Educational Equity

This essay presents the topic of educational equity, with a specific focus on the problems of youths in differing social class environment. An introduction to educational equity is followed by a discussion of: social class and youth problems, social class and education, and conclusions.

Achieving equity and excellence in education is the goal of educational policy (Ansalone, 2004). Americans value education since it allows for upward mobility, yet scores of disadvantaged youth are lower and these individuals fail to complete their schooling. These differences in academic outcomes between economically advantaged and disadvantaged youth remain a problem. Education promises economic stability and equality and schools support this belief. The number of American schools is growing, as is the high level of education completed by the general public. However, disadvantaged youth are twice as likely to repeat classes or fail to complete their education. Minority children differ only slightly in their skills, compared to middle-class students, when they begin school, but by the time middle class students reach college age, they are at a four to one advantage compared to poor students. These statistics imply that students from different social classes differ in their academic performance and school has an impact on this process. Research regarding factors related to equity for all students is therefore needed.

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ive consequences, tracking remains in American education. This system fails to promote equity in education and it does not improve academic excellence in minority or low socioeconomic students (Ansalone, 2004). Lipman and Gutstein (2001) reported on a case example, a study of Chicago school policy in a Latino school. Chicago school reforms focused on boosting standardized test scores, but in fact they resulted in policies that countered curricula and pedagogies that were rooted in the culture, lived experienced, language, and identities of the students who were Latinos. Economic, political, cultural, and educational factors led to the failure to educate children of color. Unequal power relations among the racial/ethnic, class, gender, language, and immigrant status lines resulted in unequal education for different groups. Culturally relevant teaching is an important factor in promoting academic success in minorities and yet new policies failed to incorporate this finding. Boaler (2002) pointed out that beyond curriculum, teachers and their teaching must reflect equity in practice. Equitable teaching must include specific instructional practices that allow for the attainment of equality. Social Class and Youth Problems

Category: Psychology - E