Browsing by Subject "Educational equity"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3

Issues in equitable education for culturally and linguistically diverse students : process, placement, and advocacy
(2015-05) Mennuti, Christina A.; Linan-Thompson, Sylvia, 1959-; Horwitz, Elaine Kolker, 1950-
Abstract: Disproportionate representation of culturally and linguistically diverse students in special education is a threat to equality in education. Review of literature reveals that there are several concerns that contribute to the disproportionate number of CLD students; these include student factors, such as their educational background and English proficiency. Systemic issues, sociocultural elements, considerations in pedagogy, possible invalidity of assessments may also contribute to the inappropriate referral to the eligibility process for special education. These, whether individually or combined, can lead to a misplacement of a student into special education. Empirical research reveals both an under- and overrepresentation of CLD students in special education classrooms. For students who are not referred to testing for special education, or for students whose referral is delayed, their achievement and participation in school will suffer detrimental effects from the lack in early intervention. The academic, social, and emotional progress of students that are referred to testing and placed in special education when their struggle is linguistically-based may be hindered and there is a risk of stigmatization. Recommendations for intervention and prevention are offered, as well as areas of possible future research.
Striving for sustainability : achieving continuity in racial equity
(2024-05) Gordon, Eliza Jane; Reyes, Pedro, 1954-; Cantu, Debra; Hall, Dottie; Woulfin, Sarah
In public schools across the country, student success outcomes are predictable by race. Racial and educational inequities persist within the U.S. public school system despite decades of research identifying the problem and recommending solutions. After a comprehensive review of the literature, I identified a gap in understanding how school districts as the unit of analysis aim to solve this problem. I aimed to answer the following question in my study: What are the organizational factors that enable school districts to sustain anti-racist policies? The purpose of this paper is to analyze and identify the organizational factors that enable school districts to sustain equity work through established anti-racist policies. I used elite interviewing, along with document analysis to conduct this study. The findings indicated four themes that emerged across two different administrations that sustained anti-racist policy over time aiming toward equitable student outcomes over time. The four themes that emerged were: Superintendent and school board relations and philosophies, reorganization of central office, professional learning for staff, and racial equity accountability. Implications include implementing a complete anti-racist theory of change, ensuring that professional learning opportunities centered on understanding race in education exist, creating coherence between district leadership vision and actions for anti-racism, utilizing context to decide if, when, and how to develop a stand-alone department within central administration devoted to anti-racist work, and persisting through the deeply challenging work of anti-racism in schools.
Uncovering the black box : the hiring of Black educators for principalship positions in suburban contexts
(2024-05) Clarida, Kimberly Danielle ; DeMatthews, David; Jabbar , Huriya; Green, Terrance L; Williams, Sheneka; Reyes, Pedro
Researchers have long recognized that common hiring practices are racially biased (Avery, 1979; Bertrand & Mullainathan, 2003). However, in education, few studies examine the hiring and placement policies and practices for school principals at the district level (Palmer & Mullooly, 2015). Equitable hiring practices are essential for ensuring equal opportunity for Black educators, who are underrepresented in the principalship despite the increasing number of Black students in K-12 (Williams & Loeb, 2012). The principal representation gap is especially alarming when Black students are consistently disenfranchised within U.S. public schools (Lomotey, 2019). Better educational opportunities for Black students are achievable and tied to hiring racially diverse and equity-focused principals (Bartanen & Grissom, 2019) - specifically Black principals (Kelley, 2012; Lomotey, 2019; Williams & Loeb, 2012). This dissertation uses a mixed method multiple case study design to analyze hiring practices within two suburban school districts through the lens of racialized organizational theory (Ray, 2020). The study starts with investigating the “black box” of districts’ hiring policies and practices using document analysis, hiring observations, and interviews with district officials and employees who participate in principal selection committees. Then, application data is analyzed to identify the rate at which Black candidates apply for principal positions compared to the rates at which they are hired and the demographics of schools where they are placed. Finally, interviews with Black educators in each district were used to understand how hiring policies and practices can improve for principals based on their experiences. This study allows researchers to conceptualize what is happening within the application pool process at the district level and provide school districts with insights on how equitable hiring structures and practices can further promote the hiring of Black principals.