Every Wisconsin student has the ability to learn, yet we struggle to effectively educate all students. Too often, race is a predictor of success in Wisconsin schools. We want to change that. The Summit for Addressing Disproportionality is one initiative of the Disproportionality Technical Assistance Network grant that addresses the achievement gap among diverse student populations and works to eliminate race as a predicting factor of participation in special education. This annual conference will enhance educators’ understanding and application of research-based, culturally responsive policies, procedures and practices. The Department of Public Instruction, Wisconsin school districts, and Cooperative Educational Service Agencies are uniting to identify, promote, and implement new practices in culturally responsive education.

The Summit for Addressing Disproportionality is one component of The Disproportionality Technical Assistance Network. This event has been known as the Annual Addressing Disproportionality Summer  Institute (2005-2008), the CREATE a Culturally Responsive Environment Conference (2009), and the CREATE Conference (2010-2013). During 2013, the CREATE grant initiative underwent reconfiguration to become the Disproportionality Technical Assistance Network, “the Network”. As a result of those efforts, the conference is now known as the Summit for Addressing Disproportionality.