Starting in School: Education Policies to Dismantle Systemic Racism

• In Event: Rethinking Policies for Justice and Equitable Education Systems

Abstract

Objective
This paper seeks to help deepen our understanding of existing and emerging research that can inform in-school strategies and policies for addressing systemic racism. This includes examples of the ways in which school communities inform future policies at the local, state and federal level and documenting approaches that are community-based and serve as asset-based, agency-centered responses to counteract systemic barriers.

Theoretical Framework
Increasing racial, cultural, and linguistic divide between teachers (predominately European American) and K–12 students (increasingly from ethnic groups of color) underscores the need for more multicultural education approaches as a central policy issue. This paper explores the relationship between multicultural education frameworks and education policy to shape school-level policy strategies and priorities.

Methods & Data Sources
The authors draw upon mixed methods studies from a variety of disciplines and original analysis to summarize existing scholarship that has been shown to improve educational outcomes for historically marginalized student groups. The author also references several recent studies on high leverage practices for improving academic outcomes for low-income students and youth of color, making references to scholarship in multicultural contexts.

Results
The author presents a new theoretical framework for prioritizing school policy responses to dismantle existing patterns on inequality most common for low-income students and students of color in K-12 settings. This is based on recent mixed-methods studies and scholarship that seek to better understand how practice and policy impact student academic outcomes.

Scholarly significance
U.S. schools like all other institutions within the country have been challenged on the idea of racial inclusion and equity. Despite noted progress, many institutions, schools being primary among them, continue to struggle to become beacons of racial equity. From underfunded and segregated schools to racially-based busing programs, educational tracking, opportunity gaps, and disproportionate school discipline affecting students of color, racism remains a reality in US schools. As school issues remain a challenge, out-of-school factors are just as challenging for many students of color. Hence, as issues tied to poverty, access to vital support services, environmental hazards, and homelessness become far too common, a greater coordinated effort between local, state, and federal supports is desperately needed. Schools remain central to such efforts.

Author

• Tyrone C. Howard, University of California - Los Angeles