Western Educational Equity Assistance Center

Webinar

WEEAC Reintroduction Webinar

This webinar recording re-introduces the Western Educational Equity Assistance Center (WEEAC), one of four recently reinstated Equity Assistance Centers funded by the U.S. Department of Education under Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. These regional centers are charged with providing training and technical assistance at the request of school boards and other relevant governmental agencies on issues of equity related to race, national origin, sex, or religion. This support is designed to help educational systems improve their capacity to address challenges resulting from desegregation and educational inequities, and to increase educational opportunities for all students.

This session was designed for local and state education agency leaders interested in learning more about how the WEEAC can support efforts to create the conditions in which every student you serve can learn, develop, and thrive. Learn about emerging themes from ongoing strengths and needs sensing efforts and discover the services and supports available through the WEEAC for local and state educational agencies.

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Tribal Data Collection and Governance: Leadership, Advocacy, and Building Data Capacity

Historically, Indigenous peoples have experienced data inequities and invisibility. As data are foundational to Indigenous sovereignty and governance, Indigenous peoples are actively seeking to transform the power imbalances by centering Indigenous methodologies and values to ensure good data practices.

In this archived webinar, the second in the Tribal Data Collection and Governance webinar series, panelists share ways that tribes, governments, and Native-serving organizations are building data systems for the future that protect sovereignty and governance.

Participants engaged in panel discussions with experts in the field about Indigenous data collection practices, collaborated with fellow participants in breakout sessions, and accessed information resources about approaches that are advancing educational data equity for American Indian and Alaska Native students.

Tribal Data Collection and Governance: Principles of Practice and Partnerships

Historically, Indigenous peoples have experienced data inequities and invisibility. As data is foundational to Indigenous sovereignty and governance, Indigenous peoples are actively seeking to transform the power imbalances by centering Indigenous methodologies and values to ensure good data practices.

In this archived webinar, the first in the Tribal Data Collection and Governance webinar series, panelists share ways that tribes, governments, and Native-serving organizations are building data systems for the future that protect sovereignty and governance.

Participants engaged in panel discussions with experts in the field about Indigenous data collection practices, collaborate with fellow participants in breakout sessions, and access information resources about approaches that are advancing educational data equity for American Indian/Alaska Native and Native Hawai‘ian students.

Pathways to Re-Engagement: Summer Opportunities

In this webinar, participants explored strategies to address the rising chronic absence rates, which reached 29.7% in the 2021-22 school year. Participants also discovered how schools and community organizations enhance family engagement and student connectedness to foster re-engagement, particularly throughout the critical summer months.

Slide Deck: https://weeac.wested.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Pathways-to-Re-Engagement_-Summer-Opportunities-AI_ADA.pdf

Allocating Resources to Improve Student Outcomes

In this webinar, school districts across the country prepared for the sunsetting of one-time federal relief funding through ESSER. District leaders shifted their budgets to accommodate this reduction in revenue, while ensuring that programming they sustained aligned with student needs. Strategic resource allocation was discussed as a process for considering all resources and centering students in all programmatic and budget decisions.

Slide Deck: https://wested.box.com/s/bdxi6lasat4stlbyljw40i2ix5b9f81o

Chronic Absence Session #6 – Increasing Attendance and Engagement for Multilingual Learners

Amid the pandemic, chronic absenteeism surged dramatically for multilingual learners. In California, chronic absence among English Learners nearly tripled from 2018 to 2022. Nationally, 36.2% of all English Learners were reported chronically absent during the 2021-22 school year. Our session focused on the challenges and opportunities for multilingual students, exploring culturally responsive strategies to boost attendance and engagement. Participants discovered actions taken by districts and schools to improve attendance.

Slide Deck: https://weeac.wested.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Increasing-Attendance-and-Engagement-for-Multilingual-Learners_ADA.pdf

Chronic Absence Session #5 – Increasing Attendance and Engagement for Black/African American Students

Despite progress over the last 50 years, recent events and the pandemic highlight persistent educational inequities for African American students, resulting in increased disparities in engagement and learning. Post-pandemic, chronic absence rates for African American students are alarmingly high. This session emphasizes the importance of adopting an asset-based mindset to create positive learning conditions that support African American students both in and out of the classroom. Participants gained insight into national attendance and engagement trends, learned about assets, barriers, and strategies affecting African American students, and identified culturally responsive and evidence-based approaches to enhance engagement and attendance.

Slide Deck: https://weeac.wested.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Increasing-Attendance-and-Engagement-For-Black.African-American-Students-ADA.pdf

From Policy to Practice: Preventing and Addressing Bullying and Discriminatory Harassment

This webinar delves into the implementation of policies within educational environments. It provides valuable resources and practical insights from district leaders who have successfully defeated bullying along with shared evidence-based strategies to disrupt such behaviors.

Slide Deck: https://weeac.wested.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Preventing-and-Addressing-Bullying-and-Discriminatory-Harassment_ADA.pdf

Tribal Advocacy for Educational Change 

Session III in a three-part series, Making a Difference for American Indian and Alaska Native Students: Innovations and Wise Practices

Tuesday, March 28, 2023

Tribal leaders are advocating for systemic change to improve educational outcomes for American Indian and Alaska Native students. In this session, panelists share ways that tribal governments and Native-serving organizations are designing and funding the nurturing of students for school, college, career, and community life.

Indigenous Educator Pathways II

Session II in a three-part series, Making a Difference for American Indian and Alaska Native Students: Innovations and Wise Practices

February 14, 2023

American Indian and Alaska Native Educators comprise 0.5 percent of the teacher workforce in the United States. Recruiting and sustaining this educator population in both urban and rural settings is a persistent challenge throughout the country. This session focuses on systemic efforts and innovations that prepare, place, and sustain American Indian and Alaska Native educators, including alternative licensure pathways.

Video recording:
https://vimeo.com/833376212?share=copy