Inquiry as an Essential Practice for Equity-Centered Leaders and Teachers

Inquiry is a process that supports not only student learning but also the professional learning of educational leaders pursuing equity in schools. Inquiry is an approach to continuous improvement that operates on a cycle beginning with identifying a question to investigate, collecting data and evidence to respond to that question, analyzing and making meaning of that information, and then communicating that new knowledge to relevant partners. When rooted in equity, inquiry can support educational leaders in improving pedagogical practices that help students—especially those who are systemically marginalized and historically underserved—thrive.