Data

Data is an integral part of the equity process.  When a school is willing to ask itself about the expectations it holds for children and about culture and power it begins to bring accountability for equity inside. It is important to ensure that the reported annual data are disaggregated by race/ethnicity, gender, English Learner status, and disability status, and that cross-sectional analysis is possible (i.e. Black students with disabilities).

Key Roles for Data

• Improving the quality of criteria used in problem-solving and decision making
• Describing institutional processes, practices and progress in schools and districts
• Examining institutional belief systems, underlying assumptions, and behaviors
• Mobilizing the school or district community for action
• Monitoring implementation of reforms
• Accountability
• Identify the Action of Greatest Potential Impact

Special Education Disproportionality Data

Data is collected annually from LEAs, analyzed by the IDRC, and then posted to the password protected website Equity in Indiana for school corporations to review. These data are critical in the identification of racial and ethnic disparities throughout the state of Indiana in school discipline and in special education identification and placement. The data can serve as a lens through which policies and practices can be examined, evaluated, and re-aligned in order to increase equity in schools.

Using the Data

The following questions are meant to serve as beginning prompts to support conversations about inequity, particularly about disproportionality. Note that they move from description to analysis to problem-solving. Facilitators may need to use more prompting questions to guide participants to bring in questions about race/ethnicity, over-referral from one teacher, etc.

1. What does the data tell you?
2. What trends do you notice?
3. Are there any surprises?
4. What is missing? What else would you like to know?
5. What are the implications for our school and our students?
6. Is every student benefitting from what we are doing?
7. Are all groups benefitting equally?
8. Are all groups participating and achieving equally?
9. What do we want/need to measure?
10. What are the gatekeepers of achievement in our school? In our society?
11. What are good measures that will tell us about how are students are doing?
12. How can we assess how we are doing with regard to equity?