Despite decades of research and many frameworks designed to address the inequities and exclusion in the public school system, large achievement gaps, inequitable systems, and exclusive policies exist. The scholar-practitioner believes instructional coaches are well-positioned to address the inequities and exclusion that exist in the public school…

Educators and institutions have considered and continue to explore alternatives to measure students' learning and track their performance. An alternative that started to gain popularity due to its effectiveness in promoting learning engagement, equity, and inclusion, and helping mitigate concerns due to mental health was "ungrading."…

Scholarship on the links between families and schools encompasses contradictory notions about social capital and its relation to inequality. One view holds that schools can narrow inequality by generating dense relationships among families, while others suggest that advantaged parents can use these networks to hoard opportunities. This multiple…

Strategic plans are valuable tools for colleges seeking to cast vision and provide focused guidance for leadership and faculty, but it is not clear how these plans address student success. This study analyzed plans from 55 of the 58 community colleges in North Carolina. First, we analyzed the plans using a 10-step strategic planning framework to…

Western Carolina University (WCU) enrolls students from many different backgrounds and demographic categories. While access to the institution has expanded over the years, equity gaps still exist relative to retention and graduation outcomes for students in different demographic groups. Several offices at the University offer programing and…

Students with disabilities (SWDs) in U.S. public schools face unique challenges that profoundly shape their educational experiences and transition into adulthood, such as lower academic achievement and higher rates of exclusionary discipline and juvenile justice involvement. These disparities have far-reaching implications, impacting high school…

This case centers on two early career educators: a principal and teacher struggling to address issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) in their school in the current political context of legislative attacks on critical race theory (CRT) and the simultaneous national Black Lives Matter movement. A talented teacher is reluctantly…

During the 2021, 2022, and 2023 state legislative sessions more than one hundred and fifty bills were introduced seeking to actively undermine academic freedom and university autonomy. This includes nearly one hundred academic gag orders affecting higher education, such as those restricting the teaching of "critical race theory" (CRT)…

This briefing paper explores Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) policies and practices that state early intervention (Part C) programs may consider implementing to meet the social-emotional and mental health needs of infants and toddlers in the context of relationships with their parents and other caregivers.

The author of this article utilized a Critical Race Theory (CRT) framework to evaluate the effectiveness of instructional technology and STEM opportunities for girls and students of color in their role as a K-5 Instructional Technology Facilitator (ITF). By defining Critical Race Theory, the role of the ITF can be leveraged to provide equitable…

In recent years and especially over the past 12 months, with the COVID-19 pandemic and the unrest after the death of George Floyd, community colleges have been making efforts to view and rethink their missions through an equity lens. These efforts have included turning this prism toward institutional operations like student services, human…

Researchers examined the potential of Presidents' Councils on Diversity (PCDs) to position advancing diversity and inclusion agendas at 11 higher education institutions. Researchers investigated strategies and the degree that PCDs set up agendas through the mobilization (i.e., creating vision and setting priorities), implementation (i.e., creating…

Legislation and policy lead to action. In the absence of law or policy, situations are addressed on a case-by-case basis or they are sometimes ignored. Legislation and policy become extremely important when they relate to groups that have traditionally been marginalized, such as students with disabilities or students with gifts and talents, and…

Central to the Public School Forum of North Carolina's mission is the imperative to ensure that all students in North Carolina have equitable access to a meaningful, high quality education through a strong system of public schools. It is important to note that equitable does not mean equal. Achieving equitable access to high quality education for…

In May 2013, Patrick Bahls, director of the University of North Carolina (UNC) Asheville's honors program, was a participant in a multi-day workshop sponsored by the university's Diversity Action Council. The goal of the workshop, led by off-campus experts commissioned by the university, was to help educate faculty and staff on issues related to…