Sparking Change in P-20 Education
New briefs addresses key issues facing community colleges and other institutions
The School of Education has released a new series of briefs focused on improving learning environments and pathways across P-20 education.
The Equity in Action Research and Strategy Brief Series presents research-informed insights for educators, K-12 schools, colleges, employers, policy makers, and community organizations.
Authored by Pitt Education faculty and doctoral students, the briefs highlight the essential role of community colleges in the P-20 education system—a continuum that spans preschool through high school, higher education, and into the workforce.
Topics covered include the impact of rural-serving community colleges, tensions in grant funding, the importance of neurodiversity and inclusion, and the need to reassess diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts in light of shifting federal and state policies.
“The Equity in Action briefs offer strategies and insights on important issues affecting P-20 education systems,” said Eboni M. Zamani-Gallaher, the school’s Renée and Richard Goldman Dean and a principal investigator on the project. “Our authors explore and highlight ways to build stronger pathways for all learners and help boost educational and workforce mobility.”
Funded by the Gates Foundation, the briefs were developed by the school’s Community College Research, Praxis, and Leadership (CCRPL) team.
Additional briefs are planned in 2026.
Download the Briefs
Title: When the Pendulum Swings Back: Rethinking DEI in a New Policy Climate
Authors: Pitt School of Education Doctoral Students Crystal Couch, Charlie Díaz, Gerard Dorvé-Lewis, and Jorden King
Featured Excerpt: “We have the opportunity to be creative in how we reframe and reintroduce DEI efforts to truly fulfill the promises community colleges and higher education as a whole make to their students, faculty, staff, and communities.”
Download the DEI brief (PDF)
Title: Elevating Neurodiversity in Community Colleges: Opportunities for Increasing Inclusivity in Uncertain Times
Authors: Brett R. Nachman, Assistant Professor, Pitt School of Education, and Jason A. Keist
Featured Excerpt: “Ultimately, the opportunities for instigating lasting and meaningful change are contingent upon the combination of policymakers and practitioners centering neurodivergent voices, leveraging their strengths, and valuing their opinions—as a collective and across the intersections of their identities.”
Download the neurodiversity brief (PDF)
Title: Grantmaking and Community Colleges: Tensions and Pathways for Addressing Racialized Inequalities
Author: Heather McCambly, Assistant Professor, Pitt School of Education
Featured Excerpt: “The goal of this brief is to outline possibilities for new types of funder engagement with community colleges that might undermine the inequitable status quo.”
Download the grant-making brief (PDF)
Title: Rural Serving Community Colleges: The Cornerstones for Promoting Equity in Postsecondary Education Enrollment, Retention, and Attainment
Authors: Darris Means (Clemson University) and Rachael Stowe
Featured Excerpt: “Rural Serving Community Colleges play a critical role in promoting equity in the United States by providing postsecondary education, social, and economic opportunities in rural regions….policymakers and educational leaders must rethink how they support RSCCs so they can serve as cornerstones for advancing postsecondary education opportunity for rural students.”
Download the RSCC brief (PDF)
