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Data Synthesis as Catalyst for Equity

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Data Synthesis as Catalyst for Equity

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Content 1
DATA SYNTHESIS AS CATALYST FOR EQUITY
Capstone Project Proposal
Benjamin T. Nakamura
University of Southern California
Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work
Doctor of Social Work Program
Dr. Renee Smith-Maddox
May 2024

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Table of Contents
I. Abstract 4
II. Acknowledgements 4
III. Positionality Statement 6
IV. Problem of Practice and Literature Review 8
V. Conceptual/Theoretical Framework 19
VI. Methodology 21
VII. Project Description 25
VIII. Implementation Plan 31
IX. Conclusions and Implications 34
X. References 38
XI. Appendix A: Timeline of Racism in the K-12 System of Schooling 50
XII. Appendix B: Logic Model 58
XIII. Appendix C: Prototype1, Critical Hip Hop Pedagogy, Prototype 59
XIV. Appendix D: Prototype 2, Flipping the Script, Prototype 60
XV. Appendix E: Data Synthesis as Catalyst for Equity, Prototype 61
XVI. Appendix F: Asset-Mapping via YouTube 72
XVII. Appendix G: Design Justice Principles 73
XVIII. Appendix H: Problem of Practice Examples 74
XIX. Appendix I: 5H Equity & Innovation Framework 75
XX. Appendix J: Design Criteria 76
XXI. Appendix K: Line Item Budget 77

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“For the master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house. They may allow us to
temporarily beat him at his own game, but they will never enable us to bring about genuine
change. And this fact is only threatening to those women who still define the master’s house as
their only source of support” (Lorde, 2017).

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Abstract
The K-12 system of schooling continues to perpetuate racialized inequities. The era of
high-stakes accountability and standardization serve to solidify inequities. Educator
understanding of the problem landscape in schools is often relegated to analyzing quantitative
data sets. Student achievement on end-of-year standardized assessments guide teaching and
learning experiences throughout the academic year. Schools and teachers engage students in an
endless cycle of preparation for end-of-year standardized assessments. Instructional practices are
driven by student performance on assessments contained in state-adopted, curriculums which are
required by law to align with these federally required assessments. Teacher collaboration time
during professional learning communities focuses on analysis of quantitative data sets that fail to
capture the complexities contributing to disparate outcomes.
Data Synthesis as Catalyst for Equity introduces a new approach toward engaging with
data. It identifies and captures assets within the community of Central Valley Aspire Public
Schools and uses qualitative data sets as the starting point for dialogue around root causes of
inequities. To support the dialogue, the 5H Equity & Innovation Framework contains five
dimensions each with dialogue prompts.
The solution seeks to create organizational policies, practices and perspectives that
dismantle inequities and replace them with equity-oriented ones. The weekly collaboration time
that had previously been dedicated to quantitative data analysis only is now complemented by
qualitative data synthesis which creates space to address the prevalent belief within Aspire that
equity and rigorous instruction are mutually exclusive.
Acknowledgments

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I want to acknowledge all the students, families, and communities that I have had the
opportunity to serve as teacher and principal–Rehoboth Charter Academy, Adelanto Community
Day School, the Lewis Center for Educational Research, Roosevelt Middle School, the Juvenile
Court and Community Schools with San Diego County Office of Education, Stagg High School,
and Aspire Public Schools. I want to give a special recognition to the students, staff, and
community of John Wesley North High School in the Eastside of Riverside, California. While
serving as your principal, you taught me coalition building, community organizing, activism,
resilience, and showed me a kind of caring and community that I had not previously experienced
nor have since in my professional career. I bring you and the lessons you taught me to every
educational space I am a part of. I want to thank a few of my students, who in my 20+ years in
K-12 education that have shown me how to be a better educator and human: Noe, Sable,
McKenzie, Jemuel, Jaylen, Ricky, Rondell, Luciano, Larry, Kenya, Kii, Aaron, Freddy, Julian,
Michael, Ezra, Eddie, Michael Mason, Danny Mason, Lexi, Kennedy, Amaya, Alana, Adrian,
Dylan, Steven, Mason, Koran, Knowledge, Joshy, Pablo, Jaden, Jayden, Krillin, June June, and
the many others that I do not have space to name here. You all strengthen me and give me the
boldness and indomitable courage and creativity to fight injustices and stand for my people. I
also want to honor and bring remembrance to the many students I have known through the
decades whose lives were cut short and never had the opportunity to make it to adulthood. I give
a special shout out to my brothers in this education game who refuse to succumb to the biases
and oppressive traditions of the K-12 system of schooling and have stood with me and the people
for true liberation of all marginalized peoples. You are my brothers to the death, through thick
and thin: Brother Ilde, Brother Matt, and Brother Jose. To my wrestling family–peers, coaches
and students: Harlan, CT, Ardeshir, Arsen, Babak, Ken, Jerry, Mikey, Danny, Ernie, even

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Campbell, John Azevedo, Bigrigg, All the Archuletas (Tino, Fidel, Anthony & Juan) DeHaro
Vato, David, Watanabe, Tran, Blalock, Serrano, the Websters, Bui, Big Schumm, Little
Schumm, and all those I competed against and with. You all pushed me beyond my limits, and I
thank you for that. To my skater family: Jon Choi first and foremost, my brother, Jaime
Sandoval, Ryan Darnell (rest easy my brother), Nathan, and Andre. To all my b-boy family back
in the day: Jerry, Josh, and those we battled. I acknowledge all the cities I have lived and the
beauty and culture you shared with me: beginning with Rosemead, the Crown, Riverside, all the
951, Victorville, Fontana and Rancho Cucamonga (the lesser ranking IE but still legitimate, the
909 and little bit of 760), Fullerton and Santa Ana that 714, Vista & Escondido (the 760 North
County), Modesto and Stockton (a different kind of struggle and beauty I never knew). After
Stockton, I don’t speak about my personal family by name, but you know who you are and the
ways that I love you deeply and with everything within me. I also show special gratitude to the
mother figures in my life: Auntie, Grandma Kiyo, Joanie Sandoval, Mrs. Blalock, and Becky
Porter. To my mother Linda Nakamura, since I was 12, I have lived to bring honor to your name
and will until my last breath. Grandpa “Ted” Minoru Nakamura, I honor you and carry the
Nakamura name with pride because of you.
Positionality Statement
I am of mixed race and identify as Japanese. I am a middle-aged man who spent
childhood in three counties throughout Southern California. I moved on several occasions
because of issues at home. I spent my childhood split between my two biological parents with
regular assistance from my aunt and paternal grandparents. When I lived with my mother, she
drank alcohol every day. She also used heroin on a regular basis, often exchanging sexual favors
to fund her substance use. Her partners physically abused my three siblings and me. My sister

