African-American boys are sent to the principal's office more often than any other group and disproportionately to their numbers in a school, according to Victor Cary, partner at the National Equity Project in Oakland, California. That is just one example of how the issues of society at large--racism, classism, sexism, language, and other biases--play out in the classroom, he said. Cary said change might begin by simply rephrasing one's language. Rather than talking about the dropout rate for African-American boys, for example, he said his group invites a discussion of why and how schools are pushing out African-American males. A shift in language can help shift thinking. Coaches with the National Equity Project, formerly the Bay Area Coalition for Equitable Schools, lead participants through the emotional minefield of deep-rooted, sometimes unconscious biases. One aspect of the National Equity Project's work is to help move educators past barriers that keep students from achieving by bringing forward issues of oppression and addressing them specifically, but in a nonjudgmental way, Cary said. The National Equity Project works in the areas of conditions or context, culture, and competency using a highly specific model for all its coaching efforts. The coaching cycle, which is nonlinear, involves these phases: (1) Observe and assess; (2) Develop a theory of action; (3) Establish relationships; (4) Enroll the client; and (5) Coaching interventions. All this work is facilitated by skilled coaches, carefully prepared through their own ongoing professional learning. National Equity Project coaches engage in monthly, day-long meetings to share experiences and have deep conversations that enhance their ability to sharpen the common lens they bring to their work in schools and districts.