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Even though school safety is a topic of concern for many people, there are laws that specifically protect students because of race, national origin, sex, religion, sexual orientation, etc. Educational spaces should prioritize the safety and well-being of all students (Ladson-Billings, 2014). Hence, educators are charged with the responsibility of ensuring all students feel safe and secure while attending school. The purpose of this resource is to support educational practitioners in understanding how laws protect the safety and security of learning environments for students. Concurrently, this resource affirms the various identities of individuals by providing relevant information on how laws provide protection for students who are susceptible to being marginalized because of their race, national origin, sex, religion, sexual orientation, etc.

This "Equity Tool" is intended to facilitate use of the concepts and processes described in greater depth in the Equity by Design brief, "Promoting Socially Just Evidence-based Practice." We summarize the framework presented in this brief and offer guiding questions to support educators' preparation for and engagement in equity-based practice (EBP) elements and processes.

This brief explains how four important system design initiatives frequently promoted by state and local education agencies for school improvement can be implemented through an intentional systematic approach for a powerful, positive impact on student outcomes. As technical assistance providers with expertise in four specific frameworks for educational system design, and with great appreciation for one another, the contributors suggest how a coordinated Stage-based Implementation process with embedded, systems level critical Equity Inquiries at every stage can enable schools to establish Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles and guidelines within a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) for a designed experience in instructional decision making.

This zine represents a large community project done with the collaboration of Waterloo's NAACP Education Chapter, ASK (Access for Special Kids) Resource Center, community members, caregivers, college students, and faculty. The importance of this zine was to highlight the work from town hall meetings and caregiver interviews, but also show illustrations specifically created to add more depth to these true experiences. It also shows the importance of the fight for social justice in special education for students of Color, through sharing real experiences and centering the voices of the caregivers who advocate for their students. During the townhall, the authors were able to identify Disability Critical Race Theory (DisCrit), disproportionality, and punishment that was caused by traumatic situations for children. Intersectionality was also identified and highlighted to explain the impact of the nexus of factors such as having a dis/ability or lower socioeconomic status, and being able to identify what this means in the K-12 education. Overall, this zine highlights the urgency of the need of culturally responsive and sustaining educators for children and youth of Color, with or without dis/abilities.

Demands for school choice have led to a substantial increase in the educational options available to families in the United States (Stanford, 2023). Throughout the country, many areas have experienced post-pandemic expansions of school choice through micro-schools, virtual schools, and other non-traditional school models (Hamlin et al., 2023). These developments raise questions about how school leaders can support school integration as families are presented with expanding school options. These emerging forms of school choice could help to strengthen voluntary integration by allowing families to choose schools outside of segregated neighborhoods, but new forms of choice could also amplify segregation if families of similar racial and socioeconomic backgrounds congregate in the same schools. Previous research paints a complicated picture offering evidence that school choice can unleash both segregating and desegregating forces (McCallum et al., 2019; Monarrez et al., 2022). This brief describes new approaches to school choice and consider how they might influence school integration. Transformations brought about by emerging models of school choice could shape the future of school integration.

When asked about school mathematics, students rarely describe it as meaningful or relevant. Research shows that students are more engaged when they are challenged to think critically, and can connect the content to their lived experiences. This "Equity Tool" is designed to assist educators in reviewing curricula to determine if it supports equitable and responsive mathematics learning experiences. Additionally, this tool can also serve as a starting point for curriculum development.

The DAPP (Difference & Dissonance, Assumptions, Power, and Patterns) Tool is intended to help educators, leaders, teams, schools, districts, education agencies, and other organizations to engage in the type of critical reflection necessary to build critical consciousness, and undertake more equitable and just actions, toward learning, planning, and change. More specifically, we look to see how power aligns with various dominant socio-cultural identities to advantage persons with those identities, and disadvantage and exclude those without them.

This "Equity Tool" is designed for teachers that want opportunities to think about culture and what it has to do with teaching and learning. In this tool we briefly theorize what culture is, and what it has to do with teaching and learning. Next, we introduce a useful framework for thinking about cultural practices in schools. Finally, we offer a tool to facilitate the process of teaching with culture in mind.

