Academic Equity: Classroom Resources

Topics: Equitable Approaches | Equitable Instruction | Subject Areas

Equitable Approaches

Rights, Respect, Responsibility: A K-12 Sexuality Education Curriculum  - LGBTQ-inclusive sexual health curriculum by Advocates for Youth

Center for the Collaborative Classroom "A Conversation about Instructional Equity"
In this article, Zaretta Hammond, an author and national education consultant, discusses instructional equity both from the big picture and classroom practice. The article outlines the differences between multicultural education, social justice education and culturally responsive education and provides useful context for schools and educators beginning to discuss instructional equity.

Teaching Tolerance
Teaching Tolerance provides free resources to educators—teachers, administrators, counselors, and other practitioners—who work with K-12 children. Educators can use the materials to supplement curriculum, inform their practices, and create civil and inclusive school communities where children are respected, valued and welcome participants.

National Center on Deaf-Blindness Cultural Competence Resources
As the number of children and youth with deaf-blindness from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds continues to grow, educators and others who provide services to them and their families are expected to demonstrate awareness of cultural differences and use culturally responsive practices that respect diversity. The resources on this page can help technical assistance (TA) providers and educators increase their knowledge of these practices to inform their teaching, TA, and partnerships with families.
 
Literacy Practices for African-American Male Adolescents – Nellie Mae Education Foundation
In 2009 only 38 percent of 12th graders performed at or above a proficient level in reading. Despite efforts to close the achievement gap, African American boys fare even worse in literacy. This 2012 Students at the Center paper makes the case for deeper efforts in schools to help African American boys achieve literacy, highlighting outcomes of proficient reading including personal development, economic vitality, and global participation. "Because reading comprehension forms the foundation for learning just about anything after fourth grade and for functioning in society, educators need to pay more attention to how literacy instruction can safeguard academic and personal well-being."

Ensure Educational Equity & Excellence for Students with Disabilities - Teacher Professional Learning | Literacy, Math | MTSS
This video references The Supreme Court's ruling in the 2017 Endrew F. case which set a new bar for ensuring educational equity for students with disabilities in the United States and redefined the process for establishing IEP goals.

Educating English Learners
This circular provides local education agencies with the requirements and interpretations of the legal mandates governing the education of students who are English learners (ELs). The information included should be used in designing, staffing, and evaluating effective programs for ELs.

Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) English Learner Toolkit
The English Learner Toolkit was published in 2015 as a companion to support the 2015 "Dear Colleague Letter" (DCL) produced by the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights and the U.S. Department of Justice, outlining legal obligations for English Learners (Els). Some chapters of the tool kit have been updated related to the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA). The English Learner Tool Kit helps state and local education agencies help English Learners by fulfilling these obligations. The Toolkit has 10 chapters (one for each section of the DCL), and contains an overview, sample tools, and resources.

Step by Step Planner: UDL Lesson Design
Finding the time to adapt lessons to meet the needs of every student can be a daunting task. Lesson planning with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) can help educators design lessons to teach the range of students in their classrooms. This resource describes lesson planning using UDL in practice. A step by step planner for UDL Lesson Design may be downloaded from the site.

Classwide Intervention (PaTTAN)
When the data show that a majority of the students are not meeting benchmarks, intervention begins at the core level.  Whole group problems warrant whole group solutions.  Without classwide intervention, tiered intervention groups will be burdened with large numbers and rendered less effective.  This session will examine when classwide intervention is necessary and what evidence-based practices can be applied to classwide intervention.

Equitable Instruction

Equity through Instructional Practices Room in the Classroom for ALL with Dr Anita Archer
This  hour-long webinar from acclaimed educator, Dr. Anita Archer, discusses how to achieve equity through instructional practices. High growth is a goal for all students. Despite this vision, educators often inadvertently use instructional practices that favor one group of students over others. For example, one common practice is to call on volunteers rather than call on students randomly. High-performing, assertive students proficient in English are most likely to volunteer, increasing their amount of practice and subsequent learning. This is just one of many instructional practices that Dr. Archer sheds light on during this webinar.

High Leverage Practices in Special Education
The Council for Exceptional Children developed a one-page quick guide outlining high leverage practices for supporting students identified for special education services. These practices are outlined in the following categories: Collaboration, Assessment, Social/Emotional/Behavioral, and Instruction. Educators may review these practices to determine their current level of use in the classroom.

The National Center on Inclusive Education
The National Center on Inclusive Education is known as the TIES Center. TIES represent Time, Instructional Effectiveness, Engagement, and State Support for Inclusive Practices. It works with states, districts, and schools to support the movement of students with disabilities from less inclusive to more inclusive environments. This comprehensive resource includes topics of curriculum and inclusive instruction, systemic change, distance learning, family stories, collaborative teaming and more.

Dynamic Learning Maps Alternate Assessment Consortium with University of North Carolina:  Professional Development
Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) offers instructionally relevant professional development modules and a virtual community of practice to support educators who teach and assess students participating in the DLM system - an instruction and assessment system for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. Writing with Alternate Pencils, Ten Frames, Measurement, Beginning Communicators and Symbols are just several of the professional development modules provided specific to students with the most significant cognitive disabilities.

PaTTAN CS Teacher Toolkit: Equity & Inclusion
The PaTTAN Computer Science Teacher Toolkit's focus on equity and inclusion is presented in two sections: Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Accessible Computer Science Curricula. Resources are included in each of the two main sections, specific for teacher use and review.

K-12 Curriculum from Asian Americans Advancing Justice
An expansive database of curriculum materials and lesson plans. Searchable by grade level, theme, time period, and subject areas. Includes lesson plans to accompany specific episodes of PBS' Asian Americans series.

Immigration History
Lesson plans and resources on immigration history developed by award-winning Asian American Studies (AAS) faculty.

Learning for Justice -  APA Lesson Plans & Resources
Essays, videos, webinars and lesson plans for exploring different aspects of AAPI experiences.

Subject Areas