Equity Resources
Please contact Charisse Bowman (charisse.bowman@iu1.org) for additional resources and professional development opportunities around Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.
Equity Resources for February 2022 from Dana Milakovich, PDE Office of Safe Schools - Mental Wellness and Trauma Specialist
Delivering on the Promise of Effective Early Childhood Education for Black Children: Eliminating Exclusionary Discipline and Concentrating on Inclusion https://www.nbcdi.org/sites/default/files/resource-files/Delivering%20on%20the%20Promise%20of%20Effective%20Early%20Childhood%20Education.pdf
The authors of this resource have very skillfully woven solid evidence together with specific practices that can be used to prepare early childhood professionals to support the full participation of Black children and their families. Recommendations are organized thematically (e.g., culturally-responsive practice, high expectations of children) with specific examples provided for implementation at child/family, classroom, program, and system levels. The interpretation of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs vis-à-vis supporting Black children and families is just one of the thought-provoking features of this document
In My Skin: Supporting Positive Racial Identity Development in Black Children
This transcript of a conversation with Dr. Aisha White, one of the principals of the P.R.I.D.E. Program at the University of Pittsburgh, explores what is meant by “positive racial identity,” discusses the challenges young Black children, in particular, face in developing a healthy racial identity, and offers practical, research-supported ideas for how adults in the lives of young Black children can support them on their paths to healthy growth and development.
An Applied Research Agenda on Black Children and Families to Advance Practices that Promote Their Well-Being https://www.childtrends.org/publications/an-applied-research-agenda-on-black-children-and-families-to-advance-practices-and-policies-that-promote-their-well-being
This February 2022 Child Trends brief explains the importance of developing an applied research agenda on Black children and families and offers a three-step process to carry out this vision. An applied research agenda (i.e., an agenda that establishes research priorities to solve real-world problems, inform decision making, and improve the lives of people across diverse settings) can fuel efforts to address the challenges that Black children and families face and advance their well-being.
Children’s Books that Provide Mirrors and Windows for Young Black Children
Black Pioneers in STEM Book List https://stemie.fpg.unc.edu/sites/stemie.fpg.unc.edu/files/
Black%20Pioneers%20in%20STEM%20Book%20List%20-%20Updated%202022.pdf
This list embraces and celebrates Black pioneers and innovators in STEM with engaging illustrations and photos to talk about with your young children.
19 Black Children’s Books by Black Authors https://bookriot.com/black-childrens-books-by-black-authors/
This collection, which includes both current and older titles, ranges from Lullaby for a Black Mother by Langston Hughes to Firebird by Misty Copeland.
Storybook Conversations: Astro Girl https://stemie.fpg.unc.edu/storybook-conversations-astro-girl
Astro Girl, written and illustrated by Ken Wilson-Max, shares the view of a young Black girl named Astrid who imagines what it would be like to go to space and be an astronaut. Read more about what challenges astronauts face, and imagine what going to space would be like!
A Long Gumdrop: Hair Love https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNw8V_Fkw28
If you haven’t seen this charming tribute to Black hair, please prepare to be delighted. And if you’ve seen it before, take 6:47 minutes to be delighted all over again.
Bullying Prevention
Equity
Behavioral Health Equity and Incarceration Virtual Roundtable (Session 2/15/22 11-12:30)
Educating Adolescents at the Intersection of Social Emotional Learning, Civics, Equity, and Academics (Session: 2/23/22 7-8pm)
Teaching for Equity and Justice (2 day free workshop: 3/3/22-3/4/22- Online 11am-4pm daily) From Facing History and Ourselves: two-day online learning experience as we examine moments in the history of American education, current systems of inequity, and provide a professional development model to help address these troubling and historically rooted disparities.
