Initiative | National Coalition On Education Equity

Our Initiative

More than 60 years after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to repeal school segregation in Brown v. Board of Education, our public preK-12 schools remain alarmingly segregated and decidedly un-equal. Black and Brown children are clustered at underserved institutions and equity in educational outcomes remains out-of-reach for too many promising students. Many organizations have been working, both at the state and national level, to address the crisis in public education and the civil rights issues at its core, yet a space for these organizations to meet and articulate a national equity agenda was missing.

The California Association of African American Superintendents and Administrators (CAAASA), the National Urban League, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, National Black Caucus of State Legislators, EdTrust, EdTrust West, National Council on Educating Black Children, Learning Policy Institute, NAACP Washington DC Branch, Alliance for Excellent Education, Children’s Defense Fund, California Teachers Association and other prominent National and State organizations are working to increase dialogue and ongoing collective planning, with respect to a national strategy for achieving equity for African American, Latinx and other underserved students. This initiative will bring together education and political leaders from the local, state, and national level to engage in the process of developing an effective and ongoing campaign for progress that is inclusive of communities of color across the country. The first meeting was held September 14th, 2018 during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Conference. At this meeting, stakeholders agreed that this effort must utilize effective research data and its findings to better understand the current crisis in public education. By collaborating with education research leaders, we will be able to identify strategies and approaches to implement and recommend solutions to key educational issues. There was unanimous agreement to develop and support a National Coalition On Education Equity. The group agreed to hold future meetings in November 2018 and March 2019, that resulted in the development of a framework that serves as a guide to move this important work forward.

Coalition Leadership Updates

The California Association of African American Superintendents and Administrators (CAAASA) plays a central role in moving research into real-world impact. Its work has centered on:

The CAAASA Round-Up (September 2025) brought members, partners, and coalition allies together to celebrate progress, share tools, and prepare for the next phase of the work. The event featured new equity dashboards, coalition updates, and presentations linking California initiatives to national strategies.
The 2026 CAAASA Statewide Summit will continue this trajectory—focusing on sustainability, leadership pipelines, and systems alignment. It will also showcase coalition-driven outcomes and pilot models developed through partnerships across the U.S.

Amplifying Practitioner Voice — Ensuring that state and district leaders’ lived experiences shape the national equity agenda. Get more information about the CAAASA Leadership Academy, here.
Member Engagement & Communication — Expanding equity conversations through newsletters, webinars, and leadership roundtables that connect research to practice. Get more information about CAAASA Membership here
Resource Mobilization — Sharing policy briefs, toolkits, and frameworks developed by coalition partners with superintendents and educators statewide. Get more information about CAAASA’s Professional Development Library here
District Implementation Support — Bridging new strategies—such as equity-centered leadership coaching and data-driven planning—into district improvement efforts. Contact Al Bonds, Program Manager, here

Explore resources from the 2025 Round-Up and stay tuned for registration details for the 2026 Summit at caaasa.org.

The Learning Policy Institute continues to anchor the research and evidence base for equitable systems transformation.
Recent highlights include:

High-Quality Teacher Residencies (August 2025) — Showcasing state-level strategies to sustain equitable, paid residency programs and diversify the educator workforce.
School Redesign in Declining Enrollment Contexts (August 2025) — Research on how communities can reimagine schools through family engagement and flexible learning models.
Equitable Funding Analysis (2025) — Studies examining how states allocate funds for English learners and low-income students.
Brown at 70 Webinar (2025) — A collaborative national reflection with Spencer Foundation and other partners on the progress and future of desegregation.

These areas directly complement the coalition’s priorities on educator sustainability, school redesign, and fiscal equity, ensuring research insights reach coalition members and communities.

EdTrust continues to drive national and state-level policy change through advocacy, family engagement, and actionable data.
Recent initiatives include:

Through-Year Assessments Initiative (2025) — Promoting assessment models that provide teachers with real-time data for instructional equity.
“How District Leaders and Advocates Can Build Parent Support for Statewide Assessments” (Feb 2025) — A report revealing 77% of parents support statewide assessments when results guide real resource allocation.
Federal Policy Priorities 2025 — Focused on affordability in higher education, diversifying educator pipelines, and ensuring safe and inclusive learning environments.
EdTrust–West “Equity 8” Legislative Priorities (2025) — Highlighting key California bills, including expanded dual enrollment access (AB 1122, SB 438), stipends for student teachers (AB 1128), and support for Black-serving institutions.
FAFSA Completion Project (NY, 2025) — Relaunching statewide FAFSA campaigns and toolkits to boost college access for underrepresented students.

EdTrust’s policy frameworks and parent engagement strategies directly inform the coalition’s cross-state learning approach, offering replicable models for transparency, accountability, and access.

The College Board remains a key partner in advancing college readiness and access equity. Recent updates to its Access Plan (2025–26 cycle) include:

Alignment with Higher Ed Fiscal Cycles – Creating consistency across academic planning and funding timelines.
Improved Data Integration – Enabling institutions to export and sync student data through new secure SFTP capabilities.
Expanded Reach – Incorporating additional Connections audiences at baseline to support wider student outreach.
Support for Community Colleges and Scholarship Programs – Prioritizing affordability and nontraditional pathways to higher education.

These infrastructure improvements strengthen national systems for equitable data-sharing and align perfectly with the coalition’s mission to improve pipeline continuity from K-12 to college.

The National Urban League’s Broadening Perspectives Project continues to host multi-state convenings, most recently in New York (August 2025), on topics of assessment reform, digital equity, and stakeholder accountability. Its advocacy to restore Digital Equity Act programs ensures that connectivity and technology access remain recognized as civil rights issues within education equity efforts.

Both Spencer Foundation & William T. Grant Foundation remain leading research anchors in the coalition’s ecosystem.

Spencer Foundation’s Transformative Research Program funds systems-changing research aligned with coalition goals of redesigning education for justice and inclusion.
William T. Grant Foundation continues its Research-Practice Partnerships and Youth Systems Alignment initiatives, supporting evidence-to-action collaborations across districts and community organizations.

Their grantmaking ensures the coalition’s policy and programmatic work remains research-backed and sustainable.

Indiana Council on Educating Students of Color (ICESC) continues to advance local implementation of the national equity agenda through community-based action in Indiana. Key milestones include:

The formation of the Indianapolis Coalition on Educational Equity (ICOEE) following the Brown 70th anniversary convening.
The Indiana Education Summit (Nov 2024), where seven statewide priorities were established to dismantle barriers for students of color.
Community programs such as the Saturday Academy and We Care Community Festival (Aug 2025), demonstrating integrated models of education and wellness.

ICESC’s model of collaborative implementation connects national frameworks to neighborhood-level change.