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and I were sexually molested as early elementary school students. My siblings and I were often
neglected for days at a time when my mother would be absent from home partying with friends
or at home on a drug binge. When our father received custody of us, he regularly beat me. He
was incarcerated in state correctional facilities on multiple occasions and was frequently violent
and aggressive toward my brothers and me. I once missed weeks of school as a middle schooler
because my father feared the consequences after he punched me in the face leaving a black eye. I
had unstable and at times adversarial relationships with students, teachers and school
administrators. I estimate that from kindergarten until the end of middle school that I was
suspended from schools on no less than twenty separate occasions. I felt emotionally and
physically unsafe at schools and found the curriculum to be irrelevant and having no connection
to my lived experiences. I did not feel affirmed nor seen by the adults who taught me. I felt that
they looked down upon me because of my clothing, my family dynamics, and my behavior did
not match their expectations. While I found success in isolated moments during my time as a
student in K-12 schools, I was subjected to a variety of punishments and mistreatment by
teachers and school administrators during elementary, middle and high school. I currently serve
as regional director of equity and culturally responsive teaching with Aspire Public Schools. My
work centers on issues related to race, equity and the intersection of teaching and learning within
the context of K-12 schooling. I previously have served as principal of two comprehensive high
schools, and principal and teacher for Juvenile Court and Community Schools. In each of these
contexts, I witnessed and led success and disruptions of racialized inequities through enacting
approaches grounded in the overthrow of existing power structures. My personal experiences as
a student in the K-12 system of schooling and the ways that teachers and administrators treated
me and others from marginalized backgrounds shaped my approaches and perspective entering

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the profession. I have always held beliefs that the system itself is problematic and inequitable.
Thus, my work as a teacher and educational leader has always aligned with critical pedagogies.
This capstone project is an extension and further development of that positionality
Problem of Practice & Literature Review
Grand Challenges of Social Work: Eliminating Racism
The K-12 system of schooling in the United States is built upon a foundation of inequities
and bias. See Appendix A for a timeline outlining major inequities throughout the history of
public education. As evidenced by persistent racialized outcomes in every state throughout the
nation, efforts to meaningfully disrupt inequities have been unsuccessful. The grand challenge of
social work to eliminate racism, “calls for the social work profession to focus on the centrality of
racism and white supremacy, both within society and within the profession” (Teasley et al.,
2021, p.1).
This capstone project acknowledges and describes the varied ways that racism and White
supremacy permeate the K-12 system of schooling. The eugenics movement of the 20th century
enabled racist policies and practices under the guise of educational reform that continue today
(Au, 2016). Though the K-12 system of schooling has divorced itself from the names of the
Eugenicists, their methodologies remain intact (Au, 2016). This capstone seeks to eliminate
racism within Central Valley Aspire Public Schools by addressing the underlying causes of
persistent racialized inequities and including qualitative data synthesis practices into existing
data protocols.
Current Status of Schooling in America: Persistent Inequities

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The racial inequities extant in the K-12 system of schooling across the nation mirror
those found in Aspire Public Schools. Figures 1 and 2 capture these inequities in the areas of
English-Language Arts and mathematics achievement on the end of year state-mandated
standardized assessment over an 8-year period. The gaps in achievement between Black and
White students have not statistically significantly decreased.
Figure 1
End of Year SBAC Student Performance, English-Language Arts
Note: This table demonstrates the percentage of students that scored at or above grade level on
the state-mandated end of year assessment in English Language Arts.
Figure 2
End of Year SBAC Student Performance, Mathematics
0
20
40
60
80
14-15 15-16 16-17 17-18 18-19 20-21 21-22 22-23
% of students at or above
grade level
School Year
Black White

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Note: This table demonstrates the percentage of students that scored at or above grade level on
the state-mandated end of year assessment in English Language Arts.
Racialized inequities between Black and White students at Aspire Public Schools persist in other
measures beyond academic performance. Figure 3 shows that Black students continue to be
suspended at disproportionate rates while White students tend to be suspended at rates slightly
lower rates than are reflected in their population size.
Figure 3
Over/Under-Representation in Student Suspensions, Annual Percentages
Note: This table demonstrates the over- or under-representation rates of suspension for Black and
White students. Using the 2017-2018 school year as an example, Black students were
0
20
40
60
80
14-15 15-16 16-17 17-18 18-19 20-21 21-22 22-23
% of students at or
above grade level
School Year
Black White
Black White
17-18 14.4 -1.2
18-19 11.4 -1.9
19-20 11.1 -2
21-22 15.3 -1.2
22-23 14 0.9
-5
0
5
10
15
20
% of Over/Under- Representation

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overrepresented among the population of suspended students by 14.4% points while White
students were underrepresented among the population of suspended students by 1.2% points
(thus, the negative percentage in 4 out of 5 years).
Impact on Target Population
The target population for this capstone project are educators within the K-12 system of
schooling. Teachers comprise the bulk of educators and are emphasized most heavily throughout
this project; however, school counselors, principals, and other support staff play vital roles in
schools. These other educators are all included as they interact with data to make decisions
affecting the education of students. Because systemic inequities exist within the K-12 system of
schooling, many individuals from minoritized communities are less likely to enter the profession
and are more likely to leave prematurely. This lack of representation from educators of color also
contributes to the racialized outcomes found in schools (Oakley et al., 2009).
Retracing our History Beginning with the Present: PLCs, Statistics & Eugenics
Across the nation, teachers are provided with weekly collaboration time, most often for
professional learning communities wherein they analyze quantitative data to inform their
instructional practices (Cheng & Zhao, 2023; Levitan, 2023; Owen, 2016). Professional learning
communities respond to four questions: (1) what do we want students to learn, (2) how will we
know if they have learned it, (3) what will we do if they do learn, and (4) what will we do if they
do not learn? (DuFour & DuFour, 2013). This capstone project attempts to empower both
teachers and school leaders with a framework that offers additional lenses to include during
weekly collaboration. This framework is not intended to replace professional learning
communities, but rather to make our understanding and interaction with data more

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comprehensive with the intent of identifying root causes of inequities. Mainstream statistical
methods of analyzing data in schools are founded upon eugenics and continue to perpetuate
systemic racism (Blythe, 1994; Russell, 2024).
Karl Pearson is considered the father of modern statistics and was a renowned eugenicist
who served as director of the Francis Galton Eugenics Laboratory at University College London.
He used statistics, namely quantitative data analysis to sort humans in a hierarchy with White
Europeans at the top (“Eugenics: Its Origin,” 2023). Consistent with the aims of the eugenics
movement, Karl Pearson used language of science and mathematics to justify racist practices and
policies in government and education (Pearson, 1894). He described non-white races as lessevolved, mentally unfit, and parasitic (Patai & Patai, 1989; Pearson & Moul, 1927). The terms
and practices of statistics in social contexts were used with the express intent of demonstrating
the superiority of the White race (Clayton, 2020; Russell, 2024). Enslavement, colonialism, and
racial hierarchy required a “dehumanizing discourse” to gain universal acceptance and to
continually influence public policy (Zuberi, 2001, p.17). The term coefficient correlation in
statistics was first conceived by Galton and then formally introduced by Pearson and was used to
argue the superiority of the White race among the academic and scientific communities (Pearson,
1896; Pearson, 1926; Stanton, 2001). The term standard deviation introduced by Pearson refers
to the degree to which an individual or a phenomenon deviates from the standard, and the
standard in terms of human races Pearson argued was the White race (Pearson, 1893; Pearson,
1912) . Although schools have disassociated themselves with the eugenicists who began data
analysis practices, those principles still persist in the ways that we conceive data and the
foundational rules of engagement–as Pearson stated, “The unity of all science consists alone in
its method, not in its material” (Pearson, 1894, p.15). Pearson and other Eugenicists established

