Putting Instructional Equity on the Table: Exploring Connections Between Instruction and Equity in District Improvement

• In Event: The Role of Social Networking in School Leadership

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to explore the connections between district efforts to create a system-wide focus on instruction and to address issues of equity. We report on a mixed-methods study that documents the evolution of social networks amongst administrators in districts that are engaged in improvement efforts taking differing approaches to addressing equity. Our findings suggest that a without an explicit focus on equity, improvement efforts focused on instruction in general are unlikely to contribute directly to the development of the relationships and common understandings that can support more equitable outcomes for all students. Increased explicit conversations in districts around issues of equity, in conjunction with conversations around instruction, may offer a promising foundation for instructional equity.

Authors

• Kathryn Hill, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Thomas C. Hatch, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Rachel Roegman, Purdue University