Supporting Equity Leads to Impact Racial Equity and Social-Emotional Well-being

• In Event: Perspectives on Racial Equity Practices: From Design to Impact

Abstract

Background/Perspective: Equity leads in education agencies across the United States have been tasked with supporting the design and implementation of reforms to solve entrenched injustices and support educator and student social-emotional well-being (Grossman et al., 2021; Irby et al., 2021). The role of the equity lead has been configured in numerous ways; yet, one overarching finding is that those in this role face immense challenges including social-emotional stress, limited administrative support, and limited financial resources to execute initiatives (Irby et al., 2022). Given the potential impact of the equity lead and the array of challenges those in this role face, more research is needed to develop strategies to optimize the impact of individuals who take on this role.

Objectives: The primary objective of this research was to identify potential strategies to support equity leads and optimize their impact on racial equity and social-emotional well-being. The current paper describes the community-engaged research process to better understand the strengths, challenges, and opportunities for intervention to support equity leads in a single mid-Atlantic state.

Method/Data Source: Over the 2023-2024 school year, the research team met biweekly with a small working group of equity leads (n=6) to develop data collection strategies, interpret findings, and develop recommendations. We administered a statewide survey of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging practices (n=114), conducted qualitative interviews with educators (n=13), and held information-gathering meetings with equity leads throughout the state (n=10). Summaries of these data were presented to the working group as data became available. The list of potential strategies to support equity leads were developed iteratively through the working group meetings.

Results: Strategies to support equity leads fell under four categories. The first set of strategies described tailored learning and support opportunities, such as developing a professional learning community and providing social-emotional and wellness resources tailored for equity leads. The second set of strategies encompassed structural supports for the equity role, including developing shared job descriptions aligned to legislation and developing an Equity Lead Bill of Rights. The third category of strategies focused on accountability structures that could be shared across schools, districts, and the state, including progress monitoring. Fourth, equity leads consistently recommended leveraging community-based organizations, families, and influential organizations outside of the school system to share the support and accountability for equity work.

Significance: Notably, most of the strategies developed through this community-engaged process focused on sharing accountability for equity work beyond the individual equity lead. The need for social and emotional support for equity leads was another important recommendation that is undervalued in the literature. Taken together, findings echo growing literature on the challenges faced by equity leads (e.g., Irby et al., 2022), the inseparability of social-emotional well-being and educational equity (Beard et al., 2023; Portilla et al., 2021), and the need to support accountability from individual through institutional and structural levels (Edeburn et al., 2023; Irby et al., 2022). Identifying and testing low effort and high impact strategies to support equity leads offers an unparalleled opportunity to support racial equity and social-emotional well-being of students and educators.

Authors

• Danielle Hatchimonji, Lurie Children's

• Michelle Price, Nemours Children's Health

• Zumana Noor, Nemours Children's Health

• Kira S. Branch, Nemours Children's Health