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methodologies across scientific disciplined to create a unifying narrative about the superiority of
the White race.
Same Game, Different Name: Divorcing Names but Not Practice
Though academia has made efforts to divorce itself from these individuals and the
Eugenics movement, the methodologies remain to the present and are foundational to data
analysis practices within the K-12 system of schooling to the present day (Russell, 2024). To
elucidate this point, the author of this capstone project recently conducted a Google search with
the following entry: “What does data informed instruction in the classroom look like?” The first
50 responses were manually counted and viewed and found that all 50 responses referred to data
analysis methodologies. None of the responses included qualitative data and none of the
responses described data synthesis. Further, all 50 responses explicitly stated academic content
standards as integral to the data analysis methodologies described. As with the terms correlation
coefficient, standard deviation, and linear regression, the idea of standardizing intelligence, and
reducing intelligence to a quantitative data set was also established by the Eugenics movement.
Removing Context to Dehumanize: Quantitative and Qualitative Data
The problem with this limited view of data is that its focus is too narrow and simplistic
(McNeil & Valenzuela, 2001). Quantitative data is used in data analysis to first separate the
individual or the phenomenon from their environment. This data is reduced to a single number, a
letter, or a phrase that indicates the degree to which one has achieved a standard. And that
standard to be achieved is indicative of a level of intelligence. The term intelligence is no longer
used partly because of the direct relationship to Eugenics, so the replacement term performance
is now used. Thus, intelligence assessments are now called performance assessments;

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nevertheless, though the term has changed, the methodologies of sorting students according to
their scoring on a standardized assessment remains.
Measuring Intelligence & Achievement: Tools to Justify Eugenics in Schools
The Stanford-Binet Intelligence Quotient: IQ Testing in America
The methodologies to sort students based on standardized assessment data began in the
United States with a prominent Eugenicist Lewis Terman, who was a member of the American
Eugenics Society, the Eugenical News and the Eugenics Research Association (CITATION).
Prior to becoming a professor of educational psychology at Stanford University, Terman was a
school principal in California (Beadie et al., 2017). He firmly believed that non-white students
would damage the intelligence and well-being of White students and ultimately society. To
justify his beliefs, he created a scale commonly known as an IQ test. In his textbook manual for
IQ testing, he describes the inferiority of non-white students, advocates for school segregation,
manual labor preparation for non-white and recommends sterilization of non-white
communities:
Their dullness seems to be racial, or at least inherent in the family stocks from which they
come. The fact that one meets this type with such extraordinary frequency among Indians,
Mexicans, and negroes suggests quite forcibly that the whole question of racial differences
in mental traits will have to be taken up anew and by experimental methods. Children of
this group should be segregated in special classes and be given instruction which is
concrete and practical. They cannot master abstractions, but they can often be made
efficient workers, able to look out for themselves. There is no possibility at present of
convincing society that they should not be allowed to reproduce, although from a eugenic

15
point of view they constitute a grave problem because of their unusually prolific breeding.
(Terman, 1916, pp.91-92)
Terman’s comments above are contained in his manual describing classifications of intelligence
quotients along with his recommendations for appropriate actions for individuals and groups
(Terman, 1916). While Terman’s adaptation of Binet’s IQ test contained the language of
objectivity and science, it was laden with assumptions about human intelligence rooted in the
biases of the Eugenics movement (Au, 2013)
The Stanford Achievement Tests: Paving the Way for High-Stakes Accountability Testing
Six years after Terman created the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Quotient, he developed an
assessment specifically designed to measure student achievement in schools, known as the
Stanford Achievement Test (Terman, 1922). By 1932, the Stanford Achievement Test was used
in 112 of the 150 city school systems in the US (Au, 2013). This assessment was given to
students across the nation and was the most common standardized achievement test in place for
nearly one hundred years until the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 federally mandated
standardized assessments in all US public schools.
The Scholastic Aptitude Test: Racism in College Admissions
Three years after Terman created the Stanford Achievement Test for K-12 school
students, Carl Brigham, a notable Eugenicist from Princeton University was commissioned by
the College Board to create a college entrance examination (Soares, 2012). As with other
assessments created by Eugenicists under the guise of educational reform, the SAT was and
continues to serve the ideals of Eugenics, as Warne writes– “while the SAT has tried to break
from its eugenic roots, it still serves the same purpose across time and ideology: to sort human
populations deeming high-scorers as valued and deserving of opportunity, and by deeming low-

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scorers as unvalued and undeserving of opportunity. This is as true of the SAT now as it was
almost a hundred years ago” (2020, p.296).
Historicizing the Impact of Eugenics on Schools
The father of eugenics Francis Galton defined eugenics as “the study of all agencies
under human control which can improve or impair the racial quality of future generations”
(Black, 2003). The eugenics movement was one of the most significant movements of the 20th
century informing public policy across the nation. The scientific language of eugenics enabled
racist beliefs to hide behind academic disciplines. Modern statistics, craniology, and phrenology
gave Eugenics the scientific language and rigorous formulaic algorithms needed to enact racist
policies including: forced sterilization, immigration policies, anti-miscegenation laws, and
genocide (Kevles, 1999; Parker et al., 2018).
The US Supreme Court upheld forced sterilization using the arguments of the Eugenics
(Buck v. Bell, 1927). The Immigration Act of 1924 placed unfair quotas on immigrants from
countries that contained lesser evolved races according to Eugenicists (Gross, 2019). Antimiscegenation advocates used arguments from the most renowned Eugenicists to argue that
mixing White races with lesser evolved races would pollute the gene pool and lead to the
downfall of society in the US (Bhusal, 2017). In Nazi Germany, the arguments of the Eugenics
movement fueled Nazi propaganda leading to the genocide of millions (Fischer, 2012). Some of
these practices have been eliminated from society; however, others persist.
Educational policies and practices that were birthed from the Eugenics movement are
now ingrained into the fabric of the K-12 system of schooling some of which have already been
described including: tracking or ability grouping, segregation, standardized assessments, and
data analysis practices (Au, 2013; Au, 2016; “Why is Tracking Harmful,” 1993). This capstone

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project aims to address root causes behind these school-based inequities. To understand and
dismantle these inequities, the history of IQ testing and standardized achievement tests are
explored in the next section.
IQ Testing to Tracking
As a former school principal, Terman was interested in influencing programs for ability
grouping, also known as tracking, of students based on assessment performance. Tracking
assumes that intellectual capabilities are fixed and does not consider environmental factors
contributing to performance (“Why is Tracking Harmful,” 1993). Tracking students is prohibited
under Title IX (Education Amendments Act of 1972, 2018). Yet, it remains widespread
throughout the nation. During the 2017-2018 school year, 24% of primary schools, 48% of
middle schools, and 40% of high schools across the nation “reported assigning students based on
their ability” (Institute of Education Sciences, 2021).
Standardized Testing to the Era of Standardization & High Stakes Accountability
The Stanford-Binet Intelligence Quotient, Stanford Achievement Test, and the Scholastic
Aptitude Test (now SAT), laid the foundation for several systemic inequities within the K-12
system of schooling. Dismantling these inequities is a challenge as the biases behind them morph
and evolve to reflect the language and practices of the times they are situated in (Au, 2013, Au,
2016). Standardized assessments, which at the surface, allege to disrupt inequities, “have been
used to sort and track students for about a hundred years” (Vasquez et al., 2018, p.3).
Changing the Discourse in Schools
Eugene Eubanks, former professor in the School of Education at the University of
Missouri, Kansas City was a school principal and educational leader who was appointed to
oversee district desegregation following a US court case that declared Kansas City Public