This Equity Tool is for educators who want to offer comprehensive and inclusive age-appropriate sex education to students, and are wondering how. This tool delineates what must be included (and excluded) in curricula and appropriate pedagogies at various grade levels; discusses how to navigate conservative backlash teachers might encounter; and discusses the ways in which educators can care for themselves since some teachers, particularly teachers of Color, might be concerned for their wellbeing and employment as they do this work.

Psychiatrist and professor Dr. Chester Pierce coined the term microaggression in the early 1960s to describe modern-day racism in the U.S. Pierce stated that most racial offenses are "subtle and stunning" and that the "enormity of the complications they cause can be appreciated only when one considers that the subtle blows are delivered incessantly" (Pierce, 1970, pp. 265-266). The repetitive patterns of aggressive acts/oppression inflicted upon individuals of Color have an accumulative effect on the physical, social, and emotional well-being of people of Color (Pierce, 1970). Expanding upon Pierce's work, Sue and colleagues (2007b) further defined microaggressions as the everyday (non)verbal and environmental slights, snubs, or insults, whether intentional or unintentional, which communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to people based solely upon their marginalized group membership. The purpose of this document is to introduce the term microaggression, enumerating its taxonomies, impact, and how to begin addressing & disrupting microaggressions when they occur.

This Equity Tool, intended to support when critically reading a research study/report, provides a brief introduction to key concepts and issues involved in using largescale research, calling attention to high profile controversies, and providing explicit linkages to desegregation areas (race, sex, nationality, religion). The first part (Table 1) is a checklist that can be applied to a review of secondary research studies or reports. The second part (Table 2) presents a summary of different statistical analysis tools, and what research questions can be answered when using different approaches commonly encountered in secondary analysis.

This "Equity Tool" provides facts and frequently asked questions about magnet schools and their integration efforts. It is meant to be shared with various education stakeholders, including those directly involved in designing and implementing magnet school policies at the local level as well as those at state and federal levels who are in positions to create legislation that promotes the value and benefits associated with magnet schools intentionally structured for school integration.

The use of evidence-based practice (EBP) is considered key to supporting favorable academic, social, emotional, and behavioral outcomes in education and related fields. Although specific research-based practices are progressively more frequently practiced by teachers and other school-based professionals, scholars and practitioners--particularly those from minoritized communities--call attention to the narrow, and often exclusionary nature, of the evidence on which such practices are based. In this "Equity by Design" brief, we first compare conceptualizations of EBP and their limitations. We then challenge common misconceptions about research-based practice to propose an approach to EBP that leverages critical engagement with scholarship and centers community, family, and student voice. We end with key elements of socially-just EBP to advance effective prevention, intervention, and systems of support in schools.

School districts must not only be knowledgeable about the historical context of school desegregation, but also what current efforts are occurring across the U.S. to combat school segregation as they may help guide them in leveraging policy in their own school communities' school integration endeavors. Thus, the purpose of this "Equity by Design" research brief is to illustrate the importance of continuing to pursue the initial goals of "Brown" (1954).

The purpose of this "Equity by Design" brief is to aid administrators in protecting sexual and gender minority students from discrimination and harassment. Specifically, this Brief presents Title IX's conceptualizations of sex and harassment to identify who is protected, and from what. Further, it discusses how to navigate backlash administrators might encounter. Finally, it considers ways administrators can care for themselves since some, particularly administrators of Color, might be afraid for their wellbeing and employment as they do this work.

