Giving Compass' Take:

• EdSurge discusses the tricky topic of racial inequities in the education system and how to address them by examining our own biases through growth mindset: Let teachers put on their "learner hats."

• It isn't just teachers who need to do the work — it's administrators, policymakers and other professionals in the education space. Are we truly asking the right questions?

• Here's more on building educational equity with professional development.

How does a school or district begin to tackle the seemingly insurmountable issue of equity? Decades of attempts at closing the persistent (and perhaps even widening) achievement gap, along with the knowledge that this is an immense and deeply historical issue to address, make it feel as if the task may be impossible. Yet we have ample data to suggest that the need is there and is essential to address, because nearly all aspects of a child’s education are impacted by underlying issues related to race.

Despite challenges, many districts are trying to support growth for all students, no matter what their circumstances. We see strategic plans emerging that name equity as a goal. And for some time now we’ve seen school improvement plans focused on “closing the achievement gap.” The upshot is typically an increased focus on data collection or improving existing intervention approaches to accelerate achievement.

I would argue that these actions are important, but alone they’re insufficient.

There’s a much more fundamental question we need to ask ourselves: Do we really understand the root causes of inequitable education, and do we really believe in equity?

While many leaders strive to identify how to address the inequity experienced by our students, this work will likely falter if we don’t first acknowledge that the first step is examining the people — not just the policies — behind this complex equation. I believe we’d make more progress by first focusing on ourselves as individuals and then using what we’ve learned to improve entire schools or systems. After all, it’s the individuals in the system who ultimately impact student achievement on a day-to-day basis.

Read the full article about the growth mindset and equity by Michael Moody at EdSurge.