Increasing Educational Equity Through Culturally Responsive Schooling

This project will develop and validate research-based measures of culturally-responsive schooling. Educators have been working for greater equity for decades, but with few enduring solutions. The stubborn statistics attest to the intransigency of the problem. Black and Latinx students are three times more likely today to attend highly segregated schools than they were less than 25 years ago. Segregated schools have lower test scores and higher drop-out rates. Students of color are less likely to be placed in AP courses, are over-represented in special education, and have higher rates of suspension and expulsion. Students of color are also less likely to graduate from high school and college.

In recent years, an emerging body of practice and research has pointed to a promising approach to identifying and addressing systemic inequities: equity-focused culturally responsive schools and culturally responsive leadership. Culturally responsive schools develop welcoming, engaging, and inclusive environments for students and families from diverse backgrounds. Positive learning environments are linked to higher teacher efficacy, decreased student absenteeism, increased graduation rates, and lower suspension rates of high school students. A culturally responsive leader builds the cultural capacity of teachers to teach diverse students effectively and promote pedagogy that validates and affirms student backgrounds. These behaviors have been shown to positively influence academic achievement and students' engagement with the school environment.