Western Educational Equity Assistance Center

Services to Meet the Needs of Special Populations

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.

Missing More Than School: Reducing Chronic Absence for American Indian and Alaska Native Students

Nearly half (47%) of American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) students in the United States were chronically absent in school year (SY) 2021/22.1 This represents a 16.8 percent increase from the 30 percent chronic absence rates of AI/AN students prior to the pandemic. This knowledge brief describes ways to partner with AI/AN students, families, and communities to understand and address the challenges they face in attending and thriving in school.

Budgeting for Educational Equity: How Can Educators, Leaders, and Education Systems Better Attend to the Intersection of Language and Disability for Multilingual Learners?

This brief accompanies Episode 9 of the Budgeting for Educational Equity podcast series that explores how education resources can be allocated to better meet the needs of all students. The brief provides opportunities for the listener to engage in tangible, practical application of the lessons derived from each podcast episode. The brief is a launching point for cultivating discussions about equity within communities and school district administrative offices. Episodes can be found on the Budgeting for Educational Equity Podcast Series webpage.

Newcomer Toolkit

The Newcomer Toolkit is designed to help U.S. educators, elementary and secondary teachers, principals, and other school staff who work directly with immigrant students—including asylees and refugees—and their families.

The Newcomer Toolkit has 5 chapters, and contains an overview, sample tools, and resources

In this guide:

Chapter 1 – Who Are Newcomers?

Chapter 2 – Welcoming Newcomers to a Safe, Inclusive and Thriving School Environment

Chapter 3 – Supporting Newcomers’ Social, Emotional, and Mental Health Needs

Chapter 4 – Providing High-Quality Instruction for Newcomers

Chapter 5 – Establishing Partnerships with Families

Indigenous Pathways in Planning for College, Career, and Community

This microcourse identifies culturally responsive college planning approaches for working with Indigenous students. The microcourse provides learners with resources to inform planning for college, career, and community life.

Target Audience: academic advisors, teachers, tribal education directors, high school students, school, district, county office of education, and state education agency personnel

Discipline Equity for American Indian and Alaska Native Students: Recommendations for District Leaders

In response to field requests for information about exclusionary discipline for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) students, this report begins by defining the topic and some of the negative consequences that accompany its use. Presented are examples of how some states address problems of suspension and expulsion, which contribute to low graduation rates. These examples are accompanied by recent statistics that reveal adverse impacts on particular racial and ethnic groups. Additionally, specific recommendations for improving learning outcomes among AI/AN students are provided for policymakers and district leaders.

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

Why Rural Matters 2023: Centering Equity and Opportunity

This report continues the critical mission of drawing attention to the urgent need for policymakers, educators, and communities to address rural education challenges and opportunities within their own states. The analyses and data presented in Why Rural Matters 2025 are intended to inform policy discussions, guide decision-making, and inspire action.

New in this year’s edition is the inclusion of Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools. The report carefully distinguishes between “states” proper and BIE schools while underscoring their shared place in the broader rural education landscape.

Pre-Referral Processes in California State Preschool Programs: How Practitioners Decide to Refer Multilingual Children for Special Education Evaluation

To improve access to high-quality early childhood education, California has made historic investments in Universal Prekindergarten (UPK), including the California State Preschool Program (CSPP). The state’s UPK initiative elevates the importance of multilingualism and the early identification of disabilities in children. This report offers insights at the intersection of language development for multilingual children and disability.