Running head: SCHOOL EQUITY AUDIT 1

School Equity Audit

James Capps

IUPUI

EDUC-P507

School Equity Audit

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Schools, existing as a microcosm of society, are rife with social inequalities. Despite the

best efforts of educators, systemic racism and teacher prejudices create equity traps in schools

(Green, 2016). As stated by Green, Equity trapsassumptions that prevent educators from

believing that their students can be successful learnersthat educational leaders experience

when doing equity work in schools (Green, 2016, p. 6) prevent educators from equitably

serving all learners. One way that equity traps manifest in schools is through discipline.

Traditionally, students of color and students of lower socioeconomic status are disproportionately

disciplined by educators. A deficit perspective may suggest that students of color and students of

lower socioeconomic status misbehave more than other students. However, a critical perspective

would suggest that the way that misbehaving is defined is rooted in hegemonic middle-class

white culture.

One way to address these equity traps is through an equity audit. By examining the

representation of minority student populations, we can get an idea of which students are being

inequitably served by schools.

In this example, we look at a school with a population of 500. Forty-five percent of the

students are black, 30 % are Latinx, and 25% are white.

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Race and Discipline Equity Audit

In the graph below, we see the percentage of students from Black, White, and Latinx

populations that have been documented as committing discipline violations. As the graph shows,

though White students make up 25% of the student population, they only represent 5% of the

discipline violations. This is a huge contrast from Black students who represent only 45% of the

student population but represent 60% percent of discipline violations. Latinx populations

represent 30% of the student population and 35% of discipline violations.

This data reveals that students of color represent 95% of all discipline violations. This

reveals that educators ideas of behavior problems may be rooted in dominant white culture.

Therefore, students of color, whose culture differs from those of mainstream school culture, are

inequitably served by this school by being removed from the learning environment due to

behaviors that are deemed inappropriate.

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Race and Special Education Equity Audit

In the graph below, we see percentages of students in White, Black, and Latinx groups as

they are represented in Special Education. Much as in discipline, Black students are

disproportionately represented--being only 45% of the student population, but representing 60%

of the Special Education population. Unlike the discipline Equity Audit, Latinx students

represent 30% of the student population and 30% of the Special Education population. Just as

White students were underrepresented in the Discipline Equity Audit, they only consist of 10%

of the Special Education Population.

This implies that that there are most likely Black students who have been identified as

Special Education due to behaviors that were deemed inappropriate by the school because of

cultural inequality in the schools. Consequently, because the representation of White students in

Special Education disproportionately low, there are likely White students who should be

receiving Special Education services who are not able to because they have not been identified

by educators. This suggests that this school is failing to provide students with services they may

need because they are reluctant to label them because they are White.
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Race and Gifted and Talented Equity Audit

The graph below shows the percentage of White, Black, and Latinx students who are

classified as Gifted and Talented. Though White students only represent 25% of the student

population, they represent 75% of the Gifted and Talented student population. In contrast, Black

students, while representing 45% of the student population, only represent 10% of the Gifted and

Talented population. Latinx students, representing 30% of the student population, only represent

15% of the Gifted and Talented population.

Just as White students are underrepresented in discipline and Special Education, they

seem to be overly represented in the Gifted and Talented program. Consequently, students of

color who may potentially be Gifted and Talented are not represented. This school is failing to

provide students opportunities to push themselves and falling into an equity trap (Green, 2016)

by having low expectations for their students of color.

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Free and Reduced Lunch and Discipline Equity Audit

As the graph below shows, 70% of the student population qualifies for Free and Reduced

Lunch. That 70% represents 85% of the Discipline Violations. This suggests that Race and

Ethnicity are not the only barrier to students achievement in this school. Students of lower

socioeconomic status are held to lower expectations than those of their possibly more affluent

peers. This is further evidence that this school privileges White students and those who do not

qualify for Free and Reduced Lunch.

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Free and Reduced Lunch and Special Education Equity Audit

The graph below shows that 95% of the Free and Reduced Lunch population also

qualifies for Special Education Services. The fact that 95% of the Free and Reduced Lunch

Population also receives Special Education Services suggests that students may be identified as

Special Education because of their lower socioeconomic status. This suggests that the strategies

that this school is using to identify students for Special Education are disproportionately

targeting students who come from homes with a lower socioeconomic status.
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Free and Reduced Lunch and Talented/Gifted Equity Audit

The graph below represents the percentage of students who qualify for Free and Reduced

Lunch and Special Education Services. These numbers show that even though only 30% of the

students do not receive Free and Reduced Lunch, that 30% makes up 70% of the Gifted and

Talented population. This further supports the notion that this school inequitably serves students

who come from homes with lower socioeconomic status.

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Implications for Future Practice

Given the data from this equity audit, it appears that this school has failed to serve its

students equitably. Students of color and students from lower socioeconomic status homes are

not held to the same standards as those of their White and possibly more affluent peers.

This school should first reassess their discipline practices and examine the inherent

Whiteness that informs their ideal behavior. They should also reconsider how they identify

students for Special Education and Gifted and Talented programs.

Percent of Read/Viewed of Readings and Videos

Readings: 100%
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Videos: 100%

References

Green, T. L. (2016). Community-based equity audits. Educational Administration Quarterly, 1-

37.