As more K-12 school districts have hired equity officers, questions have arisen about their role and effectiveness. A recent Heritage Foundation report, for example, found that schools with equity officers have the lowest achievement outcomes. Mary Rice-Boothe and Tanji Reed Marshall point out, however, that student achievement is not the only…

A narrative study was used to examine the perspectives and experiences of Superintendents working toward educational justice by addressing the inequities found in schools. Data was collected through a series of semi-structured interviews representing a diverse participant pool of 23 superintendents and assistant superintendents who were currently…

Each year, the Maine Education Policy Research Institute conducts policy research in select topic areas for the Maine Legislature's Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. Ideas for studies are proposed in winter by a steering committee of education stakeholders, and final selections are made in late spring by the legislators. The issues that…

Public education systems are often large, diverse, fragmented, and historically very hard to change. While previous reforms targeted primarily school staff, large-scale policies now include a broader audience including non-system organizations (e.g., knowledge brokering organizations) that may influence directly or indirectly policy…

Funding for special education has traditionally focused on providing some form of equity for students identified as having a disability (Dragoo, 2018; Hargrove et al., 1983; Zettel & Ballard, 1979). However, the pressure to raise standards for all students led to questions of funding adequacy and efficiency (Baker, 2018; Hanushek, 2007).The…

This phenomenological research study explores how districts in Massachusetts support and hinder the work of professionals in the inaugural role of Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I). Through a qualitative approach, the study engaged six Directors of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion from suburban and urban school settings in…

In 1966, the Coleman report assessed conditions in U.S. schools and identified barriers that prevented Black students from accessing high-quality education. Since that time--and despite federal efforts to close gaps in achievement between students who are Black, Indigenous, or people of color (BIPOC) and their White peers--not much has changed.…

This collective case study explores the tensions between Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports enacted at the district level and antiracist pedagogy in a medium sized school district in upstate New York. Four self-described antiracist elementary teachers participated in individual interviews and two focus groups to discuss their experiences…

Teacher retention is a critical issue for the American education system and society as a whole. Much research has focused on teacher recruitment, pathways to teacher credentialing, and factors that support teacher retention, including positive organizational conditions and administrative support. Teachers of Color make up a numerical minority in…

This dissertation examines the lived experiences of Black men credentialed to be assistant principals and principals within a southeastern, urban public school district based upon the philosophies of equity and social justice. Through a qualitative constructivist approach, this research explores their experiences in and with education and how it…

Minnesota is known for its large concentrations of Hmong, Somali and Karen refugee-background students (RBSs). Drawing on an equity/heritage framework that centres educational equity and the sustaining of the cultural and linguistic practices of minoritized communities, this study examined how district/school websites with the highest enrolment of…

The urban education typology put forth by Milner (Urban Educ 47(3):556-561, 2012) offered a conceptual demarcation of three different, yet interconnected types of urban school districts (i.e., urban intensive, urban emergent, and urban characteristic). Nearly one decade after Milner's seminal urban education typology, few empirical or conceptual…

Public school classrooms in Texas and in the United States of America have for the past several years ushered in changes to the format and methods in which students are being served. Virtual schools and online classrooms are becoming more of the norm for students at all levels of education in our country. And with this shift in instructional…

This "Equity Tool" provides facts and frequently asked questions about magnet schools and their integration efforts. It is meant to be shared with various education stakeholders, including those directly involved in designing and implementing magnet school policies at the local level as well as those at state and federal levels who are…

Public school districts distribute school policy materials as an efficient method of informing parents and students about their rights and responsibilities. Public schools routinely publish that information to inform parents/guardians and students of expectations within the educational realm. That notification, or School Policy/Code of…