CCEE is a grant-funded initiative com-
mitted to addressing the achievement gap
in California K-12 schools through imple-
menting research-based practices of net-
works. As an equity leader, I am excited to
have been asked to be one of the chefs in the
kitchen developing the meal. Now I can add
the Lawry’s or Tajin while the meal is being
prepared to ensure equity is not a side dish
or something we ask for after the meal has
been prepared.
Facilitating the improvement science
in our California Association of African
American Superintendents and Adminis-
trators’ (CAAASA) network, the members
and I are engaged in key learnings that will
impact California districts eligible for dif-
ferentiated assistance provided by county
offices and other service providers. Equity
principles underscore how equity conscious-
ness and strategies will be essential drivers
of the process.
Equity principles are not to be implied,
but overt action. Due to inconsistency in
defining equity, educational leaders may say,
“equity is woven throughout the initiative,”
with no distinct solutions to address the eq-
uity challenges that the Dashboard so color-
fully highlights.
Equity is a mindset
In my study of the improvement science
methodology, it is very evident that equity
consciousness is the foundation of this con-
tinuous improvement cycle. An equity frame-
work is based on 75 percent mindset and 25
percent instructional strategies (Javius).
Equity consciousness in improvement
science aims to identify institutional and
instructional inequities that may be root
causes to adult and student access and per-
formance. The Carnegie Foundation has
identified six principles of improvement
science that are the underpinnings of the
methodology (see page 22). This continuous
cycle of improvement is a powerful action to
determine the evidence-based practices to
solve problems in our K-12 system.
My learning in facilitating is there are four
system thinking actions: habits, discipline,
execution and reflection. Improvement sci-
ence is not a rush to find a solution. “Hurry
and fix it” activity is an ineffective habit. “So-
lutionitis,” is a discipline that causes educa-
tors to find a popular program or the newest
fad to address an educational issue. As Doug
Reeves indicated in “Closing the Implemen-
tation Gap,” educators tend to seek popular
programs and not effective actions.
The purpose of improvement science is to
find out more about a problem of practice.
I equate it to going to the doctor. The doc-
tor uses multiple data/information to know
exactly what issue needs treatment. The ex-
ecution of improvement science is the deep
dive into multiple data sources to know more
about the problem to effectively diagnose
and prescribe the correct treatment through
the plan-do-study-act cycle (Deming).
The use of the California School Dash-
board will initiate warning signs, but the need
to go deeper is the role of district and school
assessments to pinpoint specific problems.
The equity principle to the data dig is the need
to disaggregate the data by many subgroups
– race, gender, language, learning needs etc.
Noteworthy to the data dig, I have found
that there are three tiers to analysis that
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