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Sustaining Engagement, Access, and Opportunities

The Pennsylvania Department of Education defines equity as “every student having access to the educational resources and rigor they need at the right moment in their education across race, gender, ethnicity, language, disability, sexual orientation, family background and/or family income.”
 
Equity and inclusion are key tenets of Pennsylvania’s Consolidated State Plan under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA):

 
  • Pennsylvania’s schools should be safe havens where all students – regardless of their race, color, religion, ancestry, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, or ability – feel safe, respected, and welcomed.
  • A positive school climate is essential for academic achievement and success.
 

With these principles as a guide, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) has worked to develop courses and tools that focus on themes of equity and cultural competency.


Please visit the PDE Equitable Practices Hub for a comprehensive resource repository aligned to the PDE Equity Pillars of Practice.

PDE Equity Pillars of Practice

Pillars

  • General Equity Practices: How can our educational community consider global equitable practices in our specific context?
  • Self-Awareness: What is the role of educators, staff, - or more broadly, YOU - in shaping the educational community towards greater equity?
  • Data Practices: How might our educational community use our own specific data in order to drive equity efforts within our community?
  • Family/Community Engagement: What is the role of the educational community beyond the school in driving educational equity efforts?
  • Academic Equity: How might what we teach, practice, and enforce shape educational equity? How are we providing academic access and opportunity?
  • Disciplinary Equity: Does our system of discipline reflect equity among all student subgroups?

Spheres

  • District/School: In what way can the school district or an individual school become more equitable across their systems?
  • Classroom: What can teachers do, in manners of curriculum, discipline, pedagogy, and classroom culture in order to become better proponents of equity?
  • Individual: What can an individual, be it a teacher, administrator, student services professional, caregiver, or student, do to promote equity in their educational community?