Created more than five decades ago to focus on desegregation, the national network of Equity Assistance Centers (EACs) has evolved and expanded to embrace the goal of helping educators ensure that all students — regardless of race, gender, or national origin — receive the resources to thrive and succeed academically.

WestEd houses the Region IX EAC, serving Arizona, California, and Nevada by providing technical assistance and training on civil rights, equity, and school reform.

The Region IX EAC received consistently high marks in a recent external evaluation, which concluded that the center delivered “high quality services that resulted in concrete and valuable changes” at both the local and state levels.

In a conversation with the Region IX EAC Director, Rose Owens-West, WestEd’s R&D Alert newsletter asked Owens-West about what makes the center effective in helping educators ensure that all students receive what they need to thrive and succeed academically.

Owens-West distinguished “equity” from “equality,” explaining that equity is about opportunity for all, which may mean some students receive additional supports. She also gave examples of how examining data related to equity issues can help shift difficult conversations toward a focus on practical, concrete solutions to challenges that schools and districts face.

Read the full conversation in WestEd’s latest R&D Alert article.