In this final installment of Innovation Day blogs, KIPP LA’s regional innovation coordinator, Shawn Jackson, shares resources from his presentation, “Designing an Equitable Classroom.”

Click here to view the first of the series about English Language Learner resources and here to read about incorporating Google Classroom to meet the needs of all students.

Teachers from across Southern California gathered together to learn about designing an equitable classroom, which includes both physical and instructional design. Tommy McConnell, instructional support coordinator at KIPP Scholar Academy, defines equity as “making sure students are able to achieve equal outcomes, but recognizing that there are different ways to get there.”

Session participants constructed equitable classrooms in a breakout activity based on resources provided by Mr. Jackson including:

• Closing the Gap: Creating Equity in the Classroom, a research brief done by Hanover Research that covers creating a culturally competent environment and developing cultural competency in teachers.
• Resource for Equitable Classroom Practices by Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland, which includes physical displays and verbal strategies to support students.
• Equity vs. Equality: 6 Steps Toward Equity by Edutopia

Mr. McConnell, who participated in the event, is most excited to implement the practice of “looking at what a classroom should be from the perspective of our students and making sure that we design a classroom based not just on what classrooms have been traditionally, but looking at the needs of our students moving forward.”