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Schools was in violation of desegregation outlined in Brown v. Board of Education (Brown v.
Board of Education, 1954; “Kansas City Black History,” 2023). Eubanks and co-authors wrote
an essay in Race, Ethnicity and Multiculturalism aimed at effecting transformative change in
schools that addresses underlying assumptions and beliefs about learning, students, schools, and
the roles of educators in the process (Eubanks et al., 1997). They argue that “if American
schooling is to be transformed, its participation in the reproduction of long-term unequal social
arrangements must be eliminated” (p.1).
Dialogue Beneath the Surface to Uncover Inequities.
The Eugenics movement solidified practices and policies governing schools that underlie
the surface and have been described as the hidden curriculum of schools (Apple, 2013; McLaren,
2015). Most notable of those practices are standardized assessments and quantitative data
analysis (Vasquez et al., 2018). These state purpose of these practices is often to disrupt
inequities making it all the more difficult to question and challenge their validity (Au, 2016).
Thus, while educators believe that schools are obligated to educate all students well, the
difficulty lies in the “strength of social reproduction in American schooling (Eubanks et al.,
1997, p. 1). This social reproduction ensures the continuance of hegemony, which lies at the root
of the intentions behind the institutionalized policies birthed during educational reforms of
Eugenicists (McLaren, 2015). School reform efforts through the decades have misdiagnosed and
treated symptoms without acknowledging the root causes (Eubanks et al., 1997). An example of
this kind of treating symptoms in school settings was the College Board’s decision in 1994 to
take the acronym for the Scholastic Aptitude Test and make it the official name of the exam. The
College Board president at the time, in an effort to distance the exam from its Eugenics roots
argued that he wanted to “correct the impression among some people that the SAT measures

19
something that is innate and impervious to change” (Soares, 2012). Carl Brigham designed the
SAT to identify and sort students according to their innate intelligence. Brigham believed that
White students possessed the highest levels of innate intelligence, and the methodologies he used
were to support that belief system. The questions posed in Brigham’s exam have repeatedly been
shown to be biased against non-white students. Researchers argue that these biases persist to the
present day (“Bias in the SAT?”, 2010; Freedle et al., 2003; Rattani, 2016; Soares, 2012)
Dismantling Inequities through Nuanced Dialogue
Eubanks and others argue that the complexity of social issues cannot be adequately
addressed through surface-level changes. Persistent racialized inequities in schools have complex
and nuanced root causes that quantitative data practices cannot adequately address—
“quantitative research prevents researchers from addressing urgent problems facing humanity
today, such as poverty, racial inequality, and climate change” (Powell, 2020, p. 41). Quantitative
research categorizes data in a binary and does not consider shades of gray (Visentin et al., 2020).
This binary approach in quantitative data analysis in schools is reflected in the last two of the
four essential questions of professional learning communities: how will we respond if students
do not learn? And how will you respond if students do learn? These questions do not create
space for shades of gray as quantitative data draw binary conclusions (DuFour et al., 2006, p.28).
Theoretical Framework
This capstone project draws upon Asset-based Community Development (ABCD), a
sustainable approach for community-driven development (Harrison et al., 2019). Unlike
traditional change efforts, ABCD operates from the stance that the ability to effect change lies
primarily within the assets extant in the community (Ure et al., 2019). A core tenet of ABCD is

20
that communities can drive the development process themselves through mobilization of existing
resources that are often unrecognized (Kretzmann & McKnight, 2005). ABCD has been used in a
variety of contexts: local government, community groups, nonprofit organizations, and school
settings. For this capstone project, the community includes the community of Central Valley
Aspire Public Schools. This community encompasses 16 total schools: 3 in Modesto, 10 in
Stockton, and 3 in Sacramento. For the aims of this project, the community refers to schoolbased staff, regional office staff, students, and families. The assets that are integrated in this
project include: individual capacities, local associations, neighbor exchanges, and stories. The
steps of ABCD are: (1) identifying assets, (2) building relationships, (3) mobilizing for
development, and (4) empowering the community. Each of these four steps are articulated in
further detail in the project description.
Theoretical Framework & the Proposed Solution: The Logic Model & Theory of Change
The elements of ABCD described above are integral to the logic model which begins
with an asset-oriented assumption that educators care about the well-being and success of
students. If educators have access to the right kinds of data and frameworks to support them in
understanding and applying that data to their classroom practice, then both student and educator
well-being is fostered and the underlying causes of persistent inequities will be addressed. When
these underlying causes are addressed and educators collaborate with one another cultivating
their assets and building their collective efficacy, then organizational changes to create more
equitable learning environments for all will occur. Asset-mapping is a critical aspect of upending
inequities as “Communities forced to live on the margins of society often develop their own
dynamics and strategies to address unjust circumstances, since dominant forms of care are not

21
culturally relevant, not bilingual, or not otherwise sensitive to their realities” (Balcazar et al.,
2021; Miranda et al., 2020). See Appendix B for the full logic model outlining the process.
The theory of change shown in figure 4 below aligns with the logic model. Each are asset-based
and responsive to the community of Central Valley Aspire Public Schools.
Figure 4
Theory of Change
Outcome (final result) Process (how we get there)
The proposed solution seeks to create
organizational policies, practices and
perspectives that dismantle existing inequities
and replace them with equity-oriented ones.
Further, the solution aims to address the
prevalent belief within Aspire that equity and
rigorous instruction are mutually exclusive.
The proposed solution uses a qualitative data
synthesis protocol via the 5H Equity &
Innovation Framework to engage educators in
ongoing dialogue that addresses the
complexity and nuance of school-based
inequities during weekly collaboration
The goals of the solution are ambitious and
have not yet existed in any consistent or
widespread form to date. However, the
intentionality of working within existing
structures (namely weekly collaboration time
and continually articulating alignment
between solution and the organizational
vision & mission), and drawing upon assets
contained within the Aspire community in a
structured way provides a likely environment
for the goals to be achieved
The solution encompasses the essence of
human-centered design and design justice
principles. The solution draws upon ABCD
and leverages the language and knowledge
forms extant within the community via the
direct voices and stories of those within the
community captured via social media
platforms
Methodology
Human Centered Design & Design Justice Principles

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Qualitative Data Synthesis as Catalyst for Equity integrates human centered design and
design justice principles throughout each stage of the project. Approaches within the K-12
system of schooling begin with standardized assessments, which are “premised on predictability
and control, optimized for solving tame problems” (Leidtka et al., 2018, p.5). This project aims
to “solve a tough problem,” the underlying causes behind persistent racialized inequities in
schools (p.6). This project centers the voices of the marginalized and uplifts the assets within the
community of Aspire Public Schools. The sections that follow describe the stages of human
centered design that were used for this project and the design justice principles that were
considered.
What is, What if, What Wows, What Works
During the what is stage, 25 empathy interviews were conducted to deepen understanding
of the problem landscape within Central Valley Aspire Public Schools. Senior cabinet members,
school leaders, teachers, and external partners were posed questions related to equity in schools.
In the what if stage, multiple ideas were explored as an option to address racialized
inequities. Based on past successes and experiences with critical hip hop pedagogy (CHHP), the
author considered exploring CHHP as a means to disrupt inequities.
In the What wows stage, several prototypes using CHHP were introduced to educators in
formal professional learning experiences. Appendix C shows a YouTube video used during one
of the experiences. After multiple iterations of CHHP in classrooms and programs, feedback
from teachers revealed high levels of stress and challenges with implementation.

