Equal Opportunity Schools (EOS)
To many, advanced courses like AP and IB are considered fast tracks to college and career success.
However, when students from underrepresented groups are identified and enrolled in advanced courses, many face a new challenge: isolation in classrooms where they are often one of a few people like them.
That’s why Leading Educators is partnering with Equal Opportunity Schools (EOS) to develop online learning for high school educators rooted in EOS’s four conditions of belonging. The course aims to foster success for underrepresented students in AP/IB courses.
About the Partnership
Tackling the Belonging Gap in Advanced Courses
AP courses can help students make early progress toward their future college and career goals. However, current estimates show that nearly 225,000 Black, Hispanic, and Latine students are missing out on AP Courses. Even more alarming is the disparity in the sense of belonging for students of color and those from low-income backgrounds once they enroll in advanced coursework.
Equal Opportunity Schools, an organization that works with districts to support their commitment to increasing academic opportunities for all of their students, is working to tackle this challenge and reached out to Leading Educators for partnership.
Providing Modular Teacher Development
Educators recognize that inclusion affects student effort and outcomes, and they have expressed a need for clearer, practical strategies to implement EOS’s conditions of belonging in the classroom. Together, Leading Educators and EOS are expanding upon previous workshops on belonging by creating a series of self-paced online learning modules.
- These modules focus on EOS’s conditions of belonging through the lenses of Identity-Agency, Curiosity-Inquiry, Creativity-Perspective, Community-Collaboration, and Advocacy-Leadership.
Each course features research, opportunities to explore concepts and build understanding through real classroom models, and practical belonging strategies based on the learning that educators can apply in their classrooms.
The content explores three facets of belonging:
- Meta belonging strategies are designed to be personal and introspective, allowing teachers and students to delve into their own cognitive and emotional processes to shape their perspective.
- Micro belonging strategies are interactions and experiences focused on small but impactful moments between students and between students and their teachers that can significantly enhance student engagement and belonging.
- Macro belonging strategies are intended to engage entire classrooms or large groups of students, aiming to foster a cohesive classroom culture that emphasizes collaboration and collective growth.
This partnership combines EOS’s deep understanding of student needs with Leading Educators’ expertise in professional learning. By aligning our strengths, we aim to create rigorous, supportive learning environments where students not only gain access to challenging coursework but are positioned to thrive—ultimately opening pathways to long-term success in school and beyond.
Context matters. Using human-centered design principles, we worked to develop responsive solutions grounded in EOS’s ways of working, vision, and future aspirations.
We engaged key team members to frame the challenge, capture insights, identify constraints, and align on foundational criteria.
We also reviewed and analyzed essential materials from EOS, including research, program data, and key frameworks, and interviewed staff to gather context.
Finally, we conducted a market scan to inform the design process.
We gathered additional data to build detailed user profiles and segments based on key characteristics. We used key themes from the data to inform concept development and design criteria in collaborative sessions.
We conducted multiple cycles of design and feedback, focusing on content chunks, engagement strategies, and delivery methods, incorporating stakeholder feedback to refine designs.
We designed tests to address specific needs and challenges identified earlier, avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach.
This led to the development of prototypes based on test results.
Finally, we shared the findings and outlined the path to project completion, conducting further tests and feedback sessions to finalize module content.
Meet the Research & Design Team
Albert Kim
Araceli Flores
Sandra Jin
About Albert Kim
He most recently served as the program director for The Broad Residency, where he was responsible for the strategy, design, and execution of the learning experiences that developed K-12 leaders, ensuring they have the skills and mindsets necessary to lead effectively and equitably. Prior to The Broad Center, served as deputy director of operations and program expansion for Ramapo for Children, managing director of program design for iMentor, and national director of education for YouthBuild USA.
Albert holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in philosophy from Boston College and a Masters of Education in Education Leadership from Boston University with a graduate certificate in program planning, management, monitoring and evaluation. He is also a proud graduate of Los Angeles Unified School District.
About Araceli Flores
Previously with Leading Educators, Araceli supported design and facilitation for a series of statewide content-based learning sessions in Kentucky, also leading design of custom content cycles and providing coaching to district leaders. In support of Baltimore City Public Schools, she has designed Eureka Math-based content cycles, led internalization sessions with content leaders, and worked side-by-side with district staff to co-construct future professional learning.
Araceli taught elementary and middle school math in Washington, DC where she also served as the Deputy Director of Math Instruction for Friendship Public Charter Schools, as well as the Deputy Chief of Math Professional Development for DC Public Schools. Araceli loves applying ratios and proportional reasoning to her two main hobbies - baking and home improvement projects.
About Sandra Jin
Previously at Leading Educators, she designed ELA professional learning content for our partnership in Yakima, WA and coordinated national design of sessions and tools focused on literacy, numeracy, leadership, change management, and equity. Before joining Leading Educators, Sandra spent seven years teaching students from third through eighth grade in Washington, DC, serving as a classroom teacher, reading interventionist, and intervention coordinator.
Sandra holds an M.Ed from George Mason University and a B.A. in Sociology from Wheaton College (IL). She currently lives in New Hampshire with her husband and three children. She spends her free time trying to imitate creative play activities designed by Instagram-moms (with varying levels of failure and success).
Sandra Jin in the news
Learn About Other Innovation Projects
This partnership represents just one of many ways we are innovating to meet the future needs of learners and educators. Learn more about other projects underway.
