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Online registration for the Annual National Integrated Comprehensive Systems for Equity Institute Part I and II is now open! For more information, see the Institute page. To register, visit https://www.signmeup.com/ICSInstitute.
eliminate inequities for all students
Students

In spite of decades of educational reform and federal mandates, inequities among students not only persist but are growing.

To eliminate these inequities, leaders must understand how their current piecemeal approaches are not only ineffective, but are exacerbating these inequities. Further, most equity work addresses only one aspect of inequities, such as culturally relevant pedagogy or developing culturally competent staff. Instead, educational leaders must learn how to transform the entire education system via Integrated Comprehensive Systems for Equity (ICS Equity). ICS Equity is the only equity-focused work that takes a systems approach to eliminate inequities.

Key Features of ICS Equity Include:

  1. Research based on over 45 years of equity research.
  2. Rather than piecemeal equity approaches, ICS Equity provides a Framework and Process to shift from a deficit to proactive education system for all students.
  3. ICS Equity advances the learning of literally all students in the district. Students currently succeeding not only will continue to succeed, but will make additional achievement and social gains. ICS Equity also addresses racial inequities and the entire range of inequities across race, ethnicity, social class, ability, gender, sexual/gender identity and their intersections.
  4. ICS Equity includes a built in accountability system via the Equity Audit that measures equity progress and serves as a continual improvement feedback loop to the ICS Equity work.
  5. ICS Equity embraces a local, bottom-up/team approach to equity implementation.
  6. ICS Equity reallocates existing resources. No new resources are needed and all current staff are needed to advance the work.

The ICS Equity Implementation Process

Schools, districts, universities, and agencies that have made the most equity gains with ICS Equity have completed the following:

  1. Their school leadership team, district leadership teams, university and agency teams have fully participated in an ICS Equity Institute which typically covers 3 full days though we customize all our Institutes to local needs.
  2. Utilized professional development time to work through each of the ICS Equity digital modules for each ICS Equity Step.
  3. Received additional ICS Equity on-going support.

We also offer custom keynotes and equity evaluations for schools, districts regions, states, educator preparation programs/departments, and universities.

ICS Equity Four Cornerstones:

Cornerstone 1:
Focus on Equity
 Cornerstone 2:
Align Staff and Students
Cornerstone 4:
Leverage Funding and Policy
 Cornerstone 3:
Transform Teaching and Learning
The ICS Equity Four Cornerstone Framework and Process include the following:
Cornerstone 1: Focus on Equity
A focus on equity guides all team decisions. To develop a focus on equity requires a thorough understanding of the educational history of marginalization, a shift from deficit vs. assets thinking and practice, advance our own identity development across differences, apply the equity research, complete an equity audit, and develop Equity Non-Negotiables.
Cornerstone 2: Align Staff and Students
Staff and students are aligned guided by the Equity Non-Negotiable of proportional representation. All staff share expertise through co-planning and co-serving teams in support of all learners.
Cornerstone 3: Transform Teaching and Learning
These teacher-based teams co-plan and co-serve™ through identity relevant™ teaching and learning practices that are grounded in the most current research.
Cornerstone 4: Leverage Policy and Funding
All district policies, procedures, and funding are aligned with the Equity Non-Negotiables and federal and state legislation is leveraged to eliminate inequities.
All Four Cornerstones and ICS Equity Steps are implemented in a context of community engagement and development.
Who should use Integrated
Comprehensive System for Equity?
All individuals who wish to eliminate inequities can benefit from the ICS Equity Four Cornerstone Framework and Process, including educators in K-12 schools, districts, regions, state education agencies, educator preparation programs, universities, and community agencies.