Women inventors are featured in 2021 poster exhibition offered by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service
Strengthening Community: Strengthening Community in Educational Spaces (Free Session: 2/15/22 9-1:30pm) Strengthening Community Symposium, a free event featuring a moderated conversation with Dr. Bernice King! In addition to the moderated conversation with Dr. King from 12:00 – 1:30 p.m., the symposium will offer presentations that will discuss the importance of strengthening community in educational spaces. Registration is now open HERE
Unpacking Poverty: The Intersection of Financial Insecurity, Race, and Mental Health in Youth (Free Session: 3/31/22 2:30-4) When children live in poverty, it impacts every area of their lives. Insufficient financial resources mean limited access to basic needs, which leads to an increased likelihood of developmental issues, struggles in school, and decreased overall wellbeing. When youth are also racial and/or ethnic minorities, the impact is intensified. There are significant implications for the schools, organizations, and businesses that serve these young people. We’ll discuss the multidimensional impacts of poverty on youth mental health and the implications and opportunities for the communities that nurture them during this session. Register HERE
General Practice:
You Want to Teach What? How preservice teachers learn to address controversy and prepare students for democracy (Harvard School of Education)
2021 PAYS County Level Special Reports of the Impact of COVID-19 (reminder this is only preliminary data; there may be slight changes in the final numbers that are released in May).
PDE Data Summit: A New Beginning- Cultivating Save and Equitable Systems for School Improvement (March 21-23) Main topic tracks: PIMS Collection and Administrator Info, PDE Guidance &Initiatives, School Improvement, Equity & Inclusion, Social Emotional Learning, Cybersecurity & Virtual Learning, Special Education, Data Use & Visualization
Lead Poisoning
FACT SHEET: The Biden-Harris Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan | The White House
School Safety FEMA Opportunity for Youth
FEMA Seeks Teen Leaders for National Youth Preparedness Council FEMA is accepting applications for the National Youth Preparedness Council. This program brings teens together from across the country who are interested and engaged in community preparedness. Council members are selected based on their dedication to public service, their efforts in making a difference in their communities and their potential to expand their impact as national leaders for emergency preparedness. Students in grades eight through 11 are eligible to apply. “The Youth Preparedness Council is our nation’s next generation of emergency managers,” said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell. “This is an exciting opportunity for youth leaders to join a diverse group of like-minded peers. Together, members will find new and creative ways to make preparing for disasters easier and more accessible for children, teens and families in their own communities.” During their one-year term on the virtual council, members will collaborate with each other to develop projects that promote preparedness on a local and national scale. Members will also participate in the annual council summit in July and engage with top leaders within FEMA, the federal government and national non-profit organizations. Youth interested in applying to the council must submit a completed application form and provide two letters of recommendation and parent or guardian consent. All applications and supporting materials must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m., March 6, 2022. New council members will be announced in June. To access the application materials, read about the current council members and learn more about the Youth Preparedness Council, visit www.ready.gov/youth-preparedness-council.
Substance Use
“Here’s the ‘kicker’: School factors associated with opioid misuse among US African American Youth
National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW) Webinar and Dialogue with Experts Series: Improving Outcomes for Families Affected by Prenatal Alcohol Exposure (Free Session I: 2/22/22 1:30-3; Session II: 2/24/22 1:30-3)
Suicide Prevention
Study Finds Hormone Therapy Lowers Suicide Risk in Transgender Adolescents | The Hill
School-based Suicide Prevention: Promising Approaches and Opportunities for Research (RECORDED WEBINAR)
***Child Mind Resources - FREE! A series of free, evidence-based video and print resources that caregivers and educators can use to teach their kids critical mental health and coping skills. The project was born of an innovative partnership between the state of California and the Child Mind Institute.
Setting Up a Disability-Inclusive Classroom - Six strategies for making people with disabilities a part of your students’ diverse learning experiences.
