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The Quest for Equity in Higher Education Across Racial, Ethnic, and Gender Groups

Mokubung Nkomo

in Lessons in Educational Equality: Successful Approaches to Intractable Problems Around the World

The inequality that exists in the lower rungs of the education pyramid is multiplied several fold at the tertiary level, where marginalization is acute. This chapter focuses on the challenges and ... More

The inequality that exists in the lower rungs of the education pyramid is multiplied several fold at the tertiary level, where marginalization is acute. This chapter focuses on the challenges and successes that South Africa has experienced in its efforts to promote racial and gender equity in tertiary education, and explores the lessons that South Africa can offer to and learn from other countries. In this chapter ‘equity’ is understood to mean the application of the fairness principle, which is premised on the acknowledgement of the effects of past discrimination and the need for redress in order to achieve equality for all. The chapter concludes that what is most important in all instances is to have effective programs in place that will ensure success once students from underrepresented backgrounds are admitted to higher education.Less

Adapting Innovations Across Borders to Close Equity Gaps in Education

Fernando Reimers, North Cooc, and Jodut Hashmi

in Lessons in Educational Equality: Successful Approaches to Intractable Problems Around the World

This chapter examines what knowledge is necessary to promote equity in education. It argues that effective innovation to educate all children requires innovation supported by contextualized transfer ... More

This chapter examines what knowledge is necessary to promote equity in education. It argues that effective innovation to educate all children requires innovation supported by contextualized transfer of educational policies and practices. Contextualized transfer is the process of adapting practices that have demonstrated effectiveness in one context to another while examining the way in which various policy interventions relate to policy outcomes across national contexts, analyzing the dependency of those relationships on context, and determining how differences in contexts might limit the transferability of policy effects. At the core of this concept is an understanding of quality education as the product of a system, rather than the product of a single policy intervention, where context is a core element of this system.Less

Leveling the Learning Bar in Secondary School Across Social Class

Marie Duru-Bellat

in Lessons in Educational Equality: Successful Approaches to Intractable Problems Around the World

This chapter focuses on educational equity in the world’s most affluent countries, where access to primary schooling is now universal and what is at stake is developing equitable secondary and ... More

This chapter focuses on educational equity in the world’s most affluent countries, where access to primary schooling is now universal and what is at stake is developing equitable secondary and tertiary schooling. In these countries, secondary school students from poorer backgrounds are less likely to achieve at the level necessary to advance to higher levels of education and more likely to drop out of school than their more affluent peers. Drawing on evidence from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), this chapter explores interventions at the individual, school and neighbourhood level that can keep youth from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds engaged in school, raise their achievement, and prepare them for higher education. It finds that there is not necessarily a trade-off between efficiency and equity: countries with high mean levels of performance are typically the ones in which the disparities between pupils are the smallest.Less

Equity for Indigenous Children in Early Childhood Education

Jessica Ball

in Lessons in Educational Equality: Successful Approaches to Intractable Problems Around the World

Globally, Indigenous and ethnic-minority populations and the children of immigrants are less likely to participate in early childhood care and education (ECCE) than the average child in their ... More

Globally, Indigenous and ethnic-minority populations and the children of immigrants are less likely to participate in early childhood care and education (ECCE) than the average child in their country. These disparities persist despite increased recognition of the benefits of ECCE for all children and its equalizing impact for those who are disadvantaged. This chapter demonstrates the potential for targeted investments in culturally-based, family-involving ECCE to increase Indigenous children’s readiness for sustained and successful engagement in education. Research findings and promising ECCE practices from around the world are highlighted. The Canadian government’s long-term investment in Aboriginal Head Start is described as a successful example of the kind of flexible, community-driven, holistic approach that enjoys high demand and involvement from Indigenous parents and appears to increase Indigenous children’s educational engagement in the first years of schooling.Less

Ending Educational Exclusion

Jody Heymann and Adèle Cassola

in Lessons in Educational Equality: Successful Approaches to Intractable Problems Around the World

The strong relationship between education and life chances suggests that addressing educational disparities is one of the most important steps that can be taken to reduce wider social and economic ... More

