Search

The global expansion of choice programmes fuels debates about the equity potential of school choice policies and mechanisms. In 2014, Washington, D.C. pioneered a citywide lottery and enrolment system to match students with preferred institutions and distribute access to seats in high-demand schools. While unified lottery and enrolment systems impact a vast number of students and influence educational opportunities across continents, little evidence exists on the efficacy of these systems or the link between centralized lotteries and changes in school composition or segregation. Using longitudinal data and an interrupted time series analysis, this study examines the relationship between D.C.’s centralized lottery system and student distribution. We find unchanged desegregation trends systemwide and annual increases in segregation in schools located in wealthier and lower-income wards after the adoption of the lottery system. We raise questions about the way school-designated preference structures give the appearance of numerous school options for families, while keeping access to meaningful choices superficial. Across international contexts, these systems may aid desegregation efforts and enhance equity by randomizing school matches, preventing cream skimming, and offering a baseline of school information, but additional research is needed to better understand their substantive outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students with disabilities are at an increased risk of experiencing poorer quality peer relationships than those without disabilities. Previous school-based efforts to promote positive peer interactions among students with and without disabilities have included individual skill development and broader initiatives such as inclusive school practices. In the current study, we investigate the effects of cooperative learning (CL) on peer relationships, peer academic supports, and classroom engagement of middle school students with and without disabilities over two years. Using 4 waves of data from a cluster randomized trial of middle schools, we hypothesized that CL would create positive gains in study outcomes among all students, but we anticipated that effects would be more pronounced among students with disabilities. Results confirmed these hypotheses and highlighted the potential role of CL in creating greater social integration among students with and without disabilities. The implications of these findings for practitioners and policymakers are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides empirical insights into the perceptions and agency of navigators who provide school selection assistance and this NGO’s unique insider–outsider status. As semi-private actors, navigators offer an important bridge between two kinds of social capital: the informal types of trust and legitimacy that families rely on, and the skills, knowledge, and networks necessary to access higher-quality schools in choice policy contexts. Data for this study are derived from an exploratory case study, including 13 in-depth interviews, documentary and social media analysis, and informal conversations. The findings illustrate the benefits and shortcomings of NGO information support in choice policy contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the tenets of cultural mismatch theory using survey data from 518 high school students. Structural equation modeling examined how cultural norms influence relationships among student demographic characteristics, school location, and social, psychological, and academic outcomes. Students who identified as Black and those attending suburban schools reported greater endorsement of independent cultural norms that significantly predicted greater comfort in school, better psychological well-being, and higher aspirations for future educational attainment. Alternatively, students of color reported greater endorsement of interdependent cultural norms that were significantly associated with greater comfort in school and psychological well-being but no academic outcomes. Results point toward cultural norms as one unseen indicator that may influence classroom learning and achievement and contribute to equity issues in schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this manuscript I provide a historical analysis of antiBlackness in the Mexican American struggle for educational equity in Texas that is grounded in the dysconscious racism framework. I focus on the “other White” legal strategy and how Mexican American leaders in Houston in the late 1950s viewed collaborating with the African American Civil Rights movement. To highlight the opposing perspectives, I present a portrait of two rival Houstonian Mexican American leaders through correspondences, speeches, business documents, newspaper articles, oral histories, and secondary sources. The thrust of this manuscript analyzes how differing reactions to 1957 Texas House Bill 231, a bill that stymied school integration efforts, reflect both antiBlackness in the Mexican American civil rights movement and challenges to this way of thinking. I conclude with a call to challenge “racial innocence” in the Latine community and to prepare critically conscious educators who understand historical and current antiBlackness in the Latine community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether intended by education policy (e.g., via school entrance examinations) or unintended (e.g., via social stratification), selection effects in education (who goes where, gets what, and how much) shape educational opportunities – influencing the life chances of individuals and groups, and the structure of societies. However, within the quantitative approach to educational research, current statistical methods can struggle to simultaneously evaluate both the presence and impacts of these effects. In turn, this methodological limitation impedes efforts to facilitate equality of educational opportunity. This paper responds with a critical overview of types of selection effects in education, their consequences for educational opportunity, and the statistical methods used for their identification. Two empirical illustrations show how a new statistical method ("airbag moderation") can enable better detection and evaluation of selection effects in education and help direct future research into selection effects in education with a focus on opportunities for equality of educational opportunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the global expansion in English-medium instruction (EMI) within business education, this study investigates its impact on self-efficacy among Vietnamese business students over 2 years. Drawing on Bourdieu's capital theory, data from 105 students were analyzed to explore the influence of socio-demographic factors. Surprisingly, EMI participation was associated with a negative change in self-efficacy, with no significant impact observed from social, economic, or cultural backgrounds. The findings suggest a mismatch between students' expectations and academic performance, emphasizing the need for tailored interventions to support self-efficacy development in EMI programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educational scholars have argued for fair pedagogical practices in response to the learning needs of diverse students. While pedagogical fairness has been