The BELE Framework (PDF)
The BELE Framework is a guide for transforming student experiences and outcomes. It’s designed to integrate across every part of the learning experience, from teaching and learning, schoolwide systems and structures, family, caregiver, and community partnerships, and district and state policies while anchoring students at the center.
Citation/Source
Building Equitable Learning Environments Network, (2021).
Publication Date 2024
Equity is Quality, Quality is Equity: Operationalizing Equity in Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (PDF)
This article describes the lack of an equity lens in the history of early childhood program quality rating systems. The authors address the flaws in quality rating systems (QRS) as they relate to equity for marginalized communities and offer suggestions for improvement of QRS toward a more equitable system of measuring quality in early childhood programs.
Citation/Source
Meek, Shantel, Iheoma U. Iruka, Xigrid Soto-Boykin, Darielle Blevins, Brittany Alexander, Mario Cardona, and Dina Castro. 2022. Equity is Quality, Quality is Equity: Operationalizing Equity in Quality Rating and Improvement Systems. https://childandfamilysuccess.asu.edu/sites/default/files/2022-06/QRIS-report-062122.pdf (Accessed September 16, 2022).
Publication Date 2024
What Explains the Race Gap in Teacher Performance Ratings? Evidence From Chicago Public Schools (Article)
Black teachers in Chicago are more likely than their White colleagues to teach economically disadvantaged and lower-achieving students. Moreover, Black teachers systematically teach in schools with significantly worse organizational climates—less effective leadership, fewer collaborative opportunities among teachers, less support for ambitious instruction, and weaker connections to their students’ families than their White peers.
Citation/Source
Steinberg, M.P., & Sartain, L. "What Explains the Race Gap in Teacher Performance Ratings? Evidence From Chicago Public Schools." Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 43(1), 2021, 60-82.
Publication Date 2024
What is Really Educational Equity (PDF)
Equity is providing additional and different resources (intellectual, human, and fiscal) to ensure all students and teachers receive what is needed to exceed performance targets.
Citation/Source
EDEquity, (2017).
Publication Date 2024
The Science of Math: Inclusion, Opportunity, and Social Responsibility (Article)
This article discusses how school psychologists can adopt and promote evidenced based math practices and it specifically focuses on social responsibility of effective mathematics practices to ensure access, opportunity, and inclusion for all learners.
Citation/Source
Hollins-Sims, N. Y., Codding, R. S., & VanDerHeyden, A. M. (2022). The Science of Math: Inclusion, Opportunity, and Social Responsibility. Communique, 50(6), 1–31
Publication Date 2024
Addressing Issues of Equity Using the Cross-Pollination of Universal Design for Learning and Culturally Responsive Teaching (Article)
The authors discuss the need to use UDL and CRT in instruction. They argue that pre service and inservice teachers are culturally situated within cultural and linguistic groups. It is important for pre- and in-service teachers to understand this cross-pollination when using the UDL Guidelines as an implementation tool in their classrooms to proactively identify and address potential barriers to student learning while sustaining their students' cultural and linguistic identities.
Citation/Source
Takemae, N., Nicoll-Senft, J., & Tyler, R. M. (2022). Addressing Issues of Equity Using the Cross-Pollination of Universal Design for Learning and Culturally Responsive Teaching. PDS Partners: Bridging Research to Practice, 17(1), 9–15.
Publication Date 2024
Elevating Student Voice, Agency, and Co-Creation (Website)
The authors posit that in order to transform education schools need to take a student centered approach streesing student voice, agency and co-creating decision making.
Citation/Source
Elevating Student Voice, Agency, and Co-Creation. (2022). In WestEd. WestEd.
Publication Date 2024
The Dimensions of School Discipline: Toward a Comprehensive Framework for Measuring Discipline Patterns and Outcomes in Schools (Article)
The authors present a comprehnsive analytic framework for examining school discipline patterns in New York City Schools. The authors used school level metrics and ascertained that Black students received the most suspensions and received suspensions at a different rate for the same infractions as their peers.
Citation/Source
Rodriguez, L. A., & Welsh, R. O. (2022). The Dimensions of School Discipline: Toward a Comprehensive Framework for Measuring Discipline Patterns and Outcomes in Schools. AERA Open, 8(1).
Publication Date 2024
Using an Embedded Mixed Methods Design to Assess and Improve Intervention Acceptability of an Equity-Focused Intervention: A Methodological Demonstration (Article)
Citation/Source
Bastable, E., Meng, P., Falcon, S. F., & McIntosh, K. (2023). Using an Embedded Mixed Methods Design to Assess and Improve Intervention Acceptability of an Equity-Focused Intervention: A Methodological Demonstration. Behavioral Disorders, 48(3), 201–211. https://doi.org/10.1177/0198742919880486
Publication Date 2024
Best Practices In Addressing Disproportionality For Students With Disabilities
School districts aim to create equitable learning environments that reflect the diversity of their students, staff, and community, including those with disabilities. This research brief examines two processes that frequently lead to disproportionality—special education identification and disciplinary referrals for special education students. These processes have significant academic and behavioral impacts on students, and understanding them is crucial for school districts working to eliminate disproportionality. To achieve more equitable outcomes, special education identification processes should avoid racially, culturally, or sexually discriminatory methods. If an analysis of classification data and risk ratios indicates disproportionality, districts should establish a stakeholder group to perform a root cause analysis, develop an improvement plan, and create a blueprint for implementation and evaluation. To address disciplinary disproportionality, the U.S. ED's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) advises districts to:
- Establish clear priorities.
- Confront explicit bias.
- Eliminate practices leading to inequitable outcomes.
- Implement evidence-based interventions.
- Specific Commitment to Equity
- Family Partnerships in Policy Development
- Focus on Implementing Positive, Proactive Behavior Support Practices
- Clear Objective Discipline Procedures
- Removal or Reduction of Exclusionary Practices
- Graduated Discipline Systems with Instructional Alternatives to Exclusion
- Procedures with Accountability for Equitable Student Outcomes
Citation/Source
Citation: Hanover Research. 2018. “Best Practices in Addressing Disproportionality for Students with Disabilities.” https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/bxs72tmqck7zkcw79iov4/Best-Practices-Georgia.pdf?rlkey=ciz1ja0u09x53u4wqyj6dx3lz&st=n0cp1wtj&dl=0 (accessed, June 14, 2024).
Publication Date 2024