What to Do When your Child Comes Out - There are a whole heap of ways that someone can come out about their sexuality or gender identity. Your child might sit you down for a heart to heart. They could email it to you. If they’re quite young, it could be an announcement regarding their gender or their schoolyard crush, without any realization of what it means. No matter how it happens, the important thing to remember is that your child is sharing something deeply personal with you, that they have likely thought about a lot. How you respond and show your support is important in the moment. Having a child come out is different for every family – but there are some positive ways to navigate any experience. This video from Minus 18 shares advice from parents of LGBTQ+ children in their own words. Watch here
Disproportionate Impacts of COVID-19 on LGBTQ+ Households - For nearly two years, COVID-19 has disrupted life for all of us. Millions have had the disease and three-quarters of a million people have died in the U.S. alone. The pandemic’s impact also extends far beyond the direct impact of the virus. According to a report from the Movement Advancement Project (MAP), LGBTQ+ people are much more likely to have serious financial problems, income loss, and challenges accessing healthcare as the Delta variant progressed. MAP’s report, The Delta Variant & the Disproportionate Impacts of COVID-19 on LGBTQ+ Households in the U.S., presents new findings and analysis of a nationally representative survey conducted by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, NPR, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. As in the 2020 survey, these new data show that LGBTQ+ people experienced higher rates of job loss and work disruption due to the pandemic than non-LGBTQ+ people. Read more
Acceptance of Trans Youth Associated with Lower Suicide Rates - The Trevor Project has published a new peer-reviewed study in Transgender Health that found acceptance of one’s gender identity from adults and peers was associated with significantly lower odds of attempting suicide among transgender and nonbinary youth. Based on a national sample of more than 8,000 transgender and nonbinary youth from across the United States, these findings further suggest a need to equip adults and young people with the information, skills, and resources necessary to support and affirm the transgender and nonbinary young people in their lives, as this gender identity acceptance can protect against negative mental health outcomes, including suicide. Read here
Most LGBTQ+ Kids Mental Health Impacted by Anti-Trans Legislation - Over two-thirds of LGBTQ+ youth said recent debates over state laws that target transgender people have negatively impacted their mental health, a new poll released this month by the Trevor Project shows. Seven in 10 LGBTQ+ youth said they regularly follow news related to the issues that impact the trans community, and as a result, 66% of all LGBTQ+ young people polled said their mental health had been negatively affected by recent debates about state laws restricting the rights of transgender people. The impact is even greater among trans and nonbinary youth: 85% of those polled — four in five of this group — said their mental health had been negatively affected. Read here
Philadelphia Students Can Identify as Nonbinary on School Documents - In the midst of a nationwide attack on inclusive policies for LGBTQ+ students, one of the largest school districts in the nation has added a nonbinary option on school forms. The policy was announced last week by Dr. William Hite, the superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia, and it is officially available for students as of today, December 13, as the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Students will now be able to identify as nonbinary in school portals, and can fill out an Google form to inform their school about any changes to their name or their gender, according to a press release from the school district. Students will also have the option of updating their gender and/or name in Google only, or across the Student Information System, which includes “most other student and school facing systems,” including report cards and attendance. Learn more
Webinars - Supporting Transgender & Gender Diverse Youth & Their Families in a Clinical Setting – 2022 Learning Collaborative Application
April, 7, 14, 21 & 28, 2022 Thursdays 3:00 - 4:30pm EST/12:00-1:30pm PST
Access to pediatric gender-affirming care for transgender and gender diverse (TGD) youth is vital to positive mental and physical health outcomes and should be considered part of routine primary care. This program will engage pediatric primary care providers, mental health providers, health center administrators and support staff in establishing welcoming and affirming clinic environments and engaging families in supporting their TGD children, with the aim of improving health outcomes. Providers will learn best practices for serving the families of TGD youth, and strategies for successfully responding to a variety of family and patient needs and priorities. Learn more
Equity Resources for October 2021
Equity Resources for July 2021
Equity Resources for June 2021
In Pennsylvania, equity has been defined as "every student having access to the educational resources and rigor they need at the right moment in their education across race, gender, ethnicity, language, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, family background and/or family income. (www.ccsso.org)."
