Equity Tools and Artifacts for Districts and Schools – PDF Document
The Western Educational Equity Assistance Center (WEEAC) utilizes multiple tools and artifacts to support school leaders and educators in embedding equity in policies, procedures, and consciousness.
This document will provide you with equity tools to start, continue, or embed equity in your district or school. Each tool has a specific set of entry points that are imperative in embedding equity thoughtfully. Suggestion are grounded within best practices. Artifacts and activities require some pre-work to successfully integrate Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) work.
Pre-work Definition
Pre-work is defined as the infrastructure that supports equity. It is not recommended that EDI work proceed without integrating the following components:
This pre-work is often delivered at staff meetings, via a position statement, in a face-to-face meeting, or some combination of all these options.
Pre-work advice: Thoughtfully and developmentally build the pre-work stage, as this provides the foundation of authentic EDI work.
Each artifact is shared on the following pages. The following order of use is advised:
Beginning Awareness | Emerging Awareness | Advanced Awareness |
Cultural Café | Naming Me | Louisiana 27 Equitable Classroom Practices |
Lindsey’s Cultural Proficiency Continuum | Social Group Membership | Assessing Bias in Standards and Curricular Materials |
Culturally Responsive Leadership Assessment |
Beginning Awareness: These artifacts are an important entry into the work. Regardless of people’s experiences, we recommend starting here and then scaling to the exercises in the emerging and advanced categories. Cultural Café and Lindsey’s Cultural Proficiency Continuum are tools to begin conversations, raise awareness, and can assist in building competency in how to discuss and engage in equity work.
Emerging Awareness: The three artifacts in this category are exercises that can be used with groups who have done some baseline equity work. This category is focused on inside out work, which is imperative to furthering one’s equity commitment. Without understanding our own identities, biases, and backgrounds, it is challenging to engage in any meaningful equity work. These exercises will greatly assist participants in deepening their understanding of how they show up in classrooms and in working with students and colleagues.
Advanced Awareness: Once members of your school, district, or organization have committed to their inside out work and developed a level of understanding of terminology and how inequity can emerge, introduce these artifacts. The checklist of equitable classroom practices and tool to assess bias in materials will assist educators in evaluating personal practice and understanding components of equity and culturally responsive curriculum.
Dr. Darlene Sampson
Purpose of the Tool
Pre-Work
Courageous conversations are the foundations of preparing for equity work when very little has occurred. This is an entry point for Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion (EDI) work when carefully crafted.
How to Utilize (A sample of the handout for table groups is attached)
Suggestions
Choose approximately five questions for a 45-60-minute exercise including share-out’s
Small/Large Group Processing
Share-outs
Allow each group or select individuals to share out their perspectives. After one group shares …ask that only additional answers that differ from the first group’s answers are shared.
Closing
Follow-up
Check-in with select individuals, teams, and departments to determine reflections and suggestions for next steps.
Lindsey, Robins & Terrell (2009)
Purpose of the Tool
To assist educators in assessing their emerging cultural competence utilizing a well-known continuum.
Pre-Work
Lindsey’s continuum should not be utilized as a stand-alone tool. Educators should engage in this tool as a part of reflection and professional development emanating from the “why” for assessment and ongoing equity work. Utilizing the Cultural Café as a starting point, followed by the continuum would be appropriate.
How to Utilize
Lindsey’s continuum can be utilized in multiple ways after leaders have indicated via data, equity challenges, or a stated commitment the importance of EDI work. Collaborative caring and empathy for where educators fall along the continuum is reiterated before the activity.
Participants are asked to individually choose where they fall along the continuum. Participants should know that truly being competent around all areas of diversity is not possible; however, they may have high or low levels of competency in different areas and under different circumstances. Ultimately, establishing a general level of consciousness and cultural humility is important. Allowing participants to review the continuum and providing time for assessing where they fall along the continuum is preferable. Leaders or facilitators can model the process by identifying where they fall along the continuum first. This can be followed by pairs sharing their assessment.
Small Group Processing
Large Group Processing
Participants can identify where they individually fall along Lindsey’s continuum initially. After identification of individual competency, table groups or large groups are asked to share at their tables or in large groups.
