Equity & Diversity

The U.S. Census Bureau predicts that by the year 2060, the U.S. will become a nation of minorities when the non-Hispanic white population no longer makes up a majority of the nation. These changes in demographics are reflected in the school age population and must be reflected in the classrooms and practices that teach these children.

In education, the term equity refers to the principle of fairness. While it is often used interchangeably with the related principle of equality, equity encompasses a wide variety of educational models, programs, and strategies that may be considered fair, but not necessarily equal. It is has been said that “equity is the process; equality is the outcome,” given that equity—what is fair and just—may not, in the process of educating students, reflect strict equality—what is applied, allocated, or distributed equally.
- The Glossary of Education Reform

Diverse group of young students with their teacher

Dr. Paul Gorski presenting keynote at Equity and Diversity Seminar

Multicultural education is a progressive approach for transforming education that holistically critiques and responds to discriminatory policies and practices in education. It is grounded in ideals of social justice, education equity, critical pedagogy, and a dedication to providing educational experiences in which all students reach their full potentials as learners and as socially aware and active beings, locally, nationally, and globally. Multicultural education acknowledges that schools are essential to laying the foundation for the transformation of society and the elimination of injustice.

The underlying goal of multicultural education is to affect social change. The pathway toward this goal incorporates three strands of transformation:

the transformation of self;
the transformation of schools and schooling; and
the transformation of society.

- Dr. Paul C. Gorski

Click here to see a highlight video from Dr. Gorski.

Educator Equity
External Resources
KnowledgeBases
Events
News in Focus

On July 7, 2014, the U.S. Department of Education announced the launch of the "Excellent Educators for All Initiative."

The three-part Excellent Educators for All Initiative includes:

Comprehensive Educator Equity Plans ...

Educator Equity Support Network ...

Educator Equity Profiles ...

Resources

Guidance from U.S. Department of Education

Letter to Chief State School Officers
Frequently Asked Questions
Equity Assistance Centers
Comprehensive Center Network

Equitable Access Toolkit created by the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders

This toolkit includes:

sample equity plan template,

Sample State Plan to Ensure Equitable Access to Excellent Educations,

stakeholder engagement guide,

data review tool,

root-cause analysis workbook, and

moving toward equity tool.

Note: These webinars were recorded with third party service providers. To view these webinars, a plugin download may be required.

Cultivating Equity-oriented Educators: What SEAs Can do to Promote Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Practices at the LEA Level Webinar (December 05, 2017)
Thank you for participating in the "Moving Toward a Culturally Responsive Pedagogy: A Call for Action" webinar series on providing a framework for SEAs to support LEAs and schools to transform teaching ensuring academic achievement for ALL STUDENTS. We enjoyed sharing this webinar "Cultivating Equity-oriented Educators: What SEAs Can do to Promote Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Practices at the LEA Level" (recoded below) with you and your colleagues on December 5, 2017.
Culturally Responsive Pedagogy: An Effective Tool in Systemic School Transformation under ESSA Webinar (November 15, 2017)

Thank you for your interest in the webinar seminars "Moving Toward a Culturally Responsive Pedagogy: A Call for Action" on providing a framework for SEAs to support districts and schools to transform teaching ensuring academic achievement for ALL STUDENTS. We look forward to sharing this webinar "Culturally Responsive Pedagogy: An Effective Tool in Systemic School Transformation under ESSA" with you and your colleagues on Wednesday, November 15, 2017, at 2:00-3:30 p.m. CT.
Equity Leadership Conference (3 - Kansas City Area) (June 02, 2016)

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's (DESE's) Office of Educator Quality continues efforts to address the challenges of educator equity effectively. One of the state's goals is to provide an effective educator to every student in the state.

