TOOLS FOR CREATING EQUITABLE CHANGE IN YOUR SCHOOL

The Co-Designing Schools Toolkit helps build the capacity of school communities to set and pursue equity aspirations, so that every student is future-ready, no matter who they are, where they live, or how they learn.

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Explore the Toolkit

The complex challenges facing schools require team effort, so this Toolkit is best suited for collaborative design. Work through each phase in order or choose a specific phase that best fits your teams’ needs.

1. Build a community of committed teammates

  1. Build a community of committed teammates

2. Align your team by defining your aspiration

  1. Align your team by defining your aspiration

3. Spend time with students to better understand their needs

  1. Spend time with students to better understand their needs

4. Test your big ideas by starting small

  1. Test your big ideas by starting small

5. Gather feedback from students and educators

  1. Gather feedback from students and educators

6. Showcase your work to build enthusiasm and support

  1. Showcase your work to build enthusiasm and support
VIEW THE TOOLS

Created from the collective efforts of
programs, foundations, community-based
organizations, coaches, and educators

Create equitable change by building belief


Our work helps boost school communities’ collective belief in their ability to create equitable change. For us, belief is an action. It’s through belief that we can change and truly achieve the aspirations of our students and schools.

Our experience working in schools has led us to a single conclusion: building collective belief is the best way to create lasting, equitable change in schools.

Read the Report

Learn about the research and theory behind the Toolkit

Our program is based on practices and frameworks that are intended to foster a supportive learning culture. They aren’t revolutionary, but have been refined through long-term collaboration with school communities across the United States.

Change Framework

Our theory of change helps support you to catalyze change in your school community towards meaningful learning and belonging.

View Diagram

Equitable Learning Practices

A collection of 19 practices based on research in learning science and culturally relevant pedagogy, supported by school case studies.

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Testimonials

I really like that educators are coming up with ideas and trying them out in their classes. It's not somebody telling us we have to do it this way; it’s educators saying, ‘We want to do it this way.’

Vicki Curtis
Teacher in Vista, CA

Professional development is like, 'This is what you're learning. Do it and implement it in your class.' But this program seems like something we can actually be a part of designing. We can make decisions about what we're doing regarding professional development.

Richelle Kirkland
Teacher in Gwinnett, Georgia

Leadership trusted the changes we were making, teachers gave up individual responsibility of students and saw them all as our students.

Mary Kohl
Teacher in Perry, OH

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Get support throughout your design journey

Educators across the country are learning from each other as they strive for equity in their schools. Trade resources, share insights, and become part of a community of change-makers.

Join the Conversation