.

The politics of school dress codes and uniform policies: Towards gender diversity and gender equity in schools

Propelled through 21st century social movements, public interest in masculinities, femininities and gender embodiment has intensified. In schools, despite anti-discriminatory legislation, misogyny, homophobia and transphobia persist, pointing to the need for inclusive policies and practices to support gender equity and diversity. Media reporting in Western countries has also raised concerns regarding the impact of school dress codes and uniform policies on student well-being and the regulation of gender identity and gender expression. Underpinned by queer, transgender and feminist perspectives, this paper takes an intersectional approach to investigate how school dress codes and uniforms sustain gender binaries, while eclipsing diverse gender and sexual identities. The discussion is inspired by third wave feminist scholarship, acknowledging that gender, sexuality and race intersect and overlap on an individual and structural level. Results present recommendations for disrupting discriminatory dress codes and uniforms in a broader discussion about school reform.

Equidade educacional e vulnerabilidade social nos territórios: os casos das redes municipais do Ceará e de Fortaleza

Abstract The present article is an analysis about the association between educational equity in municipal public primary schools, herein called PS, in Ceará State and in Fortaleza City (more than 70% of school enrollments), and social vulnerability in their territories, between 2011 and 2017. The Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) by Instituto de Pesquisa Econômica Aplicada (IPEA) [Applied Economics Research institute] was used in the study and schools were georeferenced. The concept of equity based on the poverty index model proposed by Foster, Greer and Thorbecke ( 1984) was operationalized in light of Crahay ( 2000) and Ribeiro ( 2014). Social markers, such as race/skin color, gender and economic class, were defined according to ‘Critério Brasil’ [Brazil Criterion]. All of them took into account students’ answers in questionnaires associated with ‘Prova Brasil’ [Brazil Test], and it allowed widening the sight over equity. It was possible concluding that equity was broadened in Ceará State, and that it has benefited social vulnerability zones in the territories, in a more remarkable way than in the Northeastern region and in Brazil. This trend also benefited traditionally disfavored social groups when social, gender and race/skin color markers were taken into account. Fortaleza shows signs of improved equity in high and low social vulnerability territories in comparison to the other Northeastern capitals.

Supplemental Material for Fostering School Equity: A Racial Socialization Approach to Creating an Equitable School Climate and Reducing Disciplinary Infractions

Supplemental Material for Fostering School Equity: A Racial Socialization Approach to Creating an Equitable School Climate and Reducing Disciplinary Infractions

DETERMINATION OF PASSING GRADE FOR EDUCATIONAL EQUALITY EXAM RESULTS IN PACKAGE C PROGRAM BASED ON PASSING COMPETENCY STANDAR

The background of this study is related to the complexity of canceling the 2020 UN implementation. However, it is said that graduates who graduate from the equivalent school unit/application through the easiest means have completed the study application during the COVID-19 pandemic as evidenced by means of playing card documents every semester, reaching the correct minimum attitude/behavior score and take the exam prepared through the school unit facilities. So that for now it no longer reaches the graduate competency standard (SKL). Meanwhile, the application of school equity (Package A, B, and C) is the flagship of non-formal schooling efforts to contribute to suppressing network problems that are hampered in gaining access to schools, drop outs and are constrained to enter the community. school offerings, especially competencies/lifestyle competencies, school offerings that remain complete and evolving through various packages on the network. Therefore, this discussion aims to provoke opportunities for answers to these problems through searching and finding product models for equality schools examining content material, especially based entirely on the competency requirements of graduates of package C applications at the school unit level. The concepts and theories used as references in this research consist of Community Education Concepts and Theories, school equity (Package A, B, and C), and academic tests mainly based on graduate competency requirements. This review uses the ADDIE type of study and development (R & D), this selection is mainly based entirely on the purpose of the study to provide a version of equivalence testing. The place of this research was carried out in PKBM bina Mandiri and Ash-shoddiq. The results of the experiment to create a product version of the equivalency school examination material are mainly based entirely on the competency requirements of the package C application graduates at the school unit level. For the future, this research can present a limitation in the assessment of equivalence education and provide an overview in the implementation of equivalence education.

