Year 2 WestEd Brief: Policy in Motion, How Federal and State Systems Shape Disproportionality

Project affiliate and Project PIs and recently released the first Year 2 policy brief from the WestEd team as part of the project. Titled Policy in Motion: How Federal and State Systems Shape Disproportionality, the brief examines how IDEA disproportionality monitoring policies are interpreted and implemented across federal, state, and local educational systems.

Drawing on a multi-layered systems lens, the brief explores how accountability mechanisms related to racial and disability disproportionality simultaneously create visibility around inequities while also producing wide variation in implementation across contexts. Rather than viewing disproportionality as an issue isolated within individual districts, the work highlights how policy interpretation, discretion, and compliance structures reverberate across different levels of the educational system. By examining these dynamics, the brief contributes to ongoing conversations regarding the possibilities and limitations of current disproportionality monitoring systems in advancing educational equity.

Take a look at the brief under the Dissemination section!