23
Through collaboration with the community design team and the external design partner,
the next iteration of the prototype was launched entitled, Flipping the Script: Radical Schoolwide
Transformation (See Appendix D). This prototype was the earliest iteration of ABCD and
included asset-mapping via YouTube videos. These YouTube videos captured interviews from
teachers that embodied culturally responsive teaching in their classrooms. The teachers were
selected through a triangulated process borrowed from research with culturally relevant
pedagogy. Teachers were selected because of their high regard among students, school
personnel, and parents (Ladson-Billings, 1995, pp.471-472). These prototypes were used to
support individual teacher development in challenge areas. Teacher receptivity and engagement
with these videos was high (See Appendix F). The capstone author generated questions
surrounding the videos that invited Discourse II as described by Eubanks et al.—“Discourse II
conversations tend to be about uncomfortable, unequal, ineffective, prejudicial conditions and
relationships in school” (1997, p.6). These dialogues were effective and prompted a more
systematic approach toward capturing the assets of teachers and students within the community.
These dialogues inspired the development of the 5H Equity & Innovation Framework.
Design Justice Principles
There are ten design justice principles that exist to center the voices of the marginalized
and prioritize healing and well-being for communities that have been harmed by exploitative
measures and systems (“Design Justice,” 2018). Each of these ten principles are aligned to the
fundamentals of ABCD and are thus aligned to this Capstone Project. See Appendix E for the
connection between each of the principles with this project.
Market Analysis

24
Across the nation, professional learning communities are used as a model to analyze data
among teachers (Cheng & Zhao, 2023; Owen, 2016). School districts across the nation have
established weekly collaboration time (Levitan, 2023). Professional learning communities
respond to four questions: (1) what do we want students to learn, (2) how will we know if they
have learned it, (3) what will we do if they do learn, and (4) what will we do if they do not learn?
(DuFour & DuFour, 2013). Professional learning communities are an established form of weekly
professional learning for teachers across the nation. This capstone project attempts to empower
both teachers and school leaders with a framework that offers additional lenses to include in their
weekly collaboration time. This framework is not intended to replace professional learning
communities, but rather to make our understanding and interaction with data more
comprehensive with the intent of identifying root causes of inequities.
There are currently no qualitative data synthesis practices nor frameworks that exist
within either Aspire Public Schools or the K-12 system of schooling. This project fills a
necessary void by adding a five-dimensional qualitative data synthesis framework and protocol
embedded into weekly collaboration.
Measuring Social Change
To measure social change, teams will be visited as they engage in the weekly data
synthesis protocols using the 5H Equity & Innovation Framework. The visits will provide
qualitative data on teacher beliefs, values, and assumptions as they navigate discussion prompts.
Visits will be followed by direct observation of teachers in their classrooms with their students to
assess level of impact. Individual and team interviews of teachers will take place to determine
their sense of self- and collective-efficacy with the framework. Students empathy interviews will

25
be conducted to hear directly from students on how the teaching and learning experience feels.
Student achievement on quarterly benchmark assessments and end of year state mandated
academic assessments will also be considered. Other measures will include: student suspension
rates, attendance rates, chronic absenteeism rates, and trends in student enrollment.
Project Description
Data Synthesis as Catalyst for Equity: Overview & Problem of Practice
Data Synthesis as Catalyst for Equity is a model for catalyzing organizational equity
initiatives. Using the 5H Equity & Innovation Framework, teams engage in a variety of data
synthesis practices using qualitative data sets. Data sets are collected through dialogic problemposing centered on a problem of practice. A problem of practice is typically understood in the
context of instruction and has specific conditions that must be met: a focus on the instructional
core, is observable, actionable, and significant in some way to the overall learning process (City
et al., 2009). Ultimately, however a problem of practice is a thing that is cared about deeply and
that would improve learning if it is improved upon. The term problem of practice is used because
at the heart of deep problems facing schools are inequities (injustices). Any significant
improvement in the learning environment of schools requires a commitment to equity (justice).
For this project, a problem of practice is problem of practice is defined as a pressing equity issue
facing schools. The definition is intentionally broad to be inclusive of multiple aspects that
impact a school system. Some example problems of practice are included in Appendix H.
Qualitative Data Sets: Storing & Sharing via Social Media

26
Qualitative data sets are compiled & stored using new & emerging social media practices.
The data sets serve multiple organizational functions including: fostering collective efficacy,
asset-identification & development and can be applied to multiple equity strategies and practices
anchored in a problem of practice. Rather than engaging in data analysis, teams use the 5H
Equity & Innovation Framework to engage in qualitative data synthesis. Whereas data analysis
pulls data apart and separates data into quantities, data synthesis brings data together and
explores interrelationships, context and holistic understanding (Angel, 2017). The data synthesis
is facilitated using the 5 dimensions of (1) holism, (2) humanity, (3) hegemony, (4) history, and
(5) humor.
Each of these dimensions encompass two big ideas and include dialogic prompts, which
serve to deepen understanding of the qualitative data sets. See Appendix I for descriptions, big
ideas, and dialogic prompts for each dimension. Through dialogue, educators build their
collective efficacy and expand their empathy lenses. Dialogue-based learning can “enhance
diversity and inclusion and inclusion, encourage critical thinking across modes” (Romano,
2022).
Data Synthesis as Catalyst for Equity: Goals and Objectives
Data Synthesis as Catalyst for Equity aims to support school systems and other
organizations in making sustainable and substantive progress with a problem of practice through
three ongoing actions: (1) identifying and integrating qualitative data sets that are not typically
acknowledged, (2) applying the 5H Equity & Innovation framework to explore and synthesize
qualitative data sets, and (3) engaging teams in contextualized protocols using the 5H Equity &
Innovation framework.

27
Identifying Assets: Asset-Mapping & Asset-Sharing via Social Media
In this project, assets were identified and curated in an iterative process that began with
formal empathy interviews of individuals at the school level that included principals, teachers,
counselors, support staff, students and parents and at the regional level that included the
executive director, superintendents, and program managers. A total of 25 interviews were
conducted during the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 school years. After these initial interviews were
reviewed for patterns and implications, a total of 20 additional interviews have taken place and
have been captured on video. These assets are curated into YouTube videos and Instagram reels,
and are shared throughout the region via both these social media platforms and through internal
emails and newsletters.
The social media platforms mitigate two common challenges with asset-mapping: (1)
engagement and participation, and (2) maintaining up-to-date information (Suarez-Balcazar et
al., 2022). Time and location restraints often prohibit stakeholders from engaging in the process
of asset-mapping. This is particularly true for external partners and families who may not be
physically present on school campuses. By using social media, families and external partners can
engage with curated assets at any time and in any place. The author of this project has spent two
years developing videography and content creation expertise for social media so that engagement
and participation with the process of asset-mapping would be high. At the time of this writing,
the most recent Instagram Reels from February 12 to February 25 had the following number of
unique views: 402; 499; 720; 1637; 718; 1898; 636; 927; 2424; 942; 699; and 635. These
numbers are promising as the Instagram account is not linked to a particular school nor includes
information that school social media accounts tend to rely upon for viewership, such as
upcoming events and information on school operations.

