Diversity

Education news, analysis, and opinion around school diversity, including racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity, as well as coverage of gender diversity and LGBTQ issues
Recruitment & Retention K-12 Essentials Forum Building a Diverse Staff to Improve Equity and Student Outcomes
Join this free virtual event to get up to speed on the pivotal role of diversity in K-12 education.
March 14, 2024
Full length side view of Black female instructor in mid 40s with hand on shoulder of a Black elementary boy as they stand in corridor and talk.
E+/Getty
Special Education What the Research Says One Group of Teachers Is Less Likely to Identify Black Students for Special Ed. Why That Matters
Researchers say their findings argue for diversifying the teacher workforce.
Sarah D. Sparks, March 6, 2024
4 min read
Meghan Kelly, a project manager with the Whirlpool Corp., works with students at Benton Harbor Charter School in Benton Harbor, Mich., on Dec. 3, 2019., to develop apps as part of the goIT computer science program.
Meghan Kelly, a project manager with the Whirlpool Corp., works with students at Benton Harbor Charter School in Benton Harbor, Mich., on Dec. 3, 2019., to develop apps as part of the goIT computer science program.
Don Campbell/The Herald-Palladium via AP
Equity & Diversity What the Research Says Suburban Segregation Is Rising. What States and Districts Can Do
New research finds existing policy levers have failed to stop rising suburban racial segregation.
Sarah D. Sparks, March 5, 2024
4 min read
Rising seniors at the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology gather on the campus in Alexandria, Va., Aug. 10, 2020. From left in front are, Dinan Elsyad, Sean Nguyen, and Tiffany Ji. From left at rear are Jordan Lee and Shibli Nomani. A federal appeals court’s ruling in May 2023 about the admissions policy at the elite public high school in Virginia may provide a vehicle for the U.S. Supreme Court to flesh out the intended scope of its ruling Thursday, June 29, 2023, banning affirmative action in college admissions.
A group of rising seniors at the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology gather on the campus in Alexandria, Va., in August 2020. From left in front are, Dinan Elsyad, Sean Nguyen, and Tiffany Ji. From left at rear are Jordan Lee and Shibli Nomani. The U.S. Supreme Court on Feb. 20 declined to hear a challenge to an admissions plan for the selective high school that was facially race neutral but designed to boost the enrollment of Black and Hispanic students.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Law & Courts Supreme Court Declines Case on Selective High School Aiming to Boost Racial Diversity
Some advocates saw the K-12 case as the logical next step after last year's decision against affirmative action in college admissions
Mark Walsh, February 20, 2024
7 min read
Equity & Diversity Spotlight Spotlight on Inclusion & Equity
This Spotlight will help you examine disparities in districts’ top positions, the difference between equity and equality, and more.
February 16, 2024
Illustration of a scientist holding a giant test tube.
iStock/Getty + Vanessa Solis/Education Week
Science Opinion STEM Is Failing People of Color. What Educators Can Do
Students, especially students of color, need fresh incentives to pursue the fields, explains a STEM professor.
Ebony O. McGee, January 25, 2024
5 min read
Illustration of students in a vibrant happy welcoming library
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
Reading & Literacy Opinion 6 Best Practices to Make Your School Library a Place of Joy
There are many challenges school librarians can’t control—book bans, for instance—but here are some productive areas we can focus on.
Donna Gray, January 18, 2024
5 min read
Illustration showing an imbalance with six stacked male icons tipping the scale and two female icons on the opposite side of the scale.
iStock/Getty
School & District Management Racial and Gender Disparities in the Superintendent's Office, in Charts
A study of America's second-largest state adds to research detailing deep gender and racial disparities in districts’ top positions.
3 min read
Images shows colorful speech bubbles that say "Q," "&," and "A."
iStock/Getty
Recruitment & Retention Opinion What Teachers of Color Say They Need Most
Teachers of color face the same challenges as their white peers, in addition to others.
Larry Ferlazzo, December 15, 2023
15 min read
121423 Sapsikwala Stephanie KD BS 2
Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
Recruitment & Retention Video How to Support Early-Career Teachers: Advice From Native Educators
They were new teachers fresh out of a graduate program to create a Native teacher pipeline. Today, neither is still in that position.
Kaylee Domzalski, December 14, 2023
5:39
Silhouettes showing diversity.
aelitta/DigitalVision Vectors
Teaching Profession See How Diverse Your State's Education Workforce Is
Our interactive visualization shows how states stack up in creating a more representative teaching force.
Madeline Will, December 12, 2023
3 min read
Teenage student taking notes during class
E+
Mathematics What the Research Says How Schools Can Diversify Math Course-Taking
Low-income students and students of color take fewer advanced-math courses—or start taking them later—than their white peers.
Sarah D. Sparks, December 7, 2023
4 min read
A conceptual image of a female being paid less than a male.
hyejin kang/iStock/Getty
School & District Management A New Study Details Gender and Racial Disparities in the Superintendent's Office
Women and people of color are less likely than their white male counterparts to be appointed superintendent directly from a principal post.
Caitlynn Peetz, December 5, 2023
6 min read
Clint Mitchell, superintendent for Colonial Beach Public Schools in Colonial Beach, Va., visits a class at Colonial Beach Elementary School on Nov. 6, 2023.
Clint Mitchell, superintendent for Colonial Beach Public Schools in Colonial Beach, Va., visits a class at Colonial Beach Elementary School on Nov. 6, 2023.
Brian Palmer for Education Week
Recruitment & Retention How to Find—and Keep—a Diverse Team of Teachers
Principals and district leaders believe diversifying the educator workforce is important—but recruitment and retention often prove tricky.
Mark Lieberman, December 4, 2023
8 min read