Leveraging Student Well-Being Data for Equity

• In Event: Use Your Voice: Harnessing Student Voice Data in a Large Urban District

Abstract

Objectives or Purposes:
Share the district’s equity goals and framework
Describe the role of Equity Training specialists in supporting schools with Student Well-Being Survey administration
Share examples of how equity goals can be progress-monitored using survey data
Describe concrete changes at the school level that have resulted from this work

Perspectives or theoretical framework: The survey is an instrument to create a shared culture of social responsibility and organizational accountability in the District. It is an affirmative statement from the District that student well-being and belongingness are crucial to equity; that we cannot solely drive decision processes through interpretation of academic data. As such, this work is grounded in theory and research on equity in education and, specifically, systemic approaches to addressing inequities for historically marginalized students.

Methods, techniques or modes of inquiry: This paper employs a phenomenological approach to detailing coaching supports provided to schools in disaggregating the data for different identity groups such as race, gender, disability status, and multi-language learner status. This support helps schools to understand - at a micro level - where they need to focus their efforts on removing barriers, increasing access and inclusion, and building trusting relationships. The paper presents an analysis of the different methods used by Equity Training Specialists from the district’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to engage staff and students with the data.

Data sources, evidence, objects, or materials: Data sources and objects addressed in this paper include qualitative experience data from Equity Training Specialists, and artifacts from and examples of schools’ use of Student Well-Being Survey data in their schools.

Results and/or substantiated conclusions or warrants for arguments/points of view: The use of Student Well-Being Survey data to identify inequities has produced concrete changes in school-level practice. As one example, a school found that students with disabilities were reporting strong adult-student relationships at lower rates than students without disabilities. This school responded to this finding with a staff professional development and a student-facing event focused on neurodiversity. Another school conducted interviews and/or case studies to follow up on trends in their Student Well-Being survey data. Yet another school’s leadership conducted focus groups with Black female students to understand a trend of lower adult-student relationship scores within this group.

Scientific or scholarly significance of the study or work: This paper represents a contribution to the growing literature on district-wide and systemic approaches to advancing equity in schools (Honig & Honsa, 2020; Irby, 2022). In particular, it contributes to recent scholarship on the role of district Equity offices in facilitating change at the school level (Lewis, Modeste, & Johnson, 2023; Starr, 2020).

Authors

• Dylan Van Duyne, School District of Philadelphia

• Shannon Ellis, The School District of Philadelphia

• Abigail Gray, TRAILS