28
Building Relationships
For the last two years, the author of this project made over 200 unique visits to schools.
In each visit, multiple conversations were held with all stakeholders and in context of the school
experience–sitting at lunch in the cafeteria eating with students, playing outside at recess with
students, walking the campus with campus monitors, visiting classrooms talking with teachers,
supporting instruction, assisting custodial staff, helping and talking in the front office. The visits
were intentional in building authentic relationships through seeking to experience and understand
the daily operations of each school and the ways in which all the moving parts and policies in the
K-12 system of schooling.
Mobilizing for Development
Mobilizing for development is about building sustainable capacity within a community
through mobilizing identified assets. Mobilizing weaves the fabric of the community together.
Through building relationships, the author has supported and facilitated mobilizing efforts within
the community of Aspire Public Schools. There are three notable mobilizing efforts that have
taken place and serve as a proof of concept for future mobilization efforts–(1) middle school
teacher cohort development, (2) principal leadership development, and (3) teacher development
through weekly collaboration. These mobilizing efforts have created space for the ongoing
implementation of Data Synthesis as Catalyst for Equity. With the primary implementation
anchored in the teacher development through weekly collaboration. The middle school teacher
cohort development embodies the mobilization efforts between educators across the region.
Middle School Teacher Cohort Development.

29
Through school visits during the first ten weeks of the 2023-2024 school year, interviews
were conducted with three secondary teachers who embody the practices and habits of mind that
create safe and inclusive learning environments for all students. These interviews were captured
via YouTube (see Appendix C) as a means to store and share these assets with other teachers
who might be experiencing challenges in their classrooms. During the second semester of the 23-
24 school year, a team of middle school teachers from one school that was experiencing
challenges then visited those three secondary teachers and observe them in the classroom. In the
visit, they held a structured debrief and explored the assets that they observed. Further, the team
of middle school teachers were provided the YouTube videos and have explored them during
their weekly collaboration time using the 5H Equity & Innovation Framework to further unpack
the assets that they observed. They have since established an ongoing collaborative working
group to explore and find solutions at the middle school level.
Prototype Description
The prototype includes a professional learning experience providing an overview of the
objectives of the project, an introduction of the 5H Equity & Innovation Framework, and several
embedded qualitative data sets that are used to acquaint participants with the process of engaging
in a data synthesis protocol using the 5H framework.
There are then two specific campaigns that are currently in place at two Aspire schools
that are intended to be used with other schools throughout the region. The first campaign is
entitled, “If you don’t feed the teachers…leadership reflections with Dr. LaNitra Curtis.” This
campaign is used with school leadership teams and explores the problem of practice: “Despite
ongoing professional learning and continually stating our equity commitment of nurturing an

30
open, collaborative and trusting environment, teammate perceptions of safety and trust remain
low.”
The second campaign is intended for teams of grade-level or content-alike teachers to
explore the problem of practice: “How might we develop learning spaces that are both rigorous
& nurturing for all learners continues to be a challenge?”
Prototype Objectives: Application of the Logic Model & Theory of Change to Disrupt
Racialized Inequities
Both problems of practice were generated based on need and feedback from school
leaders and teachers regarding tensions that they hold in their schools and classes. These tensions
lie at the intersection of equity and rigor. For many teachers and leaders within Aspire, rigor and
equity conversations have felt disjointed and irreconcilable. These campaigns are emblematic of
the overall goals of the project identified in the theory of change to dismantle the false binary
that equity and rigor are mutually exclusive. This sentiment has been echoed by multiple
educators during empathy interviews and ongoing conversations. Teachers and school leaders
have felt that they often have to make a choice between rigorous instruction and the ideals of
equity.
These data synthesis protocols take place once per week for approximately one hour for
four consecutive weeks. In each week, teams begin the protocol by collectively watching a
qualitative data set presented in a YouTube video or Instagram Reel that varies between 90
seconds and five minutes. Teams then engage in a structured data protocol that explores
questions from each of the five dimension of the 5H Equity & Innovation Framework. These
discussion elicit Discourse II as a means to build connections, understand interrelationships, and

31
explore how seeming disconnected elements within a classroom or school influence one another
and interrelate to create certain experiences for students and educators. Through the dialogue,
collective efficacy and perspectives are developed creating space for new approaches and ways
of being that are more inclusive and equity-oriented. Eliminating racism from school contexts
requires nuanced dialogue around the hidden ways that existing structures within schools
perpetuate racist practices. Unlike data analysis protocols that simplify and narrow educator
lenses, this practice attends to complexity and widens educator lenses. See Appendix E for
prototype details and link.
Implementation Plan
As with all human-centered design, this project is iterative, evolving to become more
responsive to the needs of those most affected by the problem with continued focus on the larger
aims of increasing equity within Central Valley Aspire Public Schools. From the onset, the
project centered the voices of stakeholders through formal empathy interviews and engagement
strategies. The project will continue in that spirit with both structured methods to center the
voices of the community and in informal contextualized methods via ongoing dialogue and
learning alongside stakeholders.
EPIS Framework: Cyclical & Iterative Application
The project continues to use the EPIS framework for its implementation framework. With
each iteration, a cyclical approach toward EPIS is applied. At the exploration phase, barriers and
facilitators at the inner and outer context are identified. With this project, those barriers were
initially identified as perception from families and charter-granting authorities. A significant
barrier is the narrow focus on student achievement on standardized assessments. K-12 schools

32
exist in an era of high-stakes accountability, so this barrier is important and is attended to at each
stage.
During the preparation phase, the project considers the barriers and facilitators that affect
integrating the project with Central Valley Aspire Public Schools. The project is intentional at
situating the innovation within existing structures. In this current iteration, the design team found
that integrated qualitative data synthesis practices during weekly PLC time to be effective. This
collaboration time occurs every Wednesday for two hours.
Ongoing support has been critical during the implementation phase. Providing teachers
with scaffolds and supports to adopt mindsets and practices that are more equitable prompted the
formulation of the 5H Equity & Innovation Framework. The framework guides teachers in
acknowledging, integrating and reflecting upon qualitative data sets.
The sustainment phase similarly was considered in integrating the qualitative data
synthesis protocols into teachers’ weekly collaboration time. With sustainment in mind,
questions are posed regarding long-term funding sources and institutionalization of the
innovation. Since weekly collaboration time is built into teachers’ weekly schedules and has
been since the onset of Central Valley Aspire Public Schools, situating this project within that
structure increases the likelihood of long-term sustainment.
Financial Plan: Line Item Budget
The author of this project has included the project within his daily role. Thus, much of the
funding for the project has been embedded into the regional director of equity role. Other costs
associated with the project include videography equipment and software used for content

33
creation. These items were purchased from personal funds without request for compensation but
are listed as reference points in Appendix K.
Marketing and Brand Plan
Two major branding shifts occurred during this project related to the title and logo. The
first title and logo was Flipping the Script: Radical Schoolwide Transformation (figure 4).
Figure 4
Flipping the Script: Radical Schoolwide Transformation, logo
The community design team appreciated the aesthetics but had concerns about universal
appeal among educators because of political connotations behind the word radical. The current
iteration in figure 5 entitled Data Synthesis as Catalyst for Equity has been received well by both
the community design team and multiple stakeholders.
Figure 5
Data Synthesis as Catalyst for Equity, logo

34
Several principals and teachers assumed that it was designed by an existing professional
organization. The feedback on the logo used to represent the 5H Equity & Innovation
Framework has been positive. Similarly, the title received more positive feedback. Stakeholders
noted that it sparked their interest, invited dialogue, was clear and would be received well in a
variety of socio-political contexts (C. Moak, L. Colon, I. Ojeda, A. Soler, personal
communication, February 2024).
Challenges & Limitations
In K-12 schools there tends to be a narrow focus on quantitative data, likely attributed to
the current era of standardization and high-stakes testing (. There is a perception that quantitative
data analysis is preeminent and that other forms of data are of lesser value. To ameliorate those
concerns, there have been several leadership moves—professional learning around the historical
and hegemonic implications of narrowly focusing on quantitative data alone, and an appeal and
continued correlation between the vision and mission statements of Aspire Public Schools and
the objectives of this project.
This project is currently anchored in Central Valley Aspire Public Schools and is
showing promise for full implementation and sustainment. It is not yet clear how this project
might be received outside of Aspire.
Conclusions & Implications
Action Plan
Central Valley Aspire Public Schools is in preparation to launch Vision 2030, with ambitious
goals to integrate project-based learning into classes from kindergarten to 12th grade while

