Our aim is to make explicit connections between the ESSA inequity provisions, including, a) the state education agency to conduct the resource allocation review process, b) support to local education agencies with schools that qualify for comprehensive improvement to identify and address resource inequities within the district, and c) schools that qualify for additional comprehensive improvement support to identify and address resource inequities within their school. The presentation will focus on designing a process that enables state education agency leaders to build the capacity of district and school leaders to - create connections between identified needs, evidence-based strategies, and resource allocation methods - to address resource inequities and ultimately improve the educational experience of all students. Above all, to ensure the resource allocation review becomes a means of establishing equity-centered decision-making rather than another exercise to be in compliance.
USBE RAR Reflections VideoAlicia Bowman is an Improvement Specialist at WestEd. She is part of the WestEd Education Leadership and Systems Design team, the Region 15 Comprehensive Center, and the Regional Education Laboratory Northwest. With almost 30 years working in and in support of K-12 public education, including leadership roles in continuous improvement and assessment and accountability, Alicia has deep experience as a leader, coach, supervisor, and facilitator. Her career has been dedicated to addressing educational inequities through system improvement work. Alicia’s current projects support the development of leadership capacity and systems at the state, county, and district levels. She is a co-author of the WestEd publications, "Getting Better at Getting More Equitable: Opportunities and Barriers for Using Continuous Improvement to Advance Educational Equity," and "Getting Better at Getting More Equitable: Addressing Racial Inequities in Education Using Equity-Driven Continuous Improvement.” Prior to joining WestEd, Alicia was a district administrator, principal supervisor, a principal, and a leadership coach. She is part of the WestEd Education Leadership and Systems Design team, the Region 15 Comprehensive Center, and the Regional Education Laboratory Northwest. Her current projects support the development of leadership capacity and systems at the state, county, and district levels. She is a co-author of the WestEd publications, "Getting Better at Getting More Equitable: Opportunities and Barriers for Using Continuous Improvement to Advance Educational Equity," and "Getting Better at Getting More Equitable: Addressing Racial Inequities in Education Using Equity-Driven Continuous Improvement.” Prior to joining WestEd, Alicia was a district administrator, principal supervisor, a principal, and a leadership coach.
Corey Cornett provides project leadership and content support for Region 14 and Region 15 Comprehensive Center projects and provides technical assistance to local education agencies to integrate Academic Parent-Teacher Teams (APTT) for student achievement. Region 14 project work supports Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas, while Region 15 project work supports Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah. APTT Technical Assistance includes district, campus leadership and teacher-level PD and ongoing site-based support during the duration of APTT contracts nationwide. Prior to WestEd, Corey cycled through an expansive leadership cohort in his district where he gained experience in the following areas: technology (teaching technology to children & adults, including deep hardware/software/cloud-based exposure), professional learning (professional development trainer, on-boarding specialist, professional learning community leader, mentor, coach, family engagement specialist, school turnaround coach, data reporting, presentation/adult learning theory), human resources (recruitment & selection, talent development, program management, systems improvement agent), change management (protocol and process reporting), and organizational development.
For close to a decade, Tia Taylor has worked to pursue the equitable distribution of resources that balances compliance with meeting the educational needs of students. Her professional goal is to eliminate resource inequities and ensure that each student has access to a quality education. Tia serves as a Senior Program Associate with WestEd and the Region 15 Comprehensive Center. In this role, she leverages her experience and expertise in the area of school finance, resource allocation approaches, and leadership development. With extensive experience with budget development, strategic planning, and resource alignment her work is focused on systems change and transformation. Tia has a unique insight on federal program requirements and provides support to educational leaders by exploring strategies for braiding and blending funds to maximize the use of precious resources and expand access to programs and services for all students. Prior to joining WestEd, Tia worked in school districts in the areas of program planning, budget, and accounting. In addition, she supported district leadership in the development of California's Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) and worked to align both federal and state plans and school improvement plans to the LCAP. Tia also held a variety of accounting positions and administrative support functions with other state agencies and private sector corporations.