Office of Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

Because the State College Area School District recognizes the importance of equity and is engaged in a concerted effort to provide more caring and inclusive experiences for every student, in 2016, it formed the SCASD Office of Equity, Inclusion and Belonging. Our district's equity efforts are guided by district policy 100.1: Inclusive Excellence Policy and SCASD Board of Directors AntiRacism Resolution.

Resolutions and Policies

• Inclusive Excellence Policy
• SCASD AntiRacism Resolution
• What is Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging? (PDE Document)

Equity Audits

• Equity Audit completed by Equity Literacy Institute
• Equity Audit completed by Penn State Center for Education and Civil Rights

District Initiatives

• Social Justice Summer Institute
• No Place For Hate
• Equity Summit

Equity Workgroups

The Office of Equity & Inclusivity also coordinates the work of more than 80 equity advocates districtwide and oversees the Inclusive Excellence Steering Committee, which is comprised of the following equity workgroups:

• Race and Marginalized Populations
• LGBT and Gender Equity 
• International and Immigration Issues
• Disability Issues
• Religious and Spirituality Issues
• Diversity in STEM 
• Student Voice

These are just a few examples of our commitment to all of our students. As we work collectively toward providing equitable experiences for every individual, we must keep striving to understand the lived experiences of each of our students to meet their needs.

Definition of Equity

Equity – In short, equity is best defined to mean “more for those who need it,” with a specific focus on historically marginalized groups. There is a common misunderstanding that the terms equity and equality can be used interchangeably. Whereas equality allows equal access to resources and opportunities and is important for educational success, equity accounts for the fact that some need more resources than others. That is, we must intentionally adjust inputs into the educational system and identify and systematically remove barriers to access which will include: providing greater resources, targeting professional learning for educators, and adopting culturally responsive educational practices and processes.