The strong relationship between education and life chances suggests that addressing educational disparities is one of the most important steps that can be taken to reduce wider social and economic inequalities. The volume’s introductory chapter examines recent trends in educational access, quality, persistence and achievement for marginalized populations around the world, measures them against countries’ commitments to providing universal education, and reviews the evidence of a causal link between educational attainment and a wide array of social and economic outcomes. Usefully summarizing the examples of success which later chapters explore in greater depth, it clearly demonstrates that increased equity in education can be achieved with the right combination of political commitment and practical solutions.Less

The Role of Language of Instruction in Promoting Quality and Equity in Primary Education

Carol Benson

in Lessons in Educational Equality: Successful Approaches to Intractable Problems Around the World

Early literacy, relevant content learning and effective classroom communication is necessary for education to make a difference in marginalized children’s lives. Teaching in the learner’s home ... More

Early literacy, relevant content learning and effective classroom communication is necessary for education to make a difference in marginalized children’s lives. Teaching in the learner’s home language has the potential to make schools more inclusive and participatory, and will go a long way to attracting children to school, keeping them in school, helping them succeed in learning literacy and other curricular content, and giving them an equitable opportunity to participate in society. This chapter examines the obstacles to learning that result from teaching students in a foreign language, and reviews the evidence of how and why learners’ home languages should be used for literacy and learning. It argues that teaching additional languages should be part of a systematic approach to the school curriculum through bi- or multilingual education. The chapter discusses policymaking with regard to languages in education, explores where the problems lie and concludes with strategies for moving forward.Less

Addressing Primary and Secondary Education for Socially Excluded Girls 1

Marlaine Lockheed and Maureen Lewis

in Lessons in Educational Equality: Successful Approaches to Intractable Problems Around the World

The largest challenge remaining to achieve universal primary and secondary education is that of socially excluded girls. Raising the availability and quality of schools for all socially disadvantaged ... More

The largest challenge remaining to achieve universal primary and secondary education is that of socially excluded girls. Raising the availability and quality of schools for all socially disadvantaged children will reduce much of this gender gap, but compensatory programs designed for and targeted at socially excluded girls will also be required. Although hard evidence about the effects of programs specifically targeted to socially excluded girls is limited, several types of initiatives hold promise, and some evidence of effectiveness, for improving gender equity. This chapter examines the characteristics of these interventions. It concludes that programs that have been effective at attracting and retaining girls in school have remarkably similar characteristics: they establish schools within the village or community, provide good quality instructional materials for students and teachers (often in local languages), support teachers through training and other regular professional development, and may include specific incentives for girls to attend school regularly.Less

Increasing Gender Equity in Tertiary Science and Engineering Programs

Laura Pilozzi-Edmonds

in Lessons in Educational Equality: Successful Approaches to Intractable Problems Around the World

Women are underrepresented in tertiary science and engineering programs in most countries globally. This chapter explores how a pioneering initiative at the University of Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania ... More

Women are underrepresented in tertiary science and engineering programs in most countries globally. This chapter explores how a pioneering initiative at the University of Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania has dramatically improved the enrollment, achievement and acceptance of female students in science and engineering programs. The Special Pre-Entry Program helps young women with poor science grades in secondary national exams to gain admittance to the College of Engineering and Technology. The central finding from this case study is that poor grades at the end of secondary school do not necessarily reflect young women’s potential to perform well in higher education. By their last year of study, girls coming from the pre-entry program were on par with the rest of the class in terms of performance. Policies should therefore ensure that girls receive a quality education at the secondary level in the gender-sensitive environment necessary for them to develop to their full potential.Less

Achieving Quality Primary Education for the Poor Through State–NGO Partnerships

Ebony Bertorelli and Aneel Brar

in Lessons in Educational Equality: Successful Approaches to Intractable Problems Around the World

International efforts to increase equity, quality and access in primary education increasingly include calls to expand governance and educational resources by fostering partnerships between ... More

