A State's Journey to Achieve Educational Equity: The Role of Stakeholders, Researchers, and the Courts

Session Type: Symposium

Abstract

A long standing state court case affirmed that the state has a constitutional responsibility to provide every student with an equal opportunity for an education which it was failing to meet. Three organizations have collaborated to conduct 13 studies for the court to better understand key issues and challenges related to the state’s education system and to inform recommendations for the state. The researchers conducted a comprehensive research agenda to investigate the current state and major needs of the state’s education system with regard to access to effective educators; access to effective school leaders; adequate and equitable school funding and other resources; and adequate accountability and assessment systems. Several of these studies will be presented and discussed at this session.

Sub Unit

• Division L - Educational Policies and Politics / Division L - Section 2: Legal and Judicial Issues for Equity and Access

Chair

• Linda Darling-Hammond, Learning Policy Institute

Papers

• Ensuring Equitable Access to Effective Teachers - Angela Minnici, WestEd

• Attracting, Preparing, Supporting, and Retaining Education Leaders for All Schools - Susan Mundry, WestEd

• A Study of Cost Adequacy, Distribution, and Alignment of Funding for the State's Education System - Jason Willis, WestEd

• Providing an Equal Opportunity for Education in High-Poverty Schools: Assessing Needs and Opportunities - Jeannie Oakes, University of California - Los Angeles

• Study of School Success Factors in Improving Achievement of At-Risk Students - LaTricia Townsend, North Carolina State University

Discussant

• Saroja Warner, WestEd