This report reviews 79 California school districts with a focus on how they managed school closures and the quality of education that English Learners received. Six key indicators were identified: 1. Designated and Integrated English Language Development (ELD) 2.Live Interactive Instruction 3.Bridging the Digital Divide A PowerPoint is included with the article 4. Family Collaboration 5. Social-Emotional Support Early Child Education (ECE).
Williams, Dr., C.P. 2020. School Closure And English Learners: A Review of COVID-19 Operations Written Reports. Long Beach, California: Californians Together. https://www.californianstogether.org/school-closure-and-english-learners/
This tool uses the metaphor of a road map to help both general and special education staff understand how assessment data is gathered, monitored, and submitted to the federal Office of Special Education Program. The importance of timely data reporting and the distinction between general and special education procedures are highlighted.
IDEA Data Center. (n.d.) The Assessment Data Journey. https://ideadata.org/datajourney/ (accessed April 17, 2020).
This brief depicts demographic trends and the rich diversity of the English-Learner (EL) classified students enrolled in California’s public schools. These data include the number of language learners, geographic trends in where they live, their home language, and their race.
Leger, M-L., Santibanez, L., Obeso, O. and Perez, S. (2023). The Landscape of Language Learners in California’s MTSS: Who are California’s English Language Learners? California MTSS Research Consortium, UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools. Accessed September 5, 2023.
Dr. Fergus argues in this article that effectively utilizing data, considering potential solutions to misidentification in Special Education, and “practicing the pause” are three strategies that can start reversing disproportionality within special education. The pause Dr. Fergus speaks of is an intentional act to ask questions and understand the background and experiences of each student in order to determine what supports are needed to support positive outcomes. Dr. Fergus suggests three specific pauses that should be practiced to avoid or correct misidentifications of students as needing special education.
Fergus, Edward. 2022. Three Ways to Mitigate Special Education Disproportionality. Catapult Learning, https://catapultlearning.com/2022/03/15/three-ways-to-mitigate-special-education-disproportionality-by-dr-edward-fergus/ (accessed January 30, 2023).
School suspension and expulsion are important forms of punishment that disproportionately affect Black students, with long-term consequences for educational attainment and other indicators of wellbeing. Prior research identifies three mechanisms that help account for racial disparities in suspension and expulsion: between-school sorting, differences in student behaviors, and differences in the treatment and support of students with similar behaviors. The authors extend this literature by (1) comparing the contributions of these three mechanisms in a single study, (2) assessing behavior and school composition when children enter kindergarten and before most are exposed to school discipline, and (3) using both teacher and parent reports of student behaviors.
J. Owens, S. S. McLanahan, Unpacking the Drivers of Racial Disparities in School Suspension and Expulsion. Soc. Forces 98, 1548–1577 (2020).
Teachers—especially White teachers—rarely have opportunities to learn how to teach for racial equity. This study explored a teacher professional development model organized around EQUIP (https://www.equip.ninja/), a research-based classroom observation tool that generates quantitative data on equity patterns in students’ classroom participation.
Shah, N. Ph.D., Reinholz, D., and Harris, A. (2023) Using Equity Data from Classrooms to Support Teacher Learning for Racial Equity. California MTSS Research Consortium, UCLA Center for the Tran
This document provides suggestions for use of Coordinated Early Intervening Services funds to address issues of equity in school discipline. Suggestions included multi-tiered systems of support, disaggregating data for decision-making, equity-focused professional development, coaching of teachers, and partnering with families.
Austin, Sean, Heidi Von Ravensberg, and Kent McIntosh. 2022. Wise Use of Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS) to Achieve Equity in School Discipline. Eugene, OR: Center on PBIS, https://assets-global.website-files.com/5d3725188825e071f1670246/629fbbf38f28899469117353_Wise%20Use%20of%20Coordinated%20Early%20Intervening%20Services%20(CEIS)%20to%20Achieve%20Equity%20in%20School%20Discipline.pdf (accessed January 30, 2023).
