There are multiple theoretical frameworks for systematic equity and leadership development, each providing a different perspective towards a systemic approach to equity and inclusive education for marginalized populations. Although we recognize that there is no single framework or solution to build equitable and inclusive education systems, we…

The newly implemented California Administrator Performance Assessment (CalAPA) expects future administrators to create more equitable schools. The CalAPA's mandate toward equity creates an imperative to further explore what is meant by equity and how administrative candidates can become effective equity-minded leaders. This literature review…

Historically, the inclusive education movement has primarily focused on the inclusion of students with disabilities in the general education setting, along with their participation in school activities and interaction with other peer groups. Gradually, scholars have begun to look at inclusion as more than just a focus on students with…

This article chronicles CAPEA's efforts to collectively advocate for equity-centered leadership preparation. The 2013 CAPEA journal featured an article by members' describing the organization's commitment to equity and cultural competency in leadership preparation. This article reports on efforts since 2013, a time of substantial changes in…

This mixed-method phenomenological study reports findings of 144 urban California educational leaders' and teachers' views about the identified effects Academic Optimism has on supporting equitable growth in student learning within ten low SES schools. Hoy, Tartar and Woolfolk-Hoy (2006) examined how Academic Optimism was a general demonstrable…

Critical reflection and self-awareness are two of the most crucial components in developing equity-centered leaders (Dugan and Humbles, 2018; Madsen, 2020; Patti, Madrazo, Senge, and Stern, 2015). Leading for equity requires the leader to face both personal bias and professional challenges (Boske, 2014). Many leaders are willing to engage in the…

There is a common assumption in education that lack of face-to-face instruction during COVID-19 will result in a learning loss when students return to physical classrooms. While some studies reported interesting results on learning loss, more research must be done to inform schooling practices. At a recorded webinar, learning loss was examined by…

How do we ensure that all students have the tools and resources they need to succeed in today's educational context? In this article, we explore how the right to education generally and to specific educational tools and resources in California have been protected through litigation in the past; how the COVID-19 pandemic revealed technology-based…

It is estimated that 1.6 billion students were displaced from the traditional school building in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic (UN, 2022; IMF, 2020). While the drastic change in how society normally functions was a shock for everyone, children and historically marginalized people suffered disproportionately severe impacts (GHO, 2022; UNESCO,…

American schools have been dealt a blow that included a pandemic, economic crisis, as well as racial unrest, initiating an energized charge for social justice advocacy. Our superintendents are currently facing an unprecedented challenge in ensuring that the campus community lives in a fair, inclusive, and opportunity-rich society. However, school…

Although there is substantial research that has guided middle school reform, there is insufficient support of Latinx students during their normative secondary transition (middle school to high school). Current research emphasizes that students who are not prepared when entering high school will face grim academic futures. The study explores the…

Programs and policies related to the education of long-term English learners (LTELs) at the secondary level are often based on the belief that fluency in English is the primary, if not the sole, requirement for academic success and college and career readiness. This case study investigates whether LTEL students are accessing Linked…

This article shows how the adoption of technology may serve as a catalyst for deeper, systemic reforms. This article shares a local case of organizational learning in which a midsize California urban school district faithfully acted on a technology goal nested in its strategic plan. Through this experience, the school district demonstrated various…

Although a growing body of work addresses the current role of neoliberalism in displacing democratic equality as a goal of public education, attempts to parse such impacts rarely draw from historical accounts. At least one tenet of neoliberalism--the application of business models to public institutions--was also pervasive at the turn of the 20th…

Situated in the context of U.S. educational outcomes, education policy in California, and UNESCO's definition of inclusive education, we examine how schools have addressed student diversity. Methods of identifying students with disabilities are not adequately designed to identify English learners with disabilities. In part to address that problem,…