Table or large group processing:
Think organizationally and more robustly regarding Lindsey’s continuum.
Question:
Follow-up
Participants should not be asked to complete this exercise in a performative way, as assessing oneself can be intrusive. Referring to the results, and the need for professional development, or other supports should be the goal. Follow-up must occur to honor the honesty of the participants and to maintain emerging trust.
Purpose of the Tool
Naming Me is designed to support participants in identifying who they are, how they were socialized, what biases they may hold, and what commitments they may need to make.
Pre-Work
Naming oneself can be a challenge for some participants, as it goes close to the heart of diversity and biases. Utilizing the Cultural Café and Lindsay’s Culturally Proficiency Continuum or other less intrusive tools should be utilized prior to Naming Me. As indicated earlier, facilitators should indicate the “why” and importance of naming ourselves.
As an example, you could state: “As we think about who we are, how we grew up, and what our diversity and equity challenges and triumphs are; what do we need to remember, acknowledge and think about as we improve our competency?” “As we think about diverse students, families, and communities, what will we need to do to get in touch with who we really are. What messages did we receive, and how do those messages impact our current roles? This is not a ‘gotcha!’ This exercise is designed for us to think through embedded beliefs and practices that may impact our roles.”
How to Utilize
Small Group Processing
Large Group Processing
Possible Questions
Follow-up
Facilitators have often followed up with random participants to check in after this activity. If this occurs, facilitators must be ready for honest feedback that could be challenging. Many participants enjoy Naming me because of its authenticity. Whatever the case, be ready to hear multiple perspectives.
Adapted from the work of Dr. Lewis Madhlangobe/Texas State University, 2015 and revised by Dr. Darlene Sampson, 2021
Purpose of the Tool
The Culturally Responsive Leadership Assessment is designed to assist educational leaders in determining their equity knowledge, areas of triumph, and areas for growth.
Pre-Work
As with all artifacts and tools, there are important foundational behaviors that must be employed. As you think about this exercise, also keep in mind that leaders are often less likely to ask for assistance and support as they are held to a higher standard and may not feel comfortable asking for support. Acknowledging that leaders have a right to be vulnerable and questioning is key prior to completing this exercise.
Indicate that leading for equity is a process. Leaders may find that they have not mastered many of the areas within the assessment.
How to utilize
This tool can be utilized as a professional development tool. The results of the tool can assist leaders in thinking about additional professional development needed. *There are many leaders who may not formally supervise others. This tool can be utilized for leaders who supervise employees and can be utilized for those in leadership positions.
The process
Small Group Processing/Large Group Processing
Leaders complete the assessment. This usually takes about 5-10 minutes. Facilitators should provide some time for individual completion and reflection.
This tool can be utilized in either small or large group processing. Here are some ideas for utilization.
After individual assessment, leaders can
Follow-up
Developing a professional development plan for leaders aligned with their assessment of their leadership skills is important.
Louisiana Department of Education, 2010
Purpose of the Tool
The equitable classroom practices observation checklist is a way to focus on culturally responsive behaviors. It is a powerful way for educators to check in on practices that can empower all groups of students and to consider ways to incorporate more culturally responsive practices that can center student engagement. The tool was developed in 2010 by the State of Louisiana. The checklist is not a comprehensive list of best practices, but a way to highlight how classroom behaviors can assist in working towards equitable schools for all students.
Pre-Work
This tool should be introduced and reviewed by administrators and leaders as one way to enhance current teaching practices. It is not intended to be a “gotcha” of behaviors that teachers should be utilizing, but rather an opportunity to take a critical lens on small shifts that can create more equitable classrooms.
How to Utilize
There are multiple ways to utilize this tool, and we recommend first starting with self-reflection. Ask participants to check next to which practices they utilize frequently and to note which may be more of a challenge. This tool can also be utilized in classroom observations by building administrators.
In reviewing classroom observations after utilizing the tool, do you see any trends emerging? Are there practices that are heavily utilized? Any practices that are rarely being utilized? Analyzing these trends can help with goal setting for the school or department. Reviewing in PLCs or in staff meetings are an important way to process through and share best practices.
