Education policies serve as potent tools for advancing equitable outcomes and systematically addressing inequities in schools and districts. But education policies often mirror inequities and bias-based beliefs within the K–12 education system. Increasing educational equity is key to overcoming the status quo and improving educational outcomes for historically disenfranchised students in K–12 public education.

This brief explores five critical equity domains that education practitioners can use to examine and assess how equitable their education policies are:

  • Focus on educational equity and access
  • Rejection of bias-based beliefs
  • Student, family, and community involvement
  • Evidence base and data practices
  • Support for culturally responsive–sustaining education