Reimagining Improvement Science Through the Leadership of Black Women in K-12 Education

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 4:15 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Navigating K-12 Leadership

Abstract

This presentation introduces Contextually Responsive Intersectional Systems (CRIS), a research-based framework that integrates intersectionality with continuous improvement science to reimagine school leadership and reform. Anchored by CRIA (Contextually Responsive Intersectional Analysis), the methodology centers lived experience, power analysis, and historical context to surface root causes of systemic barriers, particularly those faced by Black women in K–12 leadership. Findings from an original study using image-based microaggression testing with 100 educators and empathy interviews with 5 Black Women Educational Leaders reveal racialized and gendered perceptions of leadership. CRIS offers a data-informed, human-centered model for structural transformation and equity-based accountability in education.

Authors

• Tamra Simpson, San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools

• Valery Dragon, UnboundEd