The Central Comprehensive Center (C3), in partnership with DESE, the Midwest Equity Assistance Center (MEAC) and the Penn Valley Metropolitan Community College, is hosting an Equity Leadership Conference in Kansas City, Missouri, that will provide an opportunity for dialogue between and among stakeholders in the greater Kansas City metropolitan area to identify equity issues and seeking solutions to the educator equity gap in Kansas City schools.
C3/SC3/GTL Center Equity Plan Webinar 1 (December 18, 2014)
C3, SC3, and GTL Center hosted a webinar on Thursday, December 18, 2014, "State Plans to Ensure Equitable Access to Excellent Educators." States learned about resources for the 2015 Educator Equity Plan. Webinar content included a presentation by the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders with an overview of the guidance from the U. S. Department of Education. For more resources go to www.gtlcenter.org.
Valuing Equity and Diversity Seminar (October 21, 2014)
C3 and SC3 planned and delivered a day and a half seminar to invited state leadership focused on valuing equity and diversity in public education. The purpose of the seminar was to develop a better understanding of the compeling national interest in equity and diversity and its importance in public education at state and local levels. The seminar featured keynote speaker, Dr. Paul Gorski, a leading national expert in equity and diversity issues in education from the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being at George Mason University. Content experts from the Midwest Equity Assistance Center, and the South Central Collaborative for Equity presented current trends and issues, facilitated follow-up discussions, and participated in a panel discussion with follow-up intra- and inter-states discussions.

Donna Richardson, Paul Gorski, and Belinda Biscoe Boni

Improving Local Educator Equity Plans in Missouri October 25, 2018

C3 supports Missouri Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Education's efforts to develop and implement strategies addressing equity issues in districts and schools spanning over three years of work.

"Moving Toward a Culturally Responsive Pedagogy: A Call for Action" Webinars November 10, 2017

Two 90-minute webinars supporting state education agencies (SEAs) in the implementation of their Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plans are scheduled for Wednesday, November 15, 2017, from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. CT and Tuesday, December 5, 2017, from 2:00 to 3:30 PM CT.

C3/DESE/ADE Northwest Missouri Equity Lab #9 October 06, 2017

C3 is assisting the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) in developing methods to encourage and support local districts and schools in the development of local Educator Equity Plans by creating Equity Labs.

Support for Equity and Diversity (C3/SC3 Projects Update May 2016) June 01, 2016

Read more about the timeline the ongoing support C3, SC3, and collaborators have provided to build SEA leadership capacity to support districts and schools, with the ultimate goal of closing achievement gaps among diverse student populations and improving teaching and learning for all students.

SC3 Project Update (May 2015) May 29, 2015

SC3 Support for State Educator Equity Plans: The U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced the launch of the Excellent Educators for All Initiative in July 2014 to foster the recruitment and retention of quality educators in high-poverty, minority, rural, and urban school districts. The Initiative calls for state education agencies (SEAs) along with district leadership, school leadership, teachers, parents, and community stakeholders to develop statewide educator equity plans by June 2015.

C3 Project Update (May 2015) May 29, 2015

C3 Support for State Educator Equity Plans: The U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced the launch of the Excellent Educators for All Initiative in July 2014 to foster the recruitment and retention of quality educators in high-poverty, minority, rural, and urban school districts. The Initiative calls for state education agencies (SEAs) along with district leadership, school leadership, teachers, parents, and community stakeholders to develop statewide educator equity plans by June 2015.

State Plans to Ensure Equitable Access to Excellent Educators Webinar 1 December 03, 2014

C3 and SC3 at OU invite you to participate in a webinar on Thursday, December 18, 2014, at 3:00 p.m. Central Standard Time to learn about resources designed to assist your state in completing your State Plan to Ensure Equitable Access to Excellent Educators.

Building Quality Schools in a Diverse School Setting: Equity and Excellence for All November 21, 2014

The Building Quality Schools in a Diverse School Setting: Equity and Excellence for All, Continuing the Conversation, presentation will take place on November 18, 2014, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Valuing Equity and Diversity: Considerations to Close Achievements Gaps October 30, 2014

C3 and SC3 at the University of Oklahoma are hosting a one-and-a-half day seminar on Valuing Equity and Diversity on Tuesday, October 21 and Wednesday, October 22, 2014.