This brief discusses how teaching and learning can be understood as two interconnected "cultural" endeavors that support learning, particularly for Students of Color. Although culture can be a powerful idea to bring to teaching and learning, it can also be confusing. Teaching and learning are undoubtedly connected activities, yet they can all too often be understood in ways that are very limiting for Students of Color. This brief starts with a working definition of what is meant by culture accompanied by some guiding principles. The authors recognize some of the scholars that have helped lay a cultural foundation for thinking about teaching and learning. This facilitates an understanding of the evolutions of some of the terms that have made their ways into schools and in order to help teachers understand how these works are connected, build upon each other, and differ from each other. The authors share personal stories, which help bring culture alive in teaching and learning accompanied by reflective questions. The brief includes a curated set of resources that teachers can access to continue their own learning or to think about as curricular tools.

Since the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, more organizations have recognized a need to create more inclusive and antiracist environments. While anti-racism continues to be a highly contested value, for some, it has become an en vogue purpose. How do equity-focused school leaders, who are truly committed to constructing more justice-oriented and truly inclusive environments, distinguish themselves from those who claim to be anti-racist because it is the in thing to do? There are a myriad of relevant responses to that question, but one response that is underdeveloped in the research literature and in the field is the inner life of school leaders. While there has been an increase in attention to socialemotional learning (SEL) for students, and even for teachers, scant attention has been paid to the SEL needs and experiences of school leaders. The purpose of this brief is to address these gaps in a way that supports equity-focused leaders to reflect on their internal life; understand how that internal life intersects with their public equity leadership; and then offer grounding principles for beginning a practice of "Conscious Praxis."

The curriculum design of educational programs is pivotal to the success of Black students in mathematics and science. It is essential to implement a curricular approach that values the experiences of Black students. In this "Equity by Design" brief, we will provide an overview and framework of/for socially transformative curriculum, and discuss how it can help to rehumanize the mathematics and science learning experiences of Black students.

This "Equity by Design" research brief discusses the impact of COVID-19 on school segregation and integration in public schools. COVID-19 raised a lot of discussions already occurring around school choice, which connects to a larger conversation on the purpose of education and it being one of the most important public goods in American society. Yet, efforts to prioritize school choice and further privatization only increased during COVID-19, despite it bringing to the surface a deep-seated crisis we are facing when it comes to providing equitable access and opportunity in education. Thus, this brief also discusses how the notion of education as a public good has waned over time, particularly in recent presidential administrations, which is contributing to many of the struggles experienced during COVID-19, particularly during its onset. The brief concludes by discussing the need for the new approaches to school integration in the current educational context and offer examples of how center equity can be bettered in such approaches.

"Multitier systems of support" (MTSS) are widely understood as an evidence-based framework for coordinating integrated delivery of a continuum of layered services to support students' development. Traditionally, MTSS includes three tiers. Tier 1 refers to universal supports that are system-, school-, or classwide; tier 2 includes targeted services beyond general supports; and tier 3 and beyond provide intensive and sustained individualized services. Although equity is identified as a feature or outcome of MTSS, particularly when considered in the context of prevention of racial disproportionality through MTSS, the authors propose that equity should be more foundational to MTSS design, implementation, and evaluation in order to advance social justice and protect student rights. As such, this "Equity by Design" brief introduces an expanded conceptualization of equity-centered MTSS, describes its key features, provides guided questions to evaluate an existing MTSS system, and identifies resources to support this work.

In this "Equity by Design" brief, the authors describe the F.a.M.I.L.Y (Fostering and Maximizing Interdisciplinary Learning Year-round) Project and discuss the Project's importance and impact on Black girls and their caregivers. The brief ends with a discussion of strategies implemented during the F.a.M.I.L.Y Project to create a holistic and inclusive environment for STEM learning and positive STEM identity development.

In this "Equity by Design" brief, we outline the short- and long-term impacts of COVID-19 on student learning and wellness. Next, we critique common narratives and responses to student educational difficulties following the start of the pandemic. Finally, we conclude with key considerations for educational decision-making, prevention, intervention, and individualization across all levels of programming: schoolwide, group, and individual.

This "Equity by Design" brief summarizes the key features and considerations for planning, implementing, and evaluating social, emotional or behavioral screening within multitier systems of support (MTSS), to advance educational equity.