International efforts to increase equity, quality and access in primary education increasingly include calls to expand governance and educational resources by fostering partnerships between governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). This chapter examines a partnership between India’s largest educational NGO, Pratham, and the governments of Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh in Northern India. Pratham has created and implemented state-specific quality improvement programs in an effort to raise the learning achievements of marginalized students in government schools. Although the programs significantly raised achievement among children at the lowest levels of learning, the chapter argues that the most lasting success of these initiatives is in affecting education policy through advocacy, changing state behavior and raising the consciousness of people and governments regarding vital education issues.Less

Effective Approaches to Making Inclusive Education a Part of Education for All

Bob Prouty, Koli Banik, and Deepa Srikantaiah

in Lessons in Educational Equality: Successful Approaches to Intractable Problems Around the World

Efforts to advance educational inclusion for children with disabilities must be sustained and accelerated in the years to come if equity for this group, and universal education in general, is to be ... More

Efforts to advance educational inclusion for children with disabilities must be sustained and accelerated in the years to come if equity for this group, and universal education in general, is to be achieved. This includes addressing remaining gaps in provision, including the shortage of trained teachers, locally-adapted pedagogies, and essential data to monitor progress and gaps for children with disabilities. This chapter addresses the challenges associated with increasing access to primary education for children with disabilities and describes what is being done internationally to address these challenges. In particular, the chapter looks at programs to promote equity and the challenges that remain in implementing such programs. Examples are given from countries with disability programs that are receiving support through the Education for All – Fast Track Initiative (FTI).Less

The Federal Role in Educational Equity: The Two Narratives of School Reform and the Debate over Accountability

Patrick McGuinn

in Education, Justice, and Democracy

This chapter traces the shifts in federal education policy over the past half-century, as well as a growing debate inside the Democratic Party over the place of accountability reforms in bringing ... More

This chapter traces the shifts in federal education policy over the past half-century, as well as a growing debate inside the Democratic Party over the place of accountability reforms in bringing greater educational equity. It argues that the persistence of large racial and socioeconomic achievement gaps is undermining the realization of America's democratic promise. Assessment and accountability are essential to advancing educational equity for low-income and minority children in the United States. Regardless of the particular definition of “educational equity” one embraces, it is unlikely to be achieved without efforts to measure and motivate progress toward reaching it.Less

Improving Indigenous Children’s Educational Access and Outcomes Through Intercultural Bilingual Education

Brittany Lambert

in Lessons in Educational Equality: Successful Approaches to Intractable Problems Around the World

Belonging to a minority or Indigenous group is one of the greatest obstacles to a quality education. This case study examines how Bolivia successfully increased enrollment, reduced drop-out rates and ... More

Belonging to a minority or Indigenous group is one of the greatest obstacles to a quality education. This case study examines how Bolivia successfully increased enrollment, reduced drop-out rates and raised achievement among its majority Indigenous population through an ambitious home-language learning program implemented in 1500 schools nation-wide. The Intercultural Bilingual Education Program’s approach consisted of teaching Indigenous children to read and write in their home language first, then gradually integrating Spanish. The chapter describes how the program improved Indigenous children’s educational outcomes, increased their levels of participation and engagement in class, and improved the status of Indigenous languages. Despite these successes, the chapter also highlights several challenges that the program has encountered, including management problems, human resources problems, conceptual problems and public opinion problems.Less

Confronting the Political Realities

in Courts and Kids: Pursuing Educational Equity through the State Courts

This book has argued that success in sound basic education cases is critical to achieving educational equity and excellence. Effective remedies in these cases require the adoption of challenging ... More

This book has argued that success in sound basic education cases is critical to achieving educational equity and excellence. Effective remedies in these cases require the adoption of challenging standards, adequate funding, effective programmatic reforms and accountability systems, and improvements in student achievement as measured by accurate assessment systems. This successful-remedies model draws on the actual experiences of numerous state courts that have fruitfully carried out many of the functions advocated by the model. In an era when “judicial activism” retains a negative connotation, this chapter argues that courts can be called upon to oversee the implementation of an enormous educational reform process and to retain jurisdiction over a ten- to twenty-year period. This is because the successful-remedies model calls for less active judicial involvement than meets the eye. Moreover, the comparative institutional approach upon which the model is built is consistent with the widely shared view among social scientists that effective social reform requires a functional division of labor among the three branches of government.Less