Article (pa.gov) – Juneteenth: A Time of Celebration & Reflection
‘Plyler v. Doe’: All Students Deserve an Education | Learning for Justice
LGBTQ (pa.gov): Creating LGBTQ Inclusive Schools
Gender and Gender Identity (pa.gov): Creating Gender-Inclusive Schools and Classrooms
Best Practices for Serving LGBTQ Students | Learning for Justice
Understanding LGBTQ+ Identity: A Toolkit for Educators Collection - BOOST Cafe
Dr. Nikole Hollins-Sims, PaTTAN Educational Consultant & Special Advisor on Equity to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (K-12), provided the following Equity resource, that Hillary and I thought would be valuable to our Western Region SMHP’s Networking group. The webinars describing the PDE Equity Pillars of Practice and their connection to mitigating Significant Disproportionality in Special Education (identification, placement & discipline) have been completed and can be found on the PaTTAN YouTube channel under the Significant Disproportionality Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCkBP2csbOst3lQSPRKxHoc8-Oxg6lcLe These may also be accessed via our PaTTAN website: PaTTAN - Resources
Good Trouble: Understanding and Supporting Youth Activism for Equity and Justice | MAEC, Inc.
Equity Resources for May 2021
S.H.O.U.T. DEI Conference (Student Driven) 6/17: https://www.go-gba.org/events/handprints-heal-footprints-an-uncommon-conference-on-diversity-equity-and-inclusion/
100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre (5/31/21) Remembering the Tulsa Race Massacre | History | Smithsonian Magazine
Special thanks to Christine Sato-Yamazaki & Andrea Neighbors for an informative and important session yesterday afternoon. The resources provided around the experiences of Japanese-Americans during WWII were powerful and would be extremely beneficial to educators. The recording of the session may be found here.
Additionally, below are the links to the FREE materials for use in classrooms.
NVN's Education Page: https://nationalveteransnetwork.com/resources-for-researchers-educators/
Link to the elementary activities: https://nationalveteransnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Sandbox-Elementary-Packet-FINAL-.pdf
Link to the middle grade activities: https://nationalveteransnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Sandbox-Middle-School-Packet-FINAL.pdf
Please also visit: cgm.smithsonianapa.org (copy/paste into browser) for the real lived experiences of Japanese-Americans during the WWII era.
Student Mental Health Matters | Learning for Justice (Webinar – 59 min)
Equity and MTSS Webinar – Equitable & Authentic Family/Community Engagement – PaTTAN (Duration – 1 hour)
Moving From Bicultural to Transcultural Acculturation | Learning for Justice
Why Mendez Still Matters – Meet the school desegregation case that still affects EL (multilingual) instruction today.
Mental Health Matters: 14 Strategies for Your School (pbisapps.org)
Planning-for-Uncertainty-Guide.pdf (upenn.edu) An Educator’s Guide to Navigating the COVID-19 Era; Developed by The Project for Mental Health and Optimal Development – Penn GSE
PaTTAN Significant Disproportionality YouTube Playlist – This playlist supports LEAs who have been designated with significant disproportionality in the special education categories of: Identification, Placement, & Discipline. They highlight the PDE Equity Pillars of Practice.
Where Do We Get Our News and Why Does It Matter? | Facing History and Ourselves This resource was part of the Election 2020 collection, designed to help educators teach about voting rights, media literacy, and civic participation, in remote and in-person settings.
Equity Resources for April 2021
Building Learning Environments to Foster Belonging: Supporting LGBTQIA+ Youth – PDE Blog released 4/23/21
Multicultural Children's Book Publisher | Lee & Low Books (leeandlow.com)
In preparation for the verdict in the trial of Officer Derek Chauvin, I’d like to offer specific resources to support your educational and organizational spaces. There will most likely be a plethora of emotions despite the outcome. These resources are to help you in your various roles as you discuss this with your own children and also students, families, communities, and districts you serve.
When Bad Things Are Happening | Learning for Justice (shared from a previous fill-up, post Jan. 6th)
Equity and Expectations: Leading Rural Communities through Unprecedented Pressures | MAEC, Inc.