This "Equity Tool" illustrates research on the effects homophobia and transphobia have on the mental health of LGBTQ+ students, as well as strategies and resources teachers and administrators can use to address this issue. This tool includes three infographics to help the audience understand this information, and share it with others, in an accessible and engaging way. In addition to each infographic, this "Equity Tool" includes corresponding information and questions to help the audience engage with the content.

While some of the advice offered in this "Equity Tool" pertains to education environments students encounter after high school (i.e., after P-12), the transition to higher education is often fraught, especially for students of Color (SOCs) and high schools sometimes get blamed for not sufficiently helping students get ready when a better explanation of the challenge is the lack of articulation between high school and what comes after. This document is intended to help counselors, educators, and others with roles in various parts of students' transition from high school to postsecondary education to be on 'the same page.' In this document, the authors distinguish their advice into four categories or themes--Preparation, Recruitment, Retention, and Transfer. In each case, it is worth having high school teachers, counselors, and students know more about what can come next, including possible pitfalls that might be encountered by an SOC if/when they make it to higher education only to encounter a setting that seems unprepared to fully welcome them and/or otherwise retain them so that their studies culminate in earning associates and/or bachelors degrees. A key list of terms and additional resources for students and families are included. [For the companion document, "Advice for Students of Color and First-Generation Students: Successful Transitions from High School into and within College/University," see ED623025.]

The purpose of this Equity Tool is to provide insights to/about Students of Color, student mentors, school guidance counselors, and community college/university advisors, towards understanding current/future higher education endeavors.

There is currently a national debate surrounding what can and cannot be taught in K-12 public schools. In this Equity Dispatch we remember that centering equity and being able to recognize, name, and address the history of systemic racism and oppression in the United States is inclusive, not divisive.

This "Equity Dispatch" enumerates issues Black LGBTQ students experience being marked as Black and queer, in a white supremacist and hetero-cisnormative society. Next, it examines what queerness, homophobia, and transphobia looks like among Black youth, reflecting on the consequences of societal oppression for these youth. Finally, this piece offers recommendations for what teachers, administrators, and community stakeholders can do to disrupt homophobia and transphobia in their school environments.

Re-committing to equity work means that equity-oriented educators must reflect on the impact of historical and systemic inequities on minoritized students, accepting that transformative change towards equity takes time and unrelenting and continuous hard work, and it means being willing to pursue educational equity even in the face of fierce opposition.

It has been over 12 years since the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its decision in "Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1" (2007), which forced school districts to begin thinking of new ways to integrate their schools without relying on race as the sole factor in their assignment plans. While some school districts implemented race-neutral plans prior to the decision, many have done so since using a variety of factors resulting in mixed outcomes when it comes to maintaining racial diversity in their schools. In this "Equity by Design" brief, Dr. Sarah Diem will revisit a study she conducted on three school districts just two years after the "Parents Involved" ruling to see how their integration plans have changed over time to address demographic changes in their districts and communities, and to see whether these changes have resulted in racial diversity.

This "Equity by Design Research Brief" describes the foundational principles underpinning multitier systems of support, challenging common usage of the approach to label students. Whether imparted explicitly or implicitly, the inclination to identify and treat individuals--as opposed to addressing specific behavioral and learning needs--is often counter to the aims of the framework. As such, this brief identifies and examines the consequences of this conflating behavior, describing how to promote effective and supportive policy & practice.

This "Equity by Design" brief is intended for preK-12 school leaders who want to better understand the root causes of inequitable outcomes in their systems. Despite educators' often good intentions to effectively serve all students, there is ample evidence of ongoing disparities negatively impacting students of Color in U.S. schools. Whiteness -- defined as structural arrangements and ideologies of race dominance -- is a significant barrier to achieving educational equity in schools and districts, and Whiteness functions in every aspect of schooling. This brief is organized around these three topics: (1) what is Whiteness; (2) how does it function in schools; and (3) what can be done about it. The brief also provides reflective prompts that school leaders can use to engage in additional learning about Whiteness. There is a robust body of research and literature on this topic, so this brief distills that into a concise and practical guide for school leaders.

