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1
In your local context, what is the most common topic when addressing issues of equity (i.e. migrant students, students with special needs)? Is there a specific focus on increasing equity in science? Why or why not?
2
I see the needs of low income students and English language learners as high priority populations within the Albany school district. Our district is currently working to address equity issues in science through a variety of ways which include the following: professional development for teachers, common performance tasks, similar student opportunities (outdoor school), access to curriculum and appropriate resources, and lab equipment for all schools. In addition, teachers are encouraged to create units around phenomena that engage students and help them make sense of their own understanding and learning based on their experiences.
3
In my learning community, many of my students are language learners and equity presents itself often in materials not being available in Spanish. Another way I feel like there is an equity issue is the types of experiences that my learners have had are not typical of most of the kids that curriculum is written for. I have to make sure that I somehow honor the experiences that my families have had and work hard to find connections.
4
Strategies to support English Learners is our most common topic, but we've also looked at microagressions and bias. There isn't a specific focus on science because equity work has started disconnected from any content or department.
5
For my students with special needs. There is a strong language around: how do I make it at their level, what kind of support will they have. As well as students will high behaviors: how will they work with a group.

Science is not a high level of need item within our schedule at my school. Some teachers are focused on the effectiveness of science based on what students can do and their engagement level allowing them to continue to improve the tools they are using. However there is not a strong dialog around science and its effectiveness is classroom community and personal achievement within a subject like their is within other subjects. The lack of value placed on science within the schedule also indicates a lack of need. There is also not a lot of time to plan events with enough consistency (a few times a week) without losing learning from previous lessons when science block also includes health, social studies, and art.
6
In my opinion, the biggest issues of equity in our district center around our students of color and students experiencing poverty. More importantly, I think our biggest issue has to do with unconscious bias and fixed mindset about students that results in inequitable teaching. Our district has a lot of focus on equity, but not specifically around science. I have been using the platform of equity as leverage for our elementary science implementation. We also are focusing on equitable access as we develop new high school science courses and pathways.
7
Equity is a hot topic in our district right now. Not just in science, but access to all activities and services. However, so far it is more about access, simply teaching science, than culturally sensitive practices. I think we have a varied definition of what equity means to our students. And, this perpetuates institutional racism in our system. All students don't "see" themselves in their learning materials or topics.

Let the Mouse and Cookie story begin...By far, the most common topic when addressing issues of equity in my local context is "services" for students who are EL or SPED. And, then that usually means pull-outs to address their deficits. In turn, it takes time out of the schedule when the whole class is together for learning. And, unfortunately, time for teaching science goes out the window. The current model often leads general ed teachers to deficit thinking and lowered expectations for "those" kids. Our misguided notion about how students from various backgrounds access information with language issues, leads us to a backwards, rote way of teaching, with vocabulary and fact memorization at the heart of attempting to move students forward. By the end of elementary, we have already set students up to be tracked out of science by high school, ultimately limiting their futures.
Not sure this really answers the question, but it's where I'm at.

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