Section 2004 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP Act) includes new maintenance of equity (MOEquity) provisions that are a condition for a State educational agency (SEA) and local educational agency (LEA) to receive funds under the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) Fund. These provisions are central to ensuring…

In this scholarly personal narrative (SPN), I illustrate how I have engaged with a system that does not reflect who I am and against prevailing currents as an associate professor in higher education who came to the U.S. as an international student in the late 1990s from South America, to finally find my place and voice developing the International…

Asset-based pedagogies, such as culturally relevant/sustaining teaching, are frequently used to improve the educational experiences of students of color and to challenge the white curriculum that has historically informed school practices. Yet asset-based pedagogies have evaded important aspects of students' culture and identity: those related to…

Career Technical Education (CTE) policies and programs have increasingly focused on supporting the needs of historically marginalized learners and closing access and performance gaps among learner groups. Perkins V, the latest iteration of federal CTE legislation known as the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, is part of this…

Schools should be spaces where students feel safe and welcome, actively engage with learning, and strive for success. Discipline policies and practices should reinforce these values, particularly safety and belonging. Unfortunately, ineffective discipline practices that punish students harshly and take them away from the classroom -- like…

In order to promote effective learning, individuals must feel fully appreciated within their own unique identities (i.e., ethnicities, language differences, socioeconomic status, gender, religions). Culturally competent educators employ practices that acknowledge and build on cultural diversity and that identify students themselves as resources…

This resource offers culturally responsive processes and concrete tools to address disproportionality and create more equitable schools. The authors draw on their work with school districts to demonstrate how using a theory of change can address disproportionate outcomes of special education placement and exclusionary discipline for students of…

This "Equity by Design" brief is intended for preK-12 school leaders who want to better understand the root causes of inequitable outcomes in their systems. Despite educators' often good intentions to effectively serve all students, there is ample evidence of ongoing disparities negatively impacting students of Color in U.S. schools.…

This book offers context, research, policy, and practice-based recommendations centering college access and success for a historically overlooked population: rural Students and Communities of Color. Through an exploration of how colleges and universities can effectively welcome students from rural areas who identify as Asian and Pacific Islander,…

Research reveals better school and student outcomes, especially for teachers and children of color, when a principal of color is at the helm. One way to improve the educational experiences of schoolchildren across the country is to increase their access to leaders of color--and strengthen the caliber of teaching and leading in our nation's…

Research shows that a diverse teacher workforce benefits all students -- especially historically underserved students in American education, in particular Black students. With a historic pool of federal education funds now available to help address the effects of the pandemic, school districts and states have a unique window of opportunity to…

Many challenges are faced by under-represented groups in academia. Difficulties during the tenure process, prejudice stemming from affirmative action and higher levels of scrutiny than their colleagues are just a few tribulations experienced by faculty members from minority groups that have gone unnoticed and often ignored. The contributors of…

School safety and student well-being are crucial to the social, emotional, and academic development of young people. Many districts have turned to school security measures that offer visible signs or outward appearances of safety; however, other approaches--those that create positive and inclusive school climates--both support students' well-being…

Successful higher education systems are student centered and constantly improving. They also are committed to addressing long-standing policies, perspectives, and practices that--intentionally or not--marginalize Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and/or People of Color (BILPOC) students, students from under-resourced families, and others who were not…

Teaching in K-12 schools is stressful, as educators know and research documents. Although all teachers experience stress, minoritized teachers of color often experience unique stressors. Common examples include being asked to translate for parents who do not speak English or function as the disciplinarian for students experiencing behavioral…