Leading for equity: how principals experience professional learning

PurposeThis study examined how principals experienced professional learning that asked them to reflect on their own biases and beliefs, as well as to determine where there are systemic issues of inequity in their schools, and what they planned to do to address those challenges.Design/methodology/approachThrough interviews, observations, and documents, the authors explored the building and sustaining of equity mindsets in education.FindingsThe authors analysis led to four overarching themes that collectively answered the research questions about how the principals learned individually and in concert with each other. The themes included the power of the personal journey and commitment, the importance of building a network of support, the benefit of practice-oriented activities that disrupt power structures and inequitable practices in schools, and sustainability.Research limitations/implicationsThe study focused on a single institute and as such, findings are not generalizable, but may be transferable.Practical implicationsSchools and school districts may use the findings when designing professional learning, especially as it relates to leading with and for equity and in cross-district collaborations.Originality/valueThis contributes to the literature around concrete ways principals learn and reflect on enacting equity in schools.

Finnish comprehensive school principals’ descriptions of diversity in their school communities

ABSTRACT Changes in Finnish society have been rapid – from national homogeneity and unity to greater diversity. Traditionally, schools have represented an institution that has had an important role in maintaining national objectives. In this article, we examine how Finnish comprehensive school principals describe their understanding of diversity in their school communities. Supporting diversity in schools is part of the pursuit of equality, equity, and justice in school and society. Principals’ ways of conceptualizing diversity are crucial as they have a significant impact on school improvement, and school organization has a positive effect on teaching and learning. In qualitative analysis, the principals’ descriptions and reflections on diversity in their school communities formed a total of four thematic categories: Categorizations of diversity, Principal’s work, Visibility of diversity, and Attitudes and concerns. Finnish principals most often related diversity to visible and practical features. Their attitudes were mainly positive but reflected a somewhat shallow understanding of the concept.

Observation and the Art of Teaching

This article describes the author’s journey into the work of Patricia Carini and the descriptive processes developed at Prospect School and Center. The author begins with her first experiences learning to observe and describe children using Descriptive Review as a new teacher and graduate teacher education student. She goes on to discuss how this work and her experience as a Prospect Archives Practitioner Fellow followed her into her teaching practice with children and later into her work as a teacher educator. She examines both the personal and political implications this way of looking holds, and how it can be used as a tool for striving toward equity in schools.

“We Have No ‘Visibly’ Trans Students in Our School”: Educators’ Perspectives on Transgender-Affirmative Policies in Schools

Background/Context:In Ontario, and Canada more broadly, anti-discrimination on the basis of gender identity and gender expression is enshrined in the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which have required schools to address trans inclusion. However, the ways in which educators understand or enact these policies, and whether they are even aware of them, remain largely underexplored.Purpose/Research Question/Focus of Study:Our purpose was to learn more about educators’ awareness and understanding of trans-inclusive policies in schools and the extent to which such policies were informing practice.Participants:While this research is based on survey data comprising 1,194 respondents, this article examines comments provided about trans-affirmative policy from 463 educators.Research Design:This study involves large-scale survey research conducted on 1,194 educators in Ontario K–12 schools; the survey was disseminated via social media and educational affiliates. We draw primarily on the qualitative data component of the survey, where educators provided detailed comments about and insights into trans-inclusive policies. We employed a reflexive approach to coding and thematic analysis to identify key themes.Findings/Results:Although our quantitative data depicted a favorable assessment of support for trans-affirmative policies—94% of respondents found their school’s policy to be very or somewhat relevant—our findings highlight a discrepancy between policy and practice, and a lack of commitment to addressing cisgenderist, cisnormative, and cissexist systems. The themes that emerged from our coding and analysis of the qualitative data were: (1) educators’ understanding of policy as accommodation; (2) individualized approaches to trans inclusion; (3) lack of administrative support and intervention; (4) the gap between policy and practice; (5) transphobic and cissexist resistance to supporting gender diversity; (6) the need for trans-affirming and gender-expansive curriculum, and (7) the problem of generalized approaches to equity and acceptance of diversity. In addition, we discuss several educator comments that raise important questions about race and the need for intersectional approaches to addressing equity and trans inclusion in schools.Conclusions/Recommendations:We advocate for a paradigm shift with respect to the necessity of employing a trans epistemological framework that addresses the need for gender-expansive education which focuses on the harmful effects of cisgenderism, cisnormativity, and cissexism in the education system. Central to addressing gender justice and trans marginalization in schools for all students, we conclude, is the need for policy makers to ensure accountability and budgetary allocation for the provision of resources and professional development for educators in schools.

Advancing Salary Equity in Schools of Medicine in the United States.