35
holding equity at the center. These shifts will begin next school year. To prepare for these shifts,
there have been conversations about redefining teachers’ weekly collaboration time to ensure
that teachers are prepared for the shifts. The Executive Director has stated interest in redesigning
teachers’ weekly collaboration time beginning in the 2024-2025 school year. The author of this
capstone is co-leading a team responsible for facilitating the shifts in weekly collaboration. The
intent is to continue to refine the project for the remainder of the 2023-2024 school year and
fully implement Data Synthesis as Catalyst for Equity next school in all 16 Central Valley Aspire
Public Schools.
Data Synthesis as Catalyst for Equity is an innovative approach toward conceptualizing
data in a K-12 school context. The type of innovation it stands to become is not yet clear.
However, there is potential for that this project to be a breakthrough innovation.
Equity discourse in schools appeal to the dimensions of the 5H Equity & Innovation
Framework. Equity-minded educators advocate for moving beyond narrow definitions of
teaching and learning based on standardized assessments and ask existential questions about the
functioning of school in society. These are conversations related to the first dimension of the 5H
framework, holism. Equity-minded educators remind others that students are humans and that
their humanity must be attended to over the purposes of capitalism and test scores. This is the
second dimension, humanity. Equity-minded educators challenge others to consider power
dynamics and the role of politics in school policy and practice—the third dimension of the 5H
Equity & Innovation framework addresses this through hegemony. Equity-minded educators
point to the history of K-12 education to develop understanding of inequities been built into the
fabric of public schools—the fourth dimension of the 5H framework, history. Finally, equityminded educators advocate for learning spaces that invigorate joy, that make space for children

36
to be children and learn in their natural way through play. This is the final dimension of the 5H
Equity & Innovation framework, humor. This project coalesces all these dimensions into a
framework applied to weekly quantitative data analysis bridging the gap between equity
conversations and the narrow focus of standardization and high stakes accountability.
One might ask, “What about race, do not equity-minded educators ask questions related
to race?” Herein lies an additional layer of innovation with this project. In some states and
locales it is illegal to discuss race and racism as it relates to schooling and society. Bans on
Critical Race Theory have created an umbrella to disallow discourse on race and sufficiently
intimidates educators from attempting to do so. This project can infiltrate spaces where
conversations related to race are disallowed. It addresses fundamental underpinnings that have
allowed racialized outcomes to persist. It addresses implicit biases, institutional structures,
historical context, dehumanization, and the commodification of children in schools. These
inequities are the fuel and vehicle by which racist ideologies and practices persist in schools.
Further, this project captures the assets contained in the personhood of equity-minded
educators through the stories that they tell. These stories have transformative power to destroy
problematic mindsets (Delgado, 1989; Renken, E., 2020). Those stories are stored on social
media platforms that allow entrance into any location within the US regardless if conversations
around race are disallowed in the formal school setting.

37

38
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Appendix A: Timeline of Racism in the K-12 System of Schooling

51

52

53

54

55

56

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Appendix B: Logic Model

59
Appendix C: Critical Hip Hop Pedagogy, Prototype
This video was shared with all teachers in Central Valley Aspire Public Schools as part of a
regional professional development on Culturally Responsive Teaching. This early prototype
explored hip hop as a means to engage students in meaningful learning. Educators were given
discussion prompts to explore the feasibility of hip hop pedagogy in their classrooms.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9UntzSj1Qc

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Appendix D: Flipping the Script Radical Schoolwide Transformation, Prototype
Click HERE or the link below to access the full final prototype that under the title of Flipping the
Script.
https://www.canva.com/design/DAFuuiDxLFc/ctjq6y2yy1lyNLA_yanAEA/view?utm_content=
DAFuuiDxLFc&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=publishsharelink

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Appendix E: Data Synthesis as Catalyst for Equity, Prototype
Below are selected screenshots from the final prototype. Click HERE or the link below to access
the full prototype.
https://www.canva.com/design/DAF9T83IwKo/fmjC6dpXLZbHEvJANPC_yw/view?utm_conte
nt=DAF9T83IwKo&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=editor

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65

66

67

68

69

70

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Appendix F: Asset-Mapping via YouTube
These videos represent the earliest iterations of ABCD. The videos were designed to support
specific teachers who were experiencing frustration and challenges with creating equitable
learning environments in their classrooms. In the interview videos, teachers who embodied
cultural responsiveness and skill in the areas that other teachers struggled with were asked
questions related to the underlying assumptions and values that guided their practices. These
questions were formed to invite Discourse II dialogue (Eubanks et al., 1997).
Positive Narration with Mr. Medici
Positive Narration with Ms. Candela
Aspire Student Learning Framework with Ms. Easley

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Appendix G: 10 Design Justice Principles
Each of the principles are integral to this Capstone Project. A connection is made to each Design Justice
Principle in the table below
Principle Capstone Project Connection
We use design to sustain, heal, and empower our
communities, as well as to seek liberation from
exploitative and oppressive systems.
does not focus on standardized assessments but
rather the well-being of all students and their
communities
We center the voices of those who are directly
impacted by the outcomes of the design process.
Teammates of color, students from marginalized
populations are centered via asset-mapping
We prioritize design’s impact on the community over
the intentions of the designer.
The community impact is centered rather than
the personal desires of the author (e.g., setting
aside CHHP based on community impact)
We view change as emergent from an accountable,
accessible, and collaborative process, rather than as a
point at the end of a process.*
Asset-mapping and human-centered design
principles are used throughout the process to
ensure that solutions emerge from the voices of
the community. The project, for example,
shifted emphasis from critical hip hop pedagogy
(CHHP) to qualitative data synthesis directly
from needs and opportunities from the
community.
We see the role of the designer as a facilitator rather
than an expert.
This project centers voices of teachers and
students throughout the region through asset
mapping, which is “
We believe that everyone is an expert based on their
own lived experience, and that we all have unique and
brilliant contributions to bring to a design process.
Students, support staff, and teachers whose
voices have not been centered are included and
framed as an asset to be explored and
synthesized to deepen understanding. Click
HERE for an exemplar of two campus monitors
who lead the largest and most active elementary
school BSU within Aspire Public Schools.
We share design knowledge and tools with our
communities.
Publicly shared social media accounts document
design knowledge and tools
We work towards sustainable, community-led and -
controlled outcomes.
Teachers support teachers through observing
each other, hearing from one another and coconstructing knowledge via discussion prompts
in the 5H Equity & Innovation Framework
We work towards non-exploitative solutions that
reconnect us to the earth and to each other.
The 5H Equity & Innovation Framework
engages educators in explicit dialogue related to
holism, humanity, and humor as a means to
resist capitalistic exploitation of standardization
Before seeking new design solutions, we look for what
is already working at the community level. We honor
and uplift traditional, indigenous, and local knowledge
and practices.
Observing and seeking out assets within the
community through asset-mapping

74
Appendix H: Problem of Practice Examples
Context Problem of Practice
School Attendance Foster youth attendance rates continue to decrease despite several
efforts to increase their attendance.
School Enrollment Black students are disenrolling at higher rates than their peers
despite efforts to engage families
Classroom Disciplinary Infractions Students with IEPs are sent out of class at higher rates than
students without IEPs
Student Achievement Multilingual learners perform at lower than expected rates than
their peers on their weekly assessments despite interventions
designed to support their success
Participation in family events Families residing in the Southside have not attended a family
event this year despite communication efforts.

