1. Review State-Level Policies to Create the Conditions for Resource Equity

In many ways, district innovation is defined by the flexibilities and constraints that state-level policies outline. The legislation, guidance, accountability, and monitoring you offer districts typically set the minimum standards and maximum opportunities for district change. By adjusting these policies strategically, you can provide districts with the flexibility needed to implement new resource equity strategies, such as:

  • Adjusting class-size-maximum rules so schools can significantly reduce class sizes for high-priority subjects and intervention courses, while increasing class sizes for elective and advanced classes to offset the increased costs.
  • Rethinking categorical funding policies that place strict requirements on how districts can use resources. This allows district and school teams to adjust spending based on their unique context, so long as they support the broader strategic initiatives. If the district recently received significant philanthropic support to pilot a new math curriculum, for example, they may not need to spend a set amount to update textbooks. Instead, they could use the money to support instructional technology purchases that align with student growth areas.
  • Creating flexibility around seat-time requirements and teacher-of-record policies to enable leaders to group students across and within classes. Doing so can allow the highest-need students to receive more individualized attention, while also opening up options for intersession models or extended time.

2. Leverage Statewide Evaluation and Accountability Policies to Encourage Resource Equity Discussions

Good accountability policies track what districts are and aren’t doing. But great policies also allow for crucial resource equity discussions between districts and states. Just look at the 2015 Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), for example, which required all state education agencies to conduct a Resource Allocation Review (RAR) with their highest-need districts.

Some states used this as an opportunity to turn what could’ve been a pure compliance exercise into a two-way conversation with their districts. In 2023, for example, the South Carolina Department of Education’s Office of School Transformation (OST) adapted our 10 dimensions approach to support their RAR efforts. These efforts included facilitating data-driven discussions across the most critical dimensions each participating district was focused on and training the OST team to effectively support their district partners in identifying potential resource allocation shifts.

By transforming a mandated compliance exercise into a conversation starter, the OST not only provided better district support, but also gathered feedback on statewide challenges that impacted multiple communities to refine state-level priorities and actions.

3. Use Statewide Data to Support Improved District-Level Decision-Making

When it comes to data, state education agencies (SEAs) have made significant strides over the past decade. They’ve collected crucial school- and district-level data and, in many cases, made that data available for public review.

Now it’s time for the next step. State leaders like you can use your statewide lens to analyze and process data—a skillset that many districts lack—to bolster district- and school-level decision-making.

Resources like our DIY District Blueprints help districts assess resource equity metrics across our 10 identified dimensions to spot opportunities for improvement. But many SEAs already collect this data, so by regularly assessing insights and creating district-specific dashboards, you can save districts critical resources and better support their resource equity efforts.

4. Build District Leadership Capacity to Take On Resource Equity

Putting more resources and flexibility into district leaders’ hands is foundational to their success—but your work doesn’t stop there. Building their capacity to develop equitable resource use strategies is key. Consider:

  • Creating multidistrict cohorts to support district leaders in implementing major changes. When implementing a new funding formula in Tennessee, for example, state leaders facilitated a cohort to help districts use resources strategically to support the highest-need schools. Likewise, Maryland ran a cohort to help districts redesign the teaching job to support the implementation of the state’s Blueprint for Maryland’s future.
  • Providing customized tools, guidance, and trainings across a variety of strategic resource use topics. State leaders can elevate bright spots and best practices for innovative resource equity work and create opportunities for district leaders to connect and share learnings.

5.  Make the Case for Resource Equity in Your State

Intense polarization no doubt makes equity work increasingly difficult, causing district leaders to spend significant time making the case for why teacher diversity efforts are crucial to student success, for example, or why we need to reevaluate longstanding discipline policies.

As a state leader, you’re in a position to make the case for resource equity to support these district efforts. Consider our State of Resource Equity, which highlight common resource inequities across the nation. How can you use the data you’re likely already collecting to help foster equitable access to resources for all students in your state?

Take the Next Step to Advance Resource Equity

  1. Reshape your state’s education system by partnering with Education Resource Strategies to conduct a resource allocation review.
  2. Learn about the current state of resource equity through interactive data with our State of Resource Equity.
  3. Explore external communication strategies with our advocating and case-making decks.
  4. Support your districts in conducting a resource equity diagnostic with our DIY analysis toolkit.
  5. Reach out for support today!