Equity Frameworks

Framework Summary

The ultimate goal of trauma informed care is to be proactive and responsive to the adverse life experiences of students and staff that can include childhood trauma, poverty, and the impact of systemic racism and other types of oppression. Multiple frameworks of this approach have been developed and implemented in schools; all frameworks include the critical components of creating a safe environment, building the capacity of the educators and caregivers, strengthening relationships and connectedness, resisting re-traumatization, and providing social emotional learning/resilience training (Jones, Berg, Osher 2018). In practice, these concepts can look like a highly structured and predictable learning environment, a developed staff that has deep coherence on the impact of chronic stress, restorative approaches in discipline, tiers of social emotional learning, teaching with the brain in mind, etc.

Culturally responsive trauma informed care implies that trauma and the manifestation of that trauma is uniquely experienced by different identities and their intersectionalities (Jaggars, Rivas-Drake, and Bowoski 2018). Emotional intelligence and skills are not one size fits all, they are contextualized to your experiences; therefore, Black, Indigenous, LatinX, Asian and Middle Eastern students develop SEL competencies in relation to racial, linguistic and often economic discrimination and systemic oppression.

For additional information:

Brown-Griffin, C., Gray, D., and Elan, H. (2020) Do Coping Responses and Racial Identity Promote School Adjustment Among Black Youth? Applying an Equity-Elaborated Social–Emotional Learning Lens. Urban Education. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343429384_Do_Coping_Responses_and_Racial_Identity_Promote_School_Adjustment_Among_Black_Youth_Applying_an_Equity-Elaborated_Social-Emotional_Learning_Lens

Geraradi, S. Flinn, R. and Blanca, V. (2020). Trauma-Sensitive Schools and Social Justice: A Critical Analysis. Urban Review. V. 52, 482-504. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11256-020-00553-3

Jaggars, R., Rivas-Drake, D., and Bowoski, T. (2018). Towards Transformative Social Emotional Learning: Using an Equity Lens. Establishing Practical Social-Emotional Competence Assessments Work Group- Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). https://measuringsel.casel.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Framework_EquitySummary-.pdf

Jones, T., Fleming, C., and Williford, A. (2020). Racial equity in academic success: The role of school climate and social emotional learning. Children and Youth Services Review. v.119. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0190740920320466

Jones, W. Berg, J. Osher, D. (2018). Trauma and Learning Policy Initiative (TLPI): TraumaSensitive Schools Descriptive Study. American Institute for Research. https://traumasensitiveschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/TLPI-Final-Report_Full-Report-002-2-1.pdf

Framework Summary

Targeted Universalism is an equity framework that is commonly utilized by schools and districts. The framework acknowledges that systems and structures play a critical role in students' lives. The goal of the framework is to lead targeted change and improvement with those furthest from opportunity and privilege in mind. This means improvement is first and foremost aimed at correcting an experience or outcome for a group of people that are being harmed the most by the system or a problem such as COVID19. Data is used to identify those most at risk/harm in the system and then administrators and directors put them out front when designing, resourcing, goal setting and action planning. The Othering and Belonging Institute at the University of California at Berkeley (2019) defines TU as organizing a school system and community around a shared mission/goal, disaggregating data and identifying long and short term solutions for those furthest away from meeting the goal. It is essentially universal goal setting with targeted strategies and resources.

For additional information:

Chicago Public Schools (2018). CPS Equity Framework https://assets.website-files.com/5e724f7b19f97014d5cb21c4/5f6cefddde4bd525d0c0a5fb_cps-equity-framework.pdf

Melnicoe, H. and Kaura, P. (2021). Collaboration and Addressing Student Needs: A Rural District's Response to COVID-19. Policy Analysis for California Education PACE. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED609204.pdf

National Parents Union. (2020). What Parents are Thinking. https://nationalparentsunion.org/npu-polling/.

Olsen. L and Heyward, G. (2020). Putting Families at the Center: The Role of Parent Advocacy Groups During COVID-19. Center for Reinventing Public Education. https://www.crpe.org/sites/default/files/final_parent_advocacy_groups_brief_dec_2020.pdf

Powell, J., Menedian, S., and Ake, W. (2019). Targeted Universalism: Policy and Practice. Othering and Belonging Institute. University of California at Berkeley. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9sm8b0q8

Seattle Public Schools (2019). Strategic Plan. https://www.seattleschools.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_543/File/District/Departments/strategic_plan/2019-24-ApprovedStratPlan.3.27.19.pdf

Framework Summary

Culturally sustaining pedagogies and frameworks are built on the 25 year foundation of culturally relevant and responsive teaching (Nieto 1992, Ladson-Billings 1995, Carol Lee 1995, Geneva Gay 2002, Moll and Gutierrez 2005, etc.). Gloria Ladson-Billings' (1995) original study resulted in the call for culturally relevant teaching; the emerging domains were cultural competence, academic rigor, and sociopolitical consciousness and all were noted as essential to student success. Zaretta Hammond (2015) added to the body of culturally responsive frameworks with Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain which “focuses on building resiliency and academic mindsets by pushing back on dominant narratives about people of color” (pg. 4). This includes building true learning partnerships between students and teachers that are built on a foundation of trust and shared power as opposed to a foundation of implicit bias and deficit based thinking. Ladson-Billings (2014) published an article titled Culturally Relevant Teaching 2.0 The Remix in which she lamented not centralizing the development of student agency and thus endorsed Jango Paris’ Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy. Paris’ (2017) Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy proposes that schools should create student centered cultures and sustain cultural and linguistic pluralism; Paris writes, “schooling should be a site for sustaining and centering the cultural practices of communities of color, rather than eradicating them (pg. 3)”. Culturally sustaining pedagogy extends this concept by focusing on student agency and their capacity to change and improve their lives and communities.

For additional information:

Hammond, Z. (2015). Culturally Responsive Teaching and The Brain. New York, New York. Corwin Press. https://www.amazon.com/Culturally-Responsive-Teaching-Brain-Linguistically/dp/B07CYZJFDJ/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=hammond&qid=1618871519&s=books&sr=1-1 *Quicklink: An Interview with the author by CASEL

Billings, G. (2014). Culturally Relevant Education 2.0 The Remix. Harvard Educational Review. v84, n1. p74-84. https://eric.ed.gov/?q=%22Ladson-Billings+Gloria%22&ff1=subCulturally+Relevant+Education&id=EJ1034303

Paris, J. Samy Alem, H. (2017). Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy: Teaching and Learning for Justice in a Changing Word. New York, New York, Columbia Teachers College Press. https://www.amazon.com/Culturally-Sustaining-Pedagogies-Teaching-Learning/dp/0807758337 *Quicklink: An interview with the authors of the book in Education Week.

University of the State of New York. (2019). Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Framework. The New York State Education Department. http://www.nysed.gov/common/nysed/files/programs/crs/culturally-responsive-sustaining-education-framework.pdf