Defining Success in Sound Basic Education Litigations

in Courts and Kids: Pursuing Educational Equity through the State Courts

Plaintiffs' extraordinary winning record at the liability stage of the sound basic education cases is both an indication of the depth of the continuing denial of educational opportunities to most ... More

Plaintiffs' extraordinary winning record at the liability stage of the sound basic education cases is both an indication of the depth of the continuing denial of educational opportunities to most low-income and minority students more than fifty years after Brown v. Board of Education, as well as a reflection of the continuing vigor of the United States' egalitarian tradition that still strongly seeks to overcome these inequities. Analyses of expenditure patterns in specific states show that litigation does result in a reduction in spending disparities and an increase in educational expenditures. Asserting that success must mean the promotion of educational equity that provides all students a sound basic education on a sustained basis, this chapter postulates that constitutional compliance means developing and implementing challenging academic and performance standards, adequate funding, and effective programs and accountability mechanisms, all of which should culminate in substantially improved student achievement.Less

Introduction

in Courts and Kids: Pursuing Educational Equity through the State Courts

In 2004, forums and commemorations around the country marked the fiftieth anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, the United States Supreme Court's landmark ruling outlawing school segregation. ... More

In 2004, forums and commemorations around the country marked the fiftieth anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, the United States Supreme Court's landmark ruling outlawing school segregation. Most commentators expressed concern that the vision of equal educational opportunity that the Supreme Court had articulated in Brown had not yet been achieved, but many also articulated “a sense of hope” about the possibility of its realization in the future. Three years later, however, the Supreme Court, with newly appointed Chief Justice John Roberts at its helm, substantially thwarted this hope with its ruling in Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District. This shift in Supreme Court jurisprudence has resulted in a clear trend of rising resegregation throughout the country. Utilizing a comparative institutional approach, this book proposes a conceptual framework and a practical model for advancing educational equity through an active colloquy between the state courts and the other two branches of state government: the executive and the legislative.Less

Crafting Effective Remedies: Comparative Institutional Perspectives

in Courts and Kids: Pursuing Educational Equity through the State Courts

Ensuring a sound basic education for all children is an affirmative mandate of most state constitutions, and this egalitarian imperative has also been adopted as the United States' paramount ... More

Ensuring a sound basic education for all children is an affirmative mandate of most state constitutions, and this egalitarian imperative has also been adopted as the United States' paramount educational policy through the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and as the explicit educational policy of virtually all of the states in the form of a major commitment to standards-based reform. A major reason some of the state courts have not consistently been able to effectuate fully successful remedies in the sound basic education cases is that they have been hamstrung by anachronistic concepts of separation of powers. A significant distinction between federal courts and state courts is that, in key areas of state responsibility like education and welfare, state constitutions incorporate “positive rights” that call for affirmative governmental action in contrast to the “negative restraints” of the federal constitution. This chapter argues that educational equity can only be realized through an effective ongoing dialogue among the three branches of government: executive branch, judicial branch, and legislative branch.Less

Building Opportunities to Achieve

Prudence L. Carter and Kevin G. Welner

in Closing the Opportunity Gap: What America Must Do to Give Every Child an Even Chance

Carter and Welner bring together the evidence compiled by the book’s authors, describing a wide and deep opportunity gap arising from the accumulated impact of many factors: segregation in housing in ... More

Carter and Welner bring together the evidence compiled by the book’s authors, describing a wide and deep opportunity gap arising from the accumulated impact of many factors: segregation in housing in schooling; differences in resources between poor and wealthier children; differences in access to high-quality preschool; between-school differences in teacher training, teacher experience, and teacher quality, as well as in other resources, such as technology, safe buildings with heating and air conditioning, textbooks, working bathrooms, and class size; differences in the provision of engaging, deep, project-based learning versus instruction focused on raising testscores; stratified school opportunities arising from school choice policies; the widespread provision of culturally unresponsive curriculum and instruction; and the failure to value and build on the strengths of language minority children. The authors offer a summary of policy recommendations that their volume collaborators and they argue would help the United States create a fair and equitable system for its millions of school-aged youth.Less