Creating a Culture of Improvement Advancing Toward Racial Equity

A big topic of conversation currently – both in and out of the educational field, is the difference between equality and equity. Because, while equality might be a good thing when equity is not being achieved in schools, some groups of students simply don’t have the same access and opportunity to acquire quality education. And it’s undeniable that race is a significant factor in who gets that access and opportunity and who ends up marginalized. 

Today, Marnetta and Darlene are joined by Debi Mathias, the Director of Early Care and Education Quality Improvement at BUILD Initiative, and Stephanie M. Curenton, Associate Professor at Boston University, The Center on the Ecology of Early Development. Listen in to the episode to hear them discuss what quality improvement systems look like and can do, measure whether student experiences are improving, and implement real-time data into classroom approaches. 

 

Topics Discussed in This Episode

• [00:01:21] What continuous quality improvement means for a classroom
• [00:01:54] What quality improvement systems should look like across the field.
• [00:05:06] Trends that have come and gone from states using CQIs
• [00:08:16] Tools that give a better perspective than assessments
• [00:09:30] The difference between equality and equity
• [00:17:04] The sense of agency when you know that you have an opportunity to impact and influence within your own space
• [00:18:20] Thinking about where individual tools sit within a larger system
• [00:22:00] Thinking about CQI systems that are developed to address multiple problems at the same time
• [00:23:13] Using the ACSES tool to measure whether low-income students are having more equitable experiences in the classroom
• [00:25:20] Heightening awareness throughout the field
• [00:29:15] Using real-time data to inform actions
• [00:35:50] The Quality Compendium

 

Resources

Marnetta Larrimer

Darlene Estes-Del Re

Debi Mathias

Stephanie Curenton

BUILD 2021 Equity Early Measures with Equity Early Group

BUILD 2021 Anti-racist Systems Jennifer Park Yvette Sanchez and Stephanie Curenton

Quality Compendium

Measuring Equity in the Classroom with the ACSES tool