Strategic Data Project Convening 2019

Educators care deeply about creating diverse, equitable, and inclusive learning environments, as evidenced by the growth of school and district staff devoted exclusively to these objectives. These leaders can use objective data such as staff demographics and student achievement gaps to inform their efforts. Increasingly, they can also use demographic gaps in self-reported climate and social-emotional variables (e.g., students’ sense of belonging) to better understand the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) landscape of their schools. Finally, there are also emerging instruments that directly measures students’ DEI experiences and perceptions—whether they think students from different demographic groups are treated fairly, for example. In this session, panelists will describe how they have used data to create more inclusive, integrated, and equitable schools for students of different racial, ethnic, or cultural backgrounds. They will approach this topic from complementary perspectives and roles, as researchers and educators.
Lee Teitel from HGSE’s RIDES (Re-imagining Integration: Diverse and Equitable Schools) project will offer a historically-informed vision of school integration and describe the research-based practices that his team deploy in their work with school systems. Akisha Jones Sarfo from the University of Delaware will describe her work (as an SDP fellow) to understand and reduce racial discipline disproportionality in Guilford County School District. Sam Moulton from Panorama Education will share what he and his colleagues discovered from surveying over 10,000 students across 22 schools about their DEI experiences and perceptions. Finally, Andre Rodrigues and Derek Stampone from NYCDOE’s High School of Fashion Industries will discuss how they are using data from a student DEI survey and other sources to inform their school’s equity efforts.

Research shows that when schools help students build character and scholarship in concert, student achievement flourishes in class and in life. In this session members of the National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development will share insights and recommendations from the commission’s recently released report, A Nation at Hope. Join the commission’s co-chair, Timothy Shriver, and leading members of the policy, practice, and research working groups to hear about the science of social and emotional learning, its role in schools and schooling, and key recommendations for the next generation of practice, policy, and research.