Ensuring Equity for All Students Tennessee Leadership for Equity Convening Pearl-Cohn Entertainment Magnet High School Dr. Candice McQueen I Commissioner of Education I April 10, 2018

Challenges Ensuring that our teachers have the knowledge and supports (including high-quality learning opportunities, materials, instructional leadership etc.) to meet new standards Ensuring that our major state initiatives are sustainable long-term and school and district leaders can strategically align their work with these initiatives Adequately supporting non-academic challenges faced by our students Differentiating support and resources for all school leaders, teachers, and students to meet goals

Building a Definition of Equity Is a student-centered concept Elevates our thinking about responding to individual student needs to thinking systematically about student needs Makes certain that personal and social circumstances are not an obstacle for achieving educational potential Ensures that student needs are met so that all students have access and opportunities for success Ensures our programs and initiatives address the needs of historically underserved subgroups

Our Vision Districts and schools in Tennessee will exemplify excellence and equity such that all students are equipped with the knowledge and skills to successfully embark upon their chosen path in life.

Equity extends across all of the state’s priorities

How do we support equity through leadership?

What can we do to support equity? We know that there are elements that create and contribute to inequities for students that are outside of our control. For example: Supplemental educational supports provided by families Availability of and participation in enrichment activities outside of school Social and cultural capital of communities However, public schooling and education are critical levers toward achieving equitable student outcomes. Intentional school design and programmatic offerings Increasing student access to help close opportunity gaps

State and district leadership plays a crucial role in ensuring equity for students. Districts can focus on equity through: Goal setting Defining clear expectations for leaders and teachers Policymaking and advocacy Funding priorities

School leaders have the opportunity to be leaders for equity. Educational equity means that each child receives what he or she needs to develop to his or her full academic and social potential. Working towards equity involves: Ensuring equally high outcomes for all participants in our educational system; removing the predictability of success or failures that currently correlates with any social or cultural factor Interrupting inequitable practices, examining biases, and creating inclusive multicultural school environments for adults and children Discovering and cultivating the unique gifts, talents, and interests that every human possesses.

School leaders have the opportunity to be leaders for equity. An educational leader for equity works to eliminate achievement gaps and ensure success for ALL students by identifying and addressing personal and institutional bias and barriers and providing strategies to ensure each student has equitable access to: effective educators; rigorous and engaging learning opportunities; social, academic, and community supports; and resources to ensure success for ALL students.

A Framework for Examining Equity – Overview Design Practices Resources Are our systems and programs designed to meet diverse student needs? Does the implementation of our systems ensure universal access and opportunity for all students? Are our resources matched with the greatest areas of student need? Framework is adapted from OECD: http://www.oecd.org/education/school/39989494.pdf

A Framework for Examining Equity – Specifics Design - Are you limiting early tracking and exposing all students to rigorous academic content? - How can you manage school choice and student assignment policies to bolster equity? - Do all of your high schools provide multiple, diverse pathways that focus on career readiness and student engagement to prevent dropouts? Practices - Have you implemented robust systems to support students who fall behind? - How can you strengthen school, community, and home ties to help dis-advantaged families support their child’s learning? - Do you personalize learning within Tier I instruction to address diversity and support all subgroups? - Are you examining initiatives to ensure students are benefiting as intended? Resources - Have you invested in strong early education for all, focusing on early childhood and pre-K programs as well as K–2 class size and instruction? - Do you direct resources to the greatest student needs, including access to highly effective teachers? - How can you set concrete targets for increasing equity across programs and grade levels, then allocate resources accordingly? Framework is adapted from OECD: http://www.oecd.org/education/school/39989494.pdf

We are focused on improving supports for equity in a several key areas. Increase data transparency and capacity to use data at the district and school level Developed new reporting tools—Drive to 55 reports, new standard-level TNReady reports Analyzing human capital data including access to highly effective teachers Examining non-academic data to encourage development of multi-tiered systems of support Provide support for educators that teach English learners (ELs) Released an EL companion guide to Teaching Literacy in Tennessee Developed an EL Program Framework to support ELs Reconvening educator-led EL PLCs Improve lowest performing schools Launched the office of school improvement Releasing updated Focus schools based on new accountability criteria in summer 2018 Developing customized Focus school support plan and service model

Questions?