Developing Equitable Education Systems

Despite consistent improvements in the school systems of over recent years, there are still too many children who miss out. It is not only children from disadvantaged backgrounds attending hard-pressed urban schools that the system is failing - even in the most successful schools there are often groups of learners whose experience of schooling is less than equitable. As a result of their close involvement with a group of schools serving a predominantly working-class community over five years, the authors of this book offer an analysis of how marginalisation within schools can arise, and provide suggestions for responding to this crucial policy agenda. They propose a teacher-led inquiry strategy that has proved to be effective in moving forward thinking and practice within individual schools. However, their research has shown that using the same strategy for system change is problematic within a policy context that emphasises competition and choice. Learning from this experience, the authors analyse the factors that inhibit the collaborative approach needed to reduce inequities that exist between the schools, in order to formulate proposals that can move the system as a whole towards more equitable provision. In Developing Equitable Education Systems, the authors focus on the way teachers’ sense of ‘fairness’ can become a powerful starting point, helping individual schools to inquire into and develop their own practice and provision. They provide practical suggestions for practitioners about ways of working that can create a greater sense of equity within particular school contexts, and highlight the barriers to a wider strategy for reducing system inequities that reside in local and national policies and traditions. At a time when government policies in many countries move to extend the diversity of educational provision - for example, through the introduction of charter schools in the USA, free schools in Sweden and academies in England - the authors also include a set of recommendations that offer a timely warning against the fragmentation of school systems in the misguided belief that competition benefits all children. They suggest that a more sensible approach would be to avoid situations whereby the improvement of one school leads to a decline in the resources available to, and subsequently the performance of, others.

1. The challenge of equity in education -- 2. Using evidence to promote more equitable practice in schools -- 3. The development of an equity research network -- 4. Making schools equitable -- 5. Making sense of the process -- 6. Assessing the impact -- 7. Drawing out the lessons -- 8. Rethinking the tasks.

Across OECD countries, almost one in every five students does not reach a basic minimum level of skills. This book presents a series of policy recommendations for education systems to help all children succeed.

In times of growing economic inequality, improving equity in education becomes more urgent. While some countries and economies that participate in the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) have managed to build education systems where socio-economic status makes less of a difference to students' learning and well-being, every country can do more. Equity in Education: Breaking Down Barriers to Social Mobility shows that high performance and more positive attitudes towards schooling among disadvantaged 15-year-old students are strong predictors of success in higher education and work later on. The report examines how equity in education has evolved over several cycles of the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). It identifies the policies and practices that can help disadvantaged students succeed academically and feel more engaged at school. Using longitudinal data from five countries (Australia, Canada, Denmark, Switzerland, and the United States), the report also describes the links between a student's performance near the end of compulsory education and upward social mobility - i.e. attaining a higher level of education or working in a higher-status job than one's parents.

Never has a book on social justice and equitable education been so relevant. Recent events have highlighted the huge attainment gaps that exist for many pupils within the education system because of factors outside of their control. As the diversity of the pupil population increases, it is more important than ever to develop the skills, knowledge and understanding within the teaching profession around issues of equality and inclusion. This book provides trainees and teachers with an in-depth understanding of the complex issues related to the attainment of key groups of disadvantaged pupils, and practical strategies that can be deployed to address these gaps. Chapters focus on social class, gender, English as an additional language, minority ethnic achievement, gypsy, Roma and travellers, refugee and asylum seekers, and those with special educational needs and disabilities. The book takes a stark look at the evidence and statistics, provides an overview of the key issues and considerations for each particular group, and suggests key resources and examples of good practice, along with case studies and points for reflection. Ultimately it encourages you to have high expectations of your pupils and to truly believe that you can help them realise their ambitions and aspirations.

Creating Safe, Equitable, Engaging Schools brings together the collective wisdom of more than thirty experts from a variety of fields to show how school leaders can create communities that support the social, emotional, and academic needs of all students. It offers an essential guide for making sense of the myriad frameworks, resources, and tools available to create a continuous improvement system. Filled with recommendations gleaned from research and ongoing work in every US state and territory, this book is a critical resource for understanding and adopting evidence-based practices and making programmatic decisions to ensure the ideal conditions for learning, growth, and development. "Creating Safe, Equitable, Engaging Schools is an essential read for teachers, principals, district leaders, and organizations that work with schools to create challenging and supportive environments for all students." --Paul Cruz, superintendent, Austin Independent School District "Osher and colleagues not only connect the dots between big ideas--deeper learning, trauma, social and emotional learning, evidence-based programs, comprehensive community planning--but they model the continuous improvement approach in the way ideas are ordered across and within the chapters. This is a masterful volume: comprehensive, accessible, and way overdue." --Karen J. Pittman, cofounder, president and CEO, The Forum for Youth Investment "This book provides a very usable road map for creating safe, healthy, equitable, and caring schools. The editors and contributors successfully integrate research, practice, and policy to help educators develop and implement effective and sustainable models to nurture caring schools that all children and educators deserve." --Mark T. Greenberg, Bennett Chair of Prevention Research, Pennsylvania State University David Osher is vice president and an institute fellow at American Institutes for Research. Deborah Moroney is a managing director at American Institutes for Research and is director of the youth development and supportive learning environments practice area. Sandra Williamson is a vice president for policy, practice, and systems change at American Institutes for Research.

This book discusses the issues of equity-based education in India and advocates for providing fair and inclusive system of education. It focuses on the practice of democratic education to promote critical thinking and develop problem-solving attitudes among learners in learner-centric classrooms. Offering insightful comments on the contemporary issues related to Education in India, the book underlines the need for teachers to draw from the reforms suggested in the New Education Policy 2020 to ensure equitable learning. It aims to develop teachers’ capacity to identify students’ needs and ensure community participation. The book discusses a range of topics such as holistic assessment, reflexive pedagogy, ICT, innovations in education, and inclusiveness among others. While providing theoretical as well as empirical insights on the approaches needed in classrooms for better learning, it also provides anecdotal evidence and case studies to support equity-based education. The book will be of interest to teachers and researchers of education, vocational education, and teacher education. It will also be useful for educators, educationists, education administrators, Special educators, academicians, policymakers, in-service teachers, teacher educators and teacher trainees.