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Home REL Mid-Atlantic About REL Mid-Atlantic Using Measurement and Evidence to Promote Racial Equity in the School District of Philadelphia

Using Measurement and Evidence to Promote Racial Equity in the School District of Philadelphia

Acknowledging persistent disparities in student outcomes and a history of structural racism in the district, in 2021 the School District of Philadelphia (SDP) announced its goal to become a more equitable school district by examining and disrupting inequitable processes and practices.

Through the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), SDP seeks to address institutional practices, policies, and procedures that contribute to disparities in educational opportunities and outcomes and make progress toward its goal of improving equitable opportunities and outcomes for students. REL Mid-Atlantic partnered with SDP to assist its efforts to use evidence to inform, monitor, and refine its equity initiatives to enable more equitable opportunities and outcomes for all students.

Partner organization: The School District of Philadelphia

Completed Projects

This 2022 TCTS project helped build the capacity of SDP’s Offices of DEI, Research and Evaluation, and Academic Support to monitor the progress of the CLIF initiative as well as improve its design and implementation. The REL’s support included identifying tools that SDP could adopt or adapt to monitor CLIF implementation by: 1) conducting a literature scan of psychometrically valid and reliable measures of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs and practices in education; 2) conducting a landscape analysis of DEI programs, policies, practices, and initiatives in place in 26 different school districts that are demographically similar to SDP; and 3) facilitating two technical support sessions to share discuss our findings. We also conducted an Ask-a-REL to review and provide written and verbal feedback on the district’s instructional materials selection rubric. This feedback primarily suggested ways in which SDP could consolidate redundant scoring attributes and expand existing scoring criteria to better align with promising and evidence-based research on culturally and linguistically responsive instructional practice.

This TCTS project included coaching for central office staff involved in leading and supporting the Equity Partners Fellowship. Coaching began in August 2022 and continued throughout the 2022/23 school year to help SDP leaders in the DEI office refine the program and strengthen the supports it offers to future Equity Fellows, particularly around their action research projects. Coaching also included modeling the data collection process to support ongoing data informed continuous improvement of the program.

Event Type: Training Material | Event Date: April 27, 2023
Time: 2:00-3:30 pm EDT Description: Building off the insights of coaching session 6, the REL team will work with School District of Philadelphia staff to further develop the process and design of the research action projects that Equity Fellows undertake...
Event Type: Training Material | Event Date: March 22, 2023
TIme: 10:30 am-12:00 pm EDT Description: Building off the insights of coaching session 5, the REL team will work with School District of Philadelphia (SDP) staff to further develop the process and design of the research action projects that Equity Fellows...
Event Type: Training Material | Event Date: February 27, 2023
Time: 11:00-11:30 am EST Description: The REL will provide feedback and guidance to the School District of Philadelphia about the development of their curriculum selection rubric to ensure that the rubric accurately accomplishes its stated goal of ensuring...
Event Type: Training Material | Event Date: February 09, 2023
Time: 3:00-4:30 pm EST Description: Building off the insights of coaching session 4, the REL team will work with School District of Philadelphia (SDP) staff to further develop the Equity Fellows recruiting process and the application that prospective...
Event Type: Training Material | Event Date: January 10, 2023
Time: 2:00-3:30 pm EST Description: Building off the insights of coaching session 3, the REL team will work with School District of Philadelphia (SDP) staff to further develop the Equity Fellows program goals and objectives. The goal of the meeting is...
Event Type: Training Material | Event Date: November 28, 2022
The team will facilitate a two-part technical support session to brief SDP on the results of our analysis of the DEI measures landscape. During Session 1b, we will collaboratively determine the number, format (such as annual districtwide survey items...
Event Type: Training Material | Event Date: November 16, 2022
The team will facilitate a two-part technical support session to brief SDP on the results of our analysis of the DEI measures landscape. During Session 1a, we will collaboratively select items from existing measures that SDP could adopt or adapt to monitor...