Increasing Educator Diversity to Improve Outcomes
To promote equitable teaching and learning, schools and districts nationwide are responding to the need for increased educator diversity. Working collaboratively with districts and school systems, WestEd promotes equitable outcomes for all students by transitioning leadership practices towards Culturally Responsive Sustaining Education (CRSE) and increasing, retaining, and sustaining educator diversity in schools.
We focus on developing and retaining a highly effective educator workforce that is culturally responsive, and racially and linguistically diverse. We accomplish this by providing technical assistance and research to increase educator use of policies and practices that promote successful and equitable learning outcomes for each student. See our Supporting Positive Outcomes flyer (PDF).
Our team works collaboratively to design and facilitate training, build networks and meeting structures that maximize aligned efforts, and develop toolkits and action plan guidance.
Our Work in Action
Recognizing the important outcomes of culturally responsive teaching, Delaware education leaders worked closely with WestEd’s team to:
- Encourage high expectations and positive perceptions of all students, including students of color throughout all schools and districts
- Promote positive student-teacher relationships that yield improved academic and behavioral outcomes
- Increase motivation for learning for all students
WestEd is a trusted thought partner providing both in time technical assistance and research, as well as implementation support, all of which have helped us develop a more diverse and culturally responsive educator workforce that advances educational equity for each student.
Dr. Susan Bunting, Delaware Secretary of Education (2017-2021)
Educator Diversity Toolkits and Action Plans
Our team works with state and local education agencies to assemble leadership networks that complement existing efforts and systems. We provide specialized guidance for these system leaders to increase racial, ethnic, and linguistic diversity of the educator workforce.
Our work includes:
- Facilitation of leadership meetings to build community among networks, strengthen understanding about the function and value of aligned actions for change, and increase awareness of the goals and aspirations of participating leaders and the systems they represent.
- Development of action plans that clearly define and communicate data-informed goals, strategies, and indicators of progress; specify key elements of effective implementation; and detail how leaders should engage in cycles of continuous improvement to sustain their efforts and achieve their goals.
WestEd and Region 2 Comprehensive Center partnered with Connecticut to provide guidance to support district leaders in their efforts to increase the racial, ethnic, and linguistic diversity of the educator workforce.
Five Considerations for School and District Leaders
Culturally responsive teaching recognizes the importance of addressing culture and race in all aspects of teaching and learning. Why? Current research and evidence continues to emerge that links culturally responsive teaching to providing opportunities to improve outcomes for all students.
Based on these findings, our team encourages five considerations for school and district leaders.
- Define roles in building a racially diverse pipeline of teachers, while ensuring all educators have the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to enact culturally responsive practices.
- Define measurable goals and benchmarks, collect evidence toward progress, and engage in progress-monitoring routines.
- Use data to identify challenges and inform continuous improvement.
- Commit resources to implement evidence-and research-based strategies for meeting goals.
- Implement stakeholder engagement and communication strategies to build support for sustainability.