75
Appendix I: 5H Equity & Innovation Framework

76
Appendix J: Design Criteria
The design criteria used during the what is phase of the project is shown below
Design Goal • What have you learned about the target population?
• The target population cares about students and their well-being and
is not currently equipped with the knowledge and skills to adequately
achieve the vision & mission of Aspire Public Schools
• What needs (functional, emotional, psychological, social) does the
design have to fulfill for the target population?
• Functional: needs to align with existing programs and policies
• Emotional & Psychological: needs to acknowledge and support
educator anxiety and fears navigating new practices
• Social: needs to support and build collective efficacy through assetbased approaches
• What is strategically important to address those needs?
• Educators need to feel supported, believe that they are capable, and
have a clear plan of action for implementation
User
Perceptions
• How important is you proposed offering to the target population’s
well-being?
• Educator well-being must be central and prioritized at each phase.
• What does ease of use mean for the targeted population?
• The proposed solution must be incorporated into existing structures
within educators regular work day
Physical
Attributes
• Must the solution (e.g., service, product) be able to capture, store,
and/or transmit information about usage
• The solutions must have a method for storing data and measuring
progress
• Does the solution need to be designed for use in specific environment
or situation?
• The solution must be incorporated into the standard operating
procedures of Aspire Public Schools
Functional
Attributes
• Does the design need to accommodate specific user-case scenarios?
• The design must accommodate the user-case scenarios that vary by
grade-level, content-area and level of experience
• Does the design need to address compatibility or standard issues?
• The design must be compatible with existing data practices that
occur during weekly collaboration and other action plans that
educators develop with data.
Constraints • What constraints does the sector and/or environment impose?
• Cultural constraints within the K-12 system of schooling regarding
accepted and commonly used data forms must be acknowledge.
• Are there ecosystem and regulatory concerns? No.

77
Appendix K: Line Item Budget
Revenue $0
Expenses
Personnel $0
Camera (Canon M50) $600
Studio Lighting $300
RODE wireless pro microphones $450
Phone Mount $30
Small Rig for Canon M50 $59
Portable Video Light $45
DJI Ronin SC Camera Stabilizer $300
Microphone Covers $20
Professional Photography Lighting $350
Handheld Interview Mic Adapter $35
Surge Protector Extension Cord $40
Portable Monitor $110
Vidyo.ai annual subscription $300
Camtasia annual subscription $180
External Hard Drive $110
Total Expenses $2,929
Surplus / Deficit ($2,929)
Feedback
1. Clarity/focus
2. 2-3 capstones
3. Qualitative data synthesis protocol
4. The overarching intent is to rehumanize a dehumanized system that separates, sorts, and
hierarchically classifies individuals based on biased instruments and methodologies
5. The current approach is deficit-oriented
6. Asset-mapping using social media as the platform to identify, and share assets with
7. Identify the assets which come to us from humans in the system and are shared through their
stories, through capturing their words, their perspectives, their contextualized experiences and
then house them via social media and then use a data synthesis protocol to incorporate them
into our understanding of pressing equity issues.
8. The data synthesis protocol is designed to engage with qualitative data with equity lenses by
dialoguing through five dimensions: Holism, Humanity, Hegemony, History (context), Humor
(engagement)
9. It is a way that allows us to make sense, draw connections, center the humans and their local
context.
10. Is this just for teachers?
11. Ought I stick with the asset-mapping first and then:

78
3. Asset Mapping: After identifying assets, the next step is to document and map these assets.
This can be done using various tools such as databases, spreadsheets, or geographic information system
(GIS) maps. The visual representation of assets helps in understanding the spatial distribution and
potential linkages between different assets.
4. Analysis and Planning: With a comprehensive map of assets, community members analyze the
information to identify opportunities for development. This analysis helps in understanding how assets
can be connected or leveraged to address community goals.
5. Mobilization and Action: Based on the analysis, the community develops action plans to utilize
and strengthen assets. This phase involves mobilizing assets for community projects, initiatives, or
interventions aimed at community improvement.
6. Monitoring and Adaptation: The community monitors the outcomes of asset-based projects
and initiatives. Feedback from these efforts is used to make adjustments and adapt strategies for better
results.
Usage in Asset-Based Community Development
In ABCD, asset mapping is used as a tool to shift the focus from what a community lacks to what it has.
This approach empowers communities by:
• Fostering Local Ownership: By recognizing and utilizing local assets, communities take
ownership of their development process.
• Building Connections: Asset mapping helps in building connections between community
members and between different types of assets, fostering collaboration and mutual support.
• Enhancing Sustainability: Leveraging local assets for development initiatives enhances the
sustainability of these efforts, as they are rooted in the community’s inherent strengths.
• Encouraging Innovation: With a focus on assets, communities are encouraged to think
creatively about how to use their resources in new and innovative ways.
Asset mapping and ABCD challenge traditional development approaches by demonstrating that
communities have the strengths and capacities to drive their own development. This approach not only
leads to more sustainable and effective outcomes but also strengthens the community’s sense of
identity and self-efficacy.

Abstract (if available)

Abstract The K-12 system of schooling continues to perpetuate racialized inequities. The era of high-stakes accountability and standardization serve to solidify inequities. Educator understanding of the problem landscape in schools is often relegated to analyzing quantitative data sets. Student achievement on end-of-year standardized assessments guide teaching and learning experiences throughout the academic year. Schools and teachers engage students in an endless cycle of preparation for end-of-year standardized assessments. Instructional practices are driven by student performance on assessments contained in state-adopted, curriculums which are required by law to align with these federally required assessments. Teacher collaboration time during professional learning communities focuses on analysis of quantitative data sets that fail to capture the complexities contributing to disparate outcomes.
Data Synthesis as Catalyst for Equity introduces a new approach toward engaging with data. It identifies and captures assets within the community of Central Valley Aspire Public Schools and uses qualitative data sets as the starting point for dialogue around root causes of inequities. To support the dialogue, the 5H Equity & Innovation Framework contains five dimensions each with dialogue prompts.
The solution seeks to create organizational policies, practices and perspectives that dismantle inequities and replace them with equity-oriented ones. The weekly collaboration time that had previously been dedicated to quantitative data analysis only is now complemented by qualitative data synthesis which creates space to address the prevalent belief within Aspire that equity and rigorous instruction are mutually exclusive.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Nakamura, Benjamin Ted (author)

Core Title Data Synthesis as Catalyst for Equity

School Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work

Degree Doctor of Social Work

Degree Program Social Work

Degree Conferral Date 2024-05

Publication Date 05/09/2024

Defense Date 05/08/2024

Publisher Los Angeles, California (original), University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag antiracism,culturally relevant teaching,culturally responsive pedagogy,culturally responsive teaching,data,data-informed instruction,educational equity,equity,equity in schools,k12 schooling,K-12 schools,OAI-PMH Harvest,qualitative data synthesis,racism

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