Helping Schools and Communities To Meet the Needs of All Students
Who We Are
The Region X Equity Assistance Center is located at the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL) in Portland, Oregon. The Equity Center is one of 10 regional equity assistance centers in the nation funded by the U.S. Department of Education. At the request of school boards and other responsible governmental agencies, the Equity Center provides training and technical assistance on issues related to equity in education to ensure that all children, regardless of race, gender, or national origin, have equal access to quality education and the opportunity to develop high academic standards in reading, math, language arts, and other core subject areas.
The Equity Center helps public schools and communities incorporate educational equity into policies, procedures, and classroom practices to ensure that each student receives what she or he needs to succeed academically.
Key Equity Issues
- Implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
- Disparities in achievement outcomes based on race, sex, or national origin
- Recruitment, training, and retention of highly qualified teachers
- Limited expectations for minority and female students
- Increasing violence and racial and sexual harassment in schools
- Renewed physical segregation among and within school buildings
- Ability grouping or tracking that isolates students based on race, sex, or national origin
- Persistence of stereotyping and bias
- Cultural bias in instructional methods and assessment tools
- Inadequate bilingual/ELL programs and services
- Charter schools and magnet schools