Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

What is equity?

In a vacuum, equity simply means “the quality of being fair and impartial.”

Equity is a word that is heard frequently in academic and political spheres, as vested partners continue the process of examining our communities to eliminate the barriers inherent to our systems. However, a thorough examination of current and historical events reveals that there is much more work to be done in this field.

Equity is ambiguous in the sense that it is without great impact if left alone by itself. An institution and those that work to support it may have the ideal of equity on their minds, but the issue often comes with its execution not as a lofty ideal, but rather a daily practice; a word that lives on the ground in our societies and communities. It is in the active and intentional viewing of the systems in which we operate with a lens focused on equity that we connect the ideal to practice and establish lasting systemic change.

As equity applies to educational systems, it has not been achieved. Though much critical work has been and continues to be done, we still see the outcomes of an inequitable educational system in the lives of the children of marginalized communities. The job of any equitable educational system is not to demand the rising of a community to the standards of the system, but rather to self-examine, to identify what gaps exist in the provisions of that institution that inhibit a community's rise.

In Pennsylvania, equity has been defined as "every student having access to the educational resources and rigor they need at the right moment in their education across race, gender, ethnicity, language, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, family background and/or family income (Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO))." Additionally, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) has noted that "to do their best, students must feel safe at school. A healthy and safe environment can help students thrive, and every student, regardless of race, ethnici​ty, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression should be provided the opportunity to learn - free from discrimination, fear, or harassment."

The purpose of the Equitable Practices Hub is to establish a coherent collection of resources that an educational community may use in promoting intentional equity in their communities. The resources have been hand-picked and reviewed, and represent best practices, models, and guidance from all their component parts. They are here divided into the following pillars seen below, which can then be applied to three different spheres, also below.