Governance and Policy ResourcesResearch, guidance and services for effective school board governance

Closing persistent opportunity gaps requires a commitment to educational equity and professional learning from board members across California. The resources in this page provide data, evidence and best practices to support the achievement of California’s highest-need students. In addition, CSBA will ensure that the importance of promoting equity and closing opportunity and achievement gaps is reflected within all CSBA materials, trainings and advocacy efforts.

CSBA Equity Statement (approved September 2019)

CSBA recognizes that educational excellence requires a commitment to equity. California students bring a wide range of assets, abilities, backgrounds and needs to their educational experience. Schools have an obligation to provide all students with the access and opportunities necessary for college, career and life success. This requires school leaders to address practices, policies and barriers that perpetuate inequities which lead to opportunity and achievement gaps. Effective school boards are equity-driven, making intentional governance decisions that combat institutional discrimination and bias (both explicit and implicit) and eliminate disparities in educational outcomes based on socioeconomic status, gender, gender identity, gender expression, race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability or family background.

CSBA Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

• Critical race theory FAQ (7/21)
• Ethnic studies FAQ (7/21)

Governance Briefs

• Educational Equity: The Need for Boards to Support Equity-Based Decisions (10/19)

• Encouraging Equity: Knowledge, Self-Reflection, and Action (Fall 2019)
• The Price of Inequality: The Achievement Gap and the High Cost to America’s Future (Fall 2018) 

California School News

• CSBA Adopts Equity Statement (11/2019)
• Focusing on Educational Equity Requires Continuous Learning (10/2019)
• President’s Message: The Importance of Equity-Driven Leadership (10/2019)
• President’s Message: As California’s Graduation Rate Rises, We Need to Heighten Focus on Creating Equitable Paths (7/2019)
• CSBA Equity Network Participants Dive Deep to Take on Key Issues. (11/2018)

Resources Focused on Specific Student Groups

• English Learners
• Foster Youth
• Homeless Youth
• African-American Students
• Latino Students
• Native American Students
• Asian, Filipino, and Pacific Islander Students
• Students Impacted by Immigration Status

CSBA Equity Network

In summer 2018, CSBA launched an Equity Network with the support of the Stuart Foundation, providing extensive support and professional development to board members across California on concepts related to educational equity, including implicit bias, cultural proficiency, the history of public education and the role of education leadership in disrupting a system of inequity. Participants in the CSBA Equity Network are tasked with developing an Equity Action Plan for their governance team and with being a resource and support for other board members across California seeking to advance educational equity. 

• 2019–20 Equity Network Participants (Cohort 2)
• 2018–19 Equity Network Participants (Cohort 1)

Want to become part of the CSBA Equity Network? 

Learn more.

External Resources

• Californians Dedicated to Education Foundation: This is Equity Video and Discussion Questions 
• Getting Down to Facts II: Educational Equity in California (11/2018)
• The Education Trust–West: Data Equity Walk Toolkit