VA Department of Education – Equitable supports in Gender Diversity
School Counselors Have Implicit Bias. Some Are Ready to Address It. | EdSurge News
Equity Resources for March 2021
Transformative SEL as a Lever for Equity & Social Justice (casel.org)
Why SEL Alone Isn't Enough - Educational Leadership (ascd.org)
Beware of Equity Traps and Tropes - Educational Leadership (ascd.org) (Thanks Jason Boone, IU 7, for sharing)
No More Dreams Deferred - Public Citizens For Children and Youth (pccy.org) (Thanks Shawanna Cole-James, Centennial SD, for sharing)
Racism in the Age of COVID-19 - NSC Media, Identity, & Social Attitudes Lab (weebly.com)
Curriculum / Lesson Plans | Asian Americans Advancing Justice - LA (advancingjustice-la.org)
Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs | Governor Tom Wolf
Computer Science FREE event - CSinPA presents: Coded Bias (smore.com) - Coded Bias explores the fallout of MIT Media Lab researcher Joy Buolamwini's startling discovery that facial recognition does not see dark-skinned faces accurately, and her journey to push for the first-ever legislation in the U.S. to govern against bias in the algorithms that impact us all.
Equity in the Classroom and Beyond – Video and Blog
Presently Invisible: The Arab Plight in American Classrooms | Learning for Justice
The Leadership Academy’s Culturally Responsive Remote Learning Observations
Respect: Find Out What It Means to Me...Actually Ask Your Students (pbisapps.org)
Equity Resources for February 2021
Please also keep in mind, there have been a rash of violent hate crimes in the country towards Asian-Americans. Please continue to be aware of these instances and how it may be translating in schools. The Equity and Inclusion Toolkit will be a useful tool.**
PDE has released a NEW infographic depicting the Equitable Practices Hub, please share far and wide!
Special thanks to Dr. Lisa Hess, Assistant Superintendent from Governor Mifflin SD, who shared the DARE tool. Districts Advancing Racial Equity (DARE) Tool (learningpolicyinstitute.org)
Significant Disproportionality in Special Education Webinar Series – YouTube Playlist – This playlist will be populated with 15-20min videos highlighting each of the pillars of practice up until April.
NEW! MAEC's Equity Audit | MAEC, Inc. What is different about the 2021 version of the tool compared to previous versions? We significantly revised the tool based on feedback from practitioners and researchers, and in light of the new realities faced by schools due to COVID-19. Additionally, we revised the scale for rating each item from a two-point scale to a four-point scale. Expanding the scale allows for a more thorough look at where each entity is in regards to equity.
PLEASE NOTE! Currently, the new version is not available on the Equitable Practices Hub. The new tool will be added soon. However, please continue to feel free to use the version on the hub to help sites with their journey.
Remake Learning – We ARE (Antiracist Educators): Leaders and Learners – March 2-March 30th, 2021. 5 sessions over the course of one month.
PBISApps Expert Instruction Podcast Episode 6: Implicit Bias
PaTTAN Behavior Bytes: Embedding Equity into MTSS Behavior (Duration: 15 min)
Significant Disproportionality Webinar Series: General Equity Practices Pillar (Duration: 15 min)
Pronouns: A Resource Supporting Transgender and Gender Nonconforming (GNC) Educators and Students
Black History Month: Teaching the Complete History (please visit www.learningforjustice.org)
NEW! Time to Act: How School Superintendents Keep Equity at the Center of Their Leadership | MAEC, Inc.
Includes a Self-Assessment Tool for Superintendents!
The recording for Dr. Ronald Whitaker’s equity learning session from January 13th is available here!
Myself (Nicole Hollins-Sims) and my colleague, Amira Hill-Yancy, have been running a webinar series focused on Equity & MTSS. Here is the most recent recording, focused on Shared Ownership.
Toward racial equity in public schooling: Less talk, more action - kappanonline.org
If you listen, we will stay. Why teachers of color leave & how to disrupt teacher turnover.
Equity Resources for January 2021
Special thanks to MCIU for creating a quick overview video of the H.E.L.P. framework, highlighted in Dr. Whitaker’s presentation.
If you had the opportunity to hear from poet laureate, Amanda Gorman, at the presidential inauguration, she was AMAZING! PBS and the NY Times have provided lesson plans for teachers centered around her poem.
