Now that you have identified an area of disproportionality or other area of need, your next task is to find its root causes(s).
(Area is Academic Achievement at East Orange Campus High School. Review NJSLA and NJGPA Scores)
https://rc.doe.state.nj.us/2022-2023/school/detail/13/1210/035/academic?lang=EN
To develop a plan to identify the root cause(s) of this disproportionality, please respond to the following directions with a written response:
Read: There are three main types of disproportionality (Coursetaking, Discipline, Special Education Intervention). Select two of the readings in your topic’s list. For each one, summarize its content in one paragraph: What research questions did the study examine? What was the study design? What were its major findings? Then, in your third paragraph, look across BOTH articles and describe what they imply for possible root causes. Do the articles also imply particular solutions to this problem? If so, note those as well.
Hypothesize: Based on your readings and the Fergus text, identify possible root causes for your identified disproportionality. Fergus identifies three potential causes that underly many disproportionalities in educational access: gaps in curriculum and instruction disproportionately affecting certain groups of students; inconsistent referral processes; and/or limited beliefs about student ability (p. 75–80; for Kindle users, this is found in the section, “Step 2: Root Cause Process for Understanding Disproportionality Problems,” and the headers are labeled “Cause 1”, etc.). Which of the three do you think might be active here, and why? Are there other reasons based on either your readings or just a hunch based on your personal experiences that could be contributing to this disproportionality?
Textbook: Fergus, E. (2017). Solving disproportionality and achieving equity: A leader’s guide to using data to change hearts and minds. Corwin.
Make a plan: Finally, make a plan for identifying root cause(s). Describe the information that you will need to gather to identify root causes: this could be documents, especially those related to the process of student identification, interviews, observations, examinations of curriculum or student work, etc. to learn more about the process resulting in the disproportionality. What timeline would make sense? How much data is it reasonable to collect in this relatively short timeframe but still get some insight into the root cause(s)?
Course Taking Articles:
Oakes, J., & Guiton, G. (1995). Matchmaking: The dynamics of high school tracking decisions. American Educational Research Journal, 32(1), 3-33.
Xu, D., Solanki, S., & Fink, J. (2021). College acceleration for all? Mapping racial gaps in Advanced Placement and dual enrollment participation. American Educational Research Journal, 0002831221991138.
Burris, C. C., Welner, K. G., & Bezoza, J. (2009). Universal access to a quality education: Research and recommendations for the elimination of curricular stratification.
Burris, C. C., Wiley, E. D., Welner, K., & Murphy, J. (2008). Accountability, rigor, and detracking: Achievement effects of embracing a challenging curriculum as a universal good for all students. Teachers College Record, 110(3), 571-607.
Santamaria, L. J. (2009). Culturally responsive differentiated instruction: Narrowing gaps between best pedagogical practices benefiting all learners. Teachers College Record, 111(1), 214-247.
Francis, D. V., & Darity, W. A. (2021). Separate and unequal under one roof: How the legacy of racialized tracking perpetuates within-school segregation. RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences, 7(1), 187-202.
Hand, V. M. (2010). The co-construction of opposition in a low-track mathematics classroom. American Educational Research Journal, 47(1), 97-132.
Patrick, K., Rose Socol, A., & Morgan, I. (2020). Inequities in advanced coursework.
Kanno, Y., & Kangas, S. E. (2014). “I’m not going to be, like, for the AP” English language learners’ limited access to advanced college-preparatory courses in high school. American Educational Research Journal, 51(5), 848-878.
National Education Policy Center. (2018, July 17). This school encouraged every student to take advanced classes. Here’s what happened next. National Education Policy Center Newsletter. Retrieved from http://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/newsletter-Hammond
National Education Policy Center. (2019, February 5). A school where all students are challenged and supported. National Education Policy Center Newsletter. Retrieved from http://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/newsletter-seaside
Oakes, J. (1992). Can tracking research inform practice? Technical, normative, and political considerations. Educational Researcher, 21(4), 12-21.
Welner, K., & Burris, C. C. (2006). Alternative approaches to the politics of detracking. Theory into Practice, 45(1), 90-99.

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