Only by pushing through resistance can coaches help teams achieve necessary change, write Candice Bocala and RoLesia Holman. Head of the RIDES Project at Harvard, the authors describe how both technical fixes and adaptive solutions can help coaches elicit deeper, more meaningful discussions with staff about race.

Schools must isolate patterns of inequity by disagreggating various formative assessment data by race, gender, or other characteristics. Such a lens often uncovers disparities in outcomes and can point to unconscious biases affecting how teacher respond to different student groups. Learn how to bring an equity focus into your school improvement…

With some combination of remote, hybrid, or in-person learning with social distancing restrictions--and (hopefully) a bit of time this summer to relax and restore--teachers are ready to take on the 2021-2022 school year. The question on everyone's mind is, "What will our students need?" The idea of differentiation is taking center stage.…

Diversity, equity, and inclusion training often falls into one of three categories: Equity PD that works, equity PD that doesn't work, and equity PD that looks like it works but doesn't. The third category is the most dangerous, says Nicole Tucker-Smith. How can we make sure our professional learning isn't falling into that trap?

Many instructional coaching and teacher training sessions center around myths that can actually hinder teacher and student growth. Authors Rashaida Melvin and Lauren Vargas discuss four of these myths and offer new practices to increase teacher efficacy and equity in the classroom.

Teachers who are concerned about introducing inherent biases into their classroom practices may find themselves turning to equity strategies to help randomize and equalize their practices. But these strategies, such as using popsicle sticks to randomize who a teacher calls on to ask a question, can also mitigate inequities in a different direction…

Adaptive leadership focuses on helping leaders act in a way that encourages others to adapt and embrace change. Adaptive leaders engage in activities that "mobilize," "motivate," "organize," "orient," and "focus the attention of others." Instead of single-handedly trying to solve all problems and…

Through Project I4 (which aims to lift academic discourse in STEM classes), principals and other school leaders who observe faculty use tools to identify, through evidence and clear criteria, what teachers are doing well and less well. The project's tools, including a post-observation Effective Conversation Guide, address aspects of equity (such…

Does our teaching keep up with our preaching about equity? Some of the teachers most vocally outspoken about social inequities, says Henry Seton, end up reproducing these inequities in their own classrooms. Seton shares two critical steps for ensuring this doesn't happen.

The disruption of the pandemic underscored inequities in education systems and prompted educators to think beyond traditional measures of student achievement. However, as students returned to the classroom, conventional narratives of learning loss reemerged. Learning loss implies students, not systems, need to be "fixed," which misses…

Incremental equity initiatives often just paper over the status quo. How can schools be bolder and more strategic? Educators Paul Gorski, Marceline DuBose, and Katy Swalwell share four steps to seismically shift thinking and action and make significant equity progress.

Collaborative data inquiry can help schools serve their students better and improve student outcomes--but only if equity is prioritized. Researchers from Harvard's Data Wise Project discuss the importance of using an equity lens when engaging in collaborative data inquiry and what this can mean in terms of disrupting system inequities.

The George Floyd incident caused severe anxiety in a lot of people, especially children and adults of color. These types of tragic incidents tend to happen to Black and Brown people more often than any other group. Experiencing or witnessing violent events like this can lead to trauma--and teachers must realize that the events of last year may…

Differentiated instruction has always been about providing every learner full opportunity to grow as much as possible academically, intellectually, and socially. A key principle of differentiation is "teaching up" (Tomlinson, 2021, 2022; Tomlinson & Javius, 2012). Teaching up is of particular importance at this moment in education…

English proficiency cannot be seen as a prerequisite to meaningful participation in classrooms. Instead, language must be viewed as something that is developed in the process of learning when students are supported and have access to the richest curriculum.