The Biden Administration signed an executive order on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government – Equity was defined as follows: The term “equity” means the consistent and systematic fair, just, and impartial treatment of all individuals, including individuals who belong to underserved communities that have been denied such treatment, such as Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other persons of color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons; persons with disabilities; persons who live in rural areas; and persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality.
Brave Conversations in Classrooms (padlet.org) This is a padlet with resources around how to have conversations with students that are challenging or surrounding current events.
Thank you IU 17 for an “After-Hours” session with educators across the commonwealth around Courageous Conversations in the Classroom. The recording and other materials are here.
Disciplining Educators: How Schools Should Tackle Conduct Concerns After the Insurrection – Provided by EdWeek.
Report on Equity and Education Practices in Pennsylvania Schools – Provided by the Pennsylvania Teacher Advisory Committee (PTAC) -- PTAC’s intention is that this report drives critical discourse and policy decisions that create greater equity for students across Pennsylvania, while also increasing opportunities for expert teachers to provide input in creating this equity.
Mid-Atlantic Equity Center: Equity Audit
Save-The-Date – PaTTAN Speech Series Event – Identifying and Treating Language Disorders within Children’s Dialects in Linguistically Diverse Communities
Responding to the Insurrection at the US Capitol | Facing History and Ourselves
Immediate recommendations based on January 6th, 2021.
When Bad Things Are Happening (Teaching Tolerance) When news breaks of disaster or violence, your students may want to discuss a crisis as it unfolds.
Step 1: Listen
Step 2: Protect
Step 3: Model
Step 4: Take care of yourself
Equity Resources for December 2020
Registration is OPEN for Dr. Ronald Whitaker’s equity professional learning opportunity on January 13, 2021 hosted by PaTTAN.
RFA – Teacher Diversity in Pennsylvania from 2013-14 to 2019-20 – Released December 2020
Podcast: How to Create a Sense of Belonging for Latinx Youth in Suburban Schools with Dr. Gabriel Rodriguez
Favorite Holiday Poster Projects Aren’t Inclusive | Teaching Tolerance – Focus on Classroom Equity
Born to Win, Schooled to Lose: Why Equally Talented Students Don't Get Equal Chances to Be All They Can Be - CEW Georgetown (Great Infographics, Video, and Full Report)
PaTTANpod: Equity: Taking Action S3- Episode 40 - YouTube Policies drive practices... Dr. Heather Bennett from PBSA and Dr. Stacy Winslow from the Derry Township School District discuss the what, why, and how of Educational Equity Policies.
Count Us In: Advancing Equity in Rural Schools and Communities – MAEC
Deficit Thinking in Schools is a Social Justice Issue. Here’s why we need to do better.
We Have a Discipline Problem in Early Ed. What Are We Doing to Help Educators Fix It?
Go, Engage, Connect: Welcome Student Identity & Improve Equity
Resources from a workshop held at IU1 entitled, Privilege, (presenter Heaven Sensky).
American University Anti-Racism in America Resources, Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
Being Antiracist: National Museum of African American History
Racial Healing Handbook: Practical Activities to Help You Challenge Privilege, Confront Systemic Racism, and Engage in Collective Healing by Anneliese A. Singh, PhD, LPC
The following was used to create a privilege virtual "walk" : Privilege Check list
Good Definitions of terms: https://www.racialequitytools.org/glossary#anti-racism
Equity Resources for November 2020
Project READY: Reimagining Equity & Access for Diverse Youth
Where We Go Wrong in Equity Work: Separating Social Justice Efforts from True Movement of Healing
Leading for Equity (Special preview – this document serves as the basis of the soon-to-be-released PIL Equity Course 2 in Fall 2021)
Good morning Equity Champions!
Ensuring Student Well-Being in the Context of the 2020 Election.
Start at the Beginning: New Report Offers Solutions to Rooting Out Racism in Early Education
Great Lakes Equity Center STEM Education Equity Analysis Tool
National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity (NAPE) STEM Equity Program Evaluation Rubric