Small Group Processing
Invite participants to get into small groups and review their own reflections on the practices. Some questions to consider:
If reviewing school data, ask participants to review trends and pinpoint possible areas of growth and development.
Large Group Processing
As a staff, consider some of the following questions:
Additional Notes
Communicating why the school or district is using this tool will be important so educators can understand how it is being utilized. Data-informed practices allow us to take a closer look at our equity work – where we are excelling and where we are falling short.
Follow-up
Consider using the tool at the beginning and end of the school year, and potentially incorporate into goal setting for educators. If using multiple times, review what changes and what practices educators have implemented. This can be a great way to highlight staff and student success stories.
Midwest and Plains Equity Assistance Center – February 2017
Purpose of the Tool
This tool assists leaders, instructional supports, and educators in reviewing the components of equity and cultural responsiveness in curriculum and instruction.
Pre-Work
Pre-discussions around existing curriculum and cultural responsiveness would be important prior to utilizing the tool. Examining how curriculum is already responsive and affirming will also assist the process. What is the “why” for conducting an assessment of curriculum? Identifying who will conduct the assessment, what teams will benefit, and what outcome is expected is also important pre-work. Anchoring the importance and benefits of culturally responsive curriculum also supports the process. This tool could also support curriculum departments, districts, and schools in assessing new or current curricula.
How to Utilize
Small Group Processing/Large Group Processing
Time for reflection and comparison of scores is important at every step during the process. Development of existing gaps or a need for additional professional development may also occur as educators review this document.
Additional Notes
This tool includes best practices in culturally responsive and equitable curriculum. This is a process that can be fragmented as districts, schools, teams or content areas build capacity. Look for areas of improvement that are obtainable; however, do not attempt every aspect at one time. Finding intersectional spaces to impact is preferable.
Follow-up
Completing this tool without discussions regarding the need for curricular augmentation and its benefits can be counterproductive. Step-by-step planning will assist educators in incorporating and mastering specific equity focus points in curriculum.
Supporting Information
Thank you for taking the time to review these resources. In planning your work within your school or district, we want to remind you how important it is to start where you are and get everyone up to speed on language and definitions for the work. The pre-work really matters – these resources cannot and should not be used without proper introduction and planning.
We suggest going through the resources as a leadership team or equity team before sharing widely. Aligning these resources into a professional development series or trajectory is a place to start. The WEEAC offers a course on equity trajectory development that is free for all to access. We recommend using that course in tandem with these tools.
The WEEAC is here to support your equity work and can assist with consultation and professional development. Please do not hesitate to reach out to [email protected] with questions or fill out a request for services on our website at www.msudenver.edu/weeac.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 303-615-2020
Request for ServicesMailing Address: PO Box 173362, Campus Box 63A, Denver, CO 80217
Social Group Membership
Dr. Kathy Obear
Social Group Membership – PDF Document
Purpose of the Tool
This tool is an important step in understanding personal identity in a United States context. This is a sample list of identities such as race, religion, sexual orientation, etc. which shows the members of the dominant or agent group and subordinate or target group. As your school or organization contextualizes equity work, this tool is a valuable artifact in personal inside out work. Exploration of personal identity and how that may show up in the classroom and as a leader can assist in better understanding and working across difference.
Pre-Work
This artifact should not be used in isolation. It is important that participants have a baseline understanding of identity and isms (racism, sexism, classism, etc.). Utilizing tools such as Naming Me are a suggested first step.
How to Utilize
Social Group Membership is a powerful addition to a PLC or professional development session. In the session:
Small Group Processing
Invite participants to pair off. Some reflection questions you may consider:
Large Group Processing
Similar reflection questions are a great idea here. Additionally, you may ask:
Additional Notes
Follow-up
This is a great exercise to revisit a couple of weeks after introducing it. What have participants learned or considered since the social groups were discussed? How have they continued their own learning? How have they utilized what they learned and reflected on in their roles?
Social Group Membership may be one in a series of tools you use in equity training and professional development. Consider following Social Group Membership with the Culturally Responsive Personal Assessment or another self-assessment tool to build on the knowledge gained around personal identity, privilege, and oppression.