JoEtta Gonzales, Director The Equity Alliance at ASU February 15, 2011

Linguistic Differences Cultural Differences Societal Racism Inferior Education Rationales for Schooling Au, 1998

Early intervention 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

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

Equity Pedagogy School Culture Knowledge Construction Prejudice Reduction Content Integration

ELL Placement Risk in Special Education (Artiles, et al., 2010) Relative Risk Ratio

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

Percent of Districts with ELL Overrepresentation by Disability (Artiles, et al., 2010)

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.

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

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 councils Team and committee structures Building Leadership Teams Decision making Shared Vision Continuous Improvement Cycles Educational Equity: District Level

Culture of Renewal & Improvement How reform initiatives are selected Your district’s process for choosing professional learning topics and activities The 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 Partnerships The 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 differ How school schedules and calendars maximize learning time Where students’ classrooms are located The structures supported for Professional Learning Educational Equity: District Level

The forms of inquiry used to think about student data Other forms of data that drive dialogue and decision making How educators are engaged in researching their own and others’ practice The cycles for continuous improvement Inquiry for Equity in Education Educational Equity: District Level

Tools for Learning

Culturally Responsive Leadership Certification Training

Ready to Use and Customize - Professional Learning Modules