Equity Expansive Technical Assistance for Schools

Kathleen A. King Thorius is a professor at Indiana University School of Education–IUPUI and executive director of the Great Lakes Equity Center. Her books include Sustaining Disabled Youth: Centering Disability in Asset Pedagogies and Ability, Equity, and Culture: Sustaining Inclusive Urban Education Reform.

Contents


Acknowledgments  ix


Introduction and Overview of the Book  1


Part I: The Quest For Equity And Theory In Partnerships To Eliminate Racial Disproportionality In Special Education


1.  Disproportionality—A Cultural–Historical Problem in Search of a Cultural–Historical Solution  13

Meeting the Moment With Equity Assistance  13

Sorting Through the Research: An Introduction to the Problem of Disproportionality  15

Reading the Research: A Synopsis of What We Know About Disproportionality’s Root Causes  18

Disproportionality as a Contested Phenomenon: Illuminating and Obscuring Systemic Racism and Ableism  27

Policy and Practice Approaches to Eliminating Disproportionality  30

Researcher-Led/Research on Approaches to Eliminating Disproportionality  36

Implications of Existing Research on Technical Assistance Approaches to Remediating Disproportionality  38


2.  Technical Assistance as Cultural–Historical Activity  42

Enhancing Technical Improvements With Contextual Analysis and Application  47

Considering Context in the Development and Design of Evidence-Based Practices: Equity Cannot Be “Implemented”  49


3.  Theoretical and Conceptual Foundations of Equity Expansive Technical Assistance  53


PART II: Facilitating Critical En/Counters: The Application Of Equity Expansive Technical Assistance Partnerships To Reverse Racial Disproportionality In Special Education


4.  Equity Expansive Technical Assistance  61

Technical Assistance Organized by Duration and Intensity  61

The Defining Elements of Equity Expansive Technical Assistance  66

From Top-Down Expert to Critically Conscious Partner  67

Expanding and Enhancing Technical Solutions With Contextual and Critical Analysis and Systemic Transformation  79

Process-Based Conceptualization of Systemic Transformation Informed by Expansive Learning Theory  90

Critical Tools for Encountering and Expanding Policies and Practices  93

Revisiting the Goal of Equity Expansive Technical Assistance: Something for Everyone  106


5.  Equity Expansive Technical Assistance for Reversing Disproportionality  108

Equity Expansive Learning Cycle(s) of a Technical Assistance Partnership to Eliminate Disproportionality  109

Step 1: Analyzing the “Dispro Status Quo”  109

Step 2: Evoking Systemic Tensions, or Framing and Naming the Impact and Relationship of Racism and Ableism  120

Step 3: Introducing Equity Resources as Mediating Artifacts, or Defining the Elements of Equitable (Special) Education, Curriculum, and Instruction  129

Step 4: Equity Expansion of the Object Through Innovative Activity Models, or Expanding the Object to a Coordinated System of Equitable Education Practice, Policy, and Contributing Belief Systems  132

Step 5: Testing out and Refining Innovations, or Engaging in Critical Praxis  132

Steps 6 and 7: Reflecting on and Refining the New Activity Model and Disseminating the Model Through Distributed Activity Systems, or Distributing Equitable Practice  134


6.  The Florence Unified School District  135

Reframing Perceptions of Isolated Incidents to Understand and Remediate a Pervasive Negative Climate for People of Color  137

The Primary Contradiction: The Epistemic Question of How We Can Have Two Truths  138

The Double Bind: We Are Here Because We Want to Help/We Are Not Your Charity  140

The Tertiary Contradiction: Seeking Resolution Through Trauma and Harm Reduction  142

Refining the Activity Model: Who Does What, When, and How  142


7.  Representative SEA Center Partnership  145

Background for the Partnership  145

Site and Participants  147

How the Partnership Led to the Study  148

Data Collection and Analysis Processes  148

The Initial Object of Collecting and Distribution of “Best Practices”: Seeking “Critical Friends” to Layer Equity on Technical Acontextual Solutions  149

Artifacts and Contradictions Expanding the Initial Object of Activity: “Oh My, What Are We Going to Do Now?”  150

Modeling New Solutions: From Technical Strategies to Transformative Asset Pedagogies  158


8.  Ongoing Cycles and Continued Vigilance  161

Implications of the Approach  162


References  167


Index  191


About the Author  197