Equity, in broad terms, is a critical issue and has been identified as an area that needs particular attention in academic medicine. Gender equity, as a subset of overall equity, has equally been shown to be lacking in academic medicine, and most medical schools and academic health systems are involved in substantive journeys to improve all dimensions of equity, diversity, and inclusion. This Invited Commentary calls for including gender-based salary equity as a foundational accomplishment for institutions seeking to achieve overall equity. In addition, the authors provide evidence and recommendations to guide institutions toward best practices in achieving salary equity. They propose 4 areas of consideration: (1) prioritization by leadership; (2) prioritization of resources to ensure success; (3) development of corrective action plans which are "automatic" and based on clear guidelines; and (4) transparency of methodology, data, and results.

Attainment grouping and equity in English schools

Attainment grouping and equity in English schools

Queer of Color Literacies as Subversive Reading Practice: How Queer Students of Color Subvert Power in the Classroom

ABSTRACT Queer of color literacies name the ways LGBTQ students of color read the world textually, particular to their intersecting minoritizations through race, gender, and sexuality. Queer of color literacies challenge which reading skills are deemed intellectually worthy of inquiry in schools. Rather than accept a subordinate and negated position to a white cisheteropatriarchal norm, queer of color literacies subvert schools’ normative values. Using critical autoethnography, I reread critical incidents from my classroom teaching through queer of color scholarship to reimagine how teachers might sustain their students’ queer of color literacy practices, which include reading through play, disidentification, and textual shadows. Achieving equity in schools requires moving beyond traditional measures of excellence by further grounding excellence in queer of color students’ subversive analytic practices and subcultural assets.

Anti-racism is not an initiative: How professional learning communities may advance equity and social-emotional learning in schools

ABSTRACT There is a sense of urgency among P-12 educators to dismantle systemic school-based racism and radically transform conditions for teaching and learning in ways that advance equity, social justice, and social-emotional learning (SEL). This transformation cannot be achieved through typical top-down, short-term approaches to school improvement or professional development. In this article we explain how, in an urban school district working to bring Digital Literacy and Computer Science (DLCS) to all students, robust professional learning communities (PLCs) have been leveraged to redress racism and led to changes in teacher mind-sets, more equitable classroom practices, and positive social-emotional learning outcomes. We explain how routine school improvement initiatives, such as stand-alone professional development events, fail to address racist beliefs and behaviors, and are inadequate to the task of advancing SEL. We describe the attributes and outcomes of effective PLCs, including the effects that PLC participation may have on teacher capacity to make anti-racist changes to curriculum and instruction, and advance the social, emotional, and academic learning of all students.

A Policy for Addressing Menstrual Equity in Schools: A Case Study From New York City, U.S.A.

There has been a growth in menstrual equity policy advancements in the U.S.A. in recent years; with much of the new legislation prioritizing the needs of adolescent girls in schools. New York City, a predecessor of this movement, was the first U.S.A. locality to pass such legislation in 2016. The aim of this case study was to better understand the various factors which led to the development, passage and initial implementation of New York City's Menstrual Equity in Schools Policy. Data collection methods included a desk review and qualitative assessment with several actors involved across the policy and introduction phases. Key findings included (1) the utility of community narratives and a pilot project as a means for overcoming initial skepticisms, proving feasibility, and generating support; (2) the importance of policy champions for overcoming fiscal objections and navigating political discourse; and (3) lessons learned from early implementation efforts, including variance in awareness and distribution models. This case study yields valuable insights into the practical considerations when designing or implementing policies aimed at tackling issues of menstrual equity within school settings.

A Commentary on Critical Resource Theory: Increasing Resource Equity in Low-Income Schools and Beyond

A Commentary on Critical Resource Theory: Increasing Resource Equity in Low-Income Schools and Beyond

Framework of anti‐racist school counseling competencies: A Delphi study

AbstractThe current sociopolitical climate of the United States has heightened awareness around the need for school counselors to engage in anti‐racist practices in order to address racism within schools; however, there is a lack of guidance around anti‐racist counseling competency. The purpose of this Delphi research study was to develop an initial list of empirically based anti‐racist school counseling competencies to support school counseling professionals. An expert panel of school counselors, directors, and counselor educators reached a consensus on 180 items across 5 categories including specific aspects of awareness, attitudes, knowledge, characteristics, and behaviors needed to dismantle racism and promote equity in schools. Considerations for school counselors, supervisors, and counselor educators are discussed.