This "Equity by Design" brief highlights equity issues that arise in the process of reopening schools during a global pandemic. The authors examine state plans and guidance for reopening schools across states in the Midwest & Plains Equity Assistance Center (MAP EAC) region which includes the 13 states of Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. The purpose of this paper is to provide explicit consideration of equity issues in the context of reopening schools and generate discussion about the topics addressed. The following topics are covered: (1) time spent in face-to-face instruction vs. virtual or hybrid learning environments and any calendar changes; (2) screening and reporting of COVID-19 symptoms and exposure; (3) social distancing, face masks and classroom set up; (4) ensuring more equitable learning for students with dis/abilities and multilingual learners; (5) access to technology; (6) opportunities and challenges in online learning, (7) communication with parent/caregivers; (8) addressing learning loss; (9) guidance on Social Emotional Learning (SEL); and (10) guidance on field trips and co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. Throughout this brief, the authors highlight equity issues that inevitably arise in the context of schooling where conditions of access are likely exacerbated by the pandemic and how one might approach and consider these issues in planning and policy. As school and district leaders review and revise policy implementation, the guidance outlined in this paper can inform the way that policy is implemented and can help highlight issues around equity that district and school personnel may not have considered in planning for reopening.

Counselors can play an integral role in developing transformative schooling environments that center equity and disrupt marginalizing practices. The purpose of this "Equity by Design" brief is to conduct a critical examination of the profession and training of school counselors, shifting towards positioning the school counselor as an equity-oriented liaison and leader.

In this edition of "Equity Dispatch," we discuss equity implications around disciplinary policies in virtual learning contexts. We offer practical applications of principles of Universal Design for Learning & Culturally Responsive Pedagogy as proactive strategies for engaging students in virtual learning activities.

In this edition of "Equity Dispatch," we discuss the equity implications of the impact of online/distance learning, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. As school districts are preparing to open, we argue the importance of positioning minoritized students' and families' knowledge production and lived experiences as assets in the development and delivery of online/distance learning.

In this edition of "Equity Dispatch," we will discuss the definition and characteristics of a caring classroom community, its benefits, and the practices that educators can leverage to create caring classroom communities.

This "Equity by Design Research Brief" presents a qualitative study of Black and Latinx parents of students with disabilities who experienced conflicts with charter schools. The purpose of the study was to understand the mechanism that generated and sustained the conflict. Understanding this conflict can provide guidance for charter schools, and parents seeking school options so that students of Color with disabilities experience inclusive quality services in any school option.

The purpose of this "Equity by Design Research Brief" is to summarize a study by Dr. David Hernández-Saca of student Sophia Cruz's experiences of being labeled with a Learning Disability (LD), and what the meaning of LD was for her. The purpose of the study was to center student voice within the traditional special education field of LD in order to better understand LD at the intersections of ethnicity and emotionality.

This "Equity by Design Research Brief" illustrates the relationship between mental health and LGBTQ+ identities, paying particular attention to the effects of homophobia and transphobia in schools. Homophobia and transphobia can manifest in schools in multiple ways; this brief focuses on egregious actions, such as bullying, as well as more subtle ones, such as non-inclusive curricula. Ultimately, teachers and administrators will learn about this issue and how to eradicate it in their schools to positively impact the mental wellbeing of their LGBTQ+ students.

In this edition of "Equity Dispatch," we explore the concepts of allyship and accomplice, and how they may manifest at the intersection of education and advocacy.

In this "Equity by Design" Research Brief, Dr. Federico Waitoller critiques the traditional model of inclusion for students with disabilities in the U.S., providing a blueprint for inclusive education that dismantles intersecting forms of inequity that are part of the DNA of what we consider the general education classroom. Informed by this blueprint for inclusive education, Dr. Waitoller provides an inventory of promising inclusive practices.

In this issue of the "Equity Dispatch" we focus on the collective power of minoritized communities to positively impact the quality of education students receive within their districts through the selection of equity-focused, locally-elected school board members.