widely advocated, few studies have systematically assessed its impact on student learning, and even fewer have examined pedagogical fairness from a school organisational perspective. To narrow this gap in research, the current study develops an expansive conceptualisation of pedagogical fairness as an integral part of organisational culture, which varies by school. Our data, gathered from 7,746 immigrant-background students attending 563 schools in six East Asian societies, were analysed based on a hierarchical linear model explaining their academic performance as a function of pedagogical fairness in terms of both teacher practice and school culture. The results suggest that fair pedagogy can effectively help immigrant children succeed in school. It is particularly notable that pedagogical unfairness embedded in school culture is negatively associated with the academic performance of immigrant children, even after controlling for unfair pedagogical practices exercised by individual teachers. These findings suggest that implementing fair pedagogy is not simply the responsibility of individual teachers; it is also the responsibility of school leaders, as they are in the position to substantially influence the school as an organisational whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The optimism hypothesis claims that immigrant students do better in the Norwegian education system than their socioeconomic status would suggest, due to the strong educational aspirations that immigrant parents might have for their children. Grounded in an educational equity paradigm, this study aims to test this hypothesis by investigating direct and indirect influences on students' reading achievement, assessing both how often the students speak the language of instruction, Norwegian, at home; and the effect for students of parents' educational levels that affect parents' academic expectations and parents' help with homework. Using PIRLS 2016 data from Norway (n = 4,232, mean age 10.8), path analysis provided evidence that both students' home language and parents' educational level directly influence reading achievement. The mediating roles of parents' academic expectations and parents' help with homework on these relationships fluctuated. Thus, the data provided evidence that only partially supports the optimism hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global pandemic has brought about significant changes in education, which have led to concerns regarding fairness and accessibility in a technology-driven learning environment. This article focuses on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education and examines the potential for bias in AI-powered tools. By using the example of a first-year engineering student from India, it demonstrates how standardized tests and limited resources can generate skewed data that AI algorithms with bias could perpetuate. Strategies such as using diverse datasets, implementing explainable AI models, and including human oversight mechanisms can help mitigate this bias. While acknowledging challenges such as cost and technical limitations, the article highlights the opportunities that AI presents for personalized learning that benefits all students. Lastly, the article stresses the importance of collaboration between educators, policymakers, and AI developers in order to create ethical and equitable AI tools. It concludes by advocating for a future in which AI empowers learners and fosters a fair and just learning environment, prompting readers to consider the potential and responsibility associated with AI in education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Equality and equity have become dominant discourses within educational policy documents during the last decade. Colombia, for example, has introduced a language policy initiative that purports to provide educational equity opportunities for all through English language environments and opportunities within schools. Drawing on Ball's (1993. "What is Policy?" Discourse 13 (2): 10–17, 2012a. Global Education Inc. London: Routledge, 2013. The Education Debate (2nd ed.). Chicago, IL: The Policy Place.) approach to policy analysis, this article critically interrogates the Colombian National Bilingual Program (PNB, in Spanish) by analysing the ways in which the concepts of (in)equality and (in)equity are addressed. We argue in this article that the PNB misrepresents the concept of equity, presenting a policy that aims to address it but fails to do so. Hence, this study reveals how rhetoric is used to position educators and institutions as accountable for the equal access to learning opportunities and environments that the policy promises. This article builds on the premise that contemporary educational reforms challenge the autonomy of educators, institutions, and local authorities by strengthening their accountability while governmental institutions centralise their authority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extensive literature has compared the effect of selective schools with that of non-selective schools on pupil outcomes in England. However, evaluation of selective systems has been sparse and contradictory. From the perspective of educational equity, this study assesses the potential impact of academically selective school systems on pupils' overall academic outcomes. To do this, we compare pupils' academic performance in a selective system with that in a non-selective system using large-scale national data from England. The results show no evidence of a superior academic effect of selective systems on pupils' academic outcomes. While the general results for the effects of the two systems reveal neither system to be superior, an internal pattern implies negative results from the selective system, from which high performers suffer. The findings collectively imply that maintaining selective systems for compulsory education is unlikely to generate any substantial academic gain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School engagement is a luxury not often afforded to children involved in the child welfare system. Current definitions of school engagement largely center around three micro-level foci: behavioral, emotional, and cognitive. These definitions rely heavily on the student and their participation in school in prescribed ways that can exclude system-involved youth, leaving little room to consider how life experiences and developmental trajectories interface with how students show up in educational spaces. This perspective of school engagement also lacks socio-ecological considerations that may impact children in the child welfare system, such as frequent school moves, trauma reactions, systemic racism, and insufficient access to structural resources. Each of these influences may affect how a child engages with school and how a school engages with children and families. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the conceptual misalignments of the current approaches to measuring school engagement for youth involved in the child-welfare system and its subsequent implications for practice and research. We present recommendations that may lead to more inclusive and equitable measures of this important "determinant of life success." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article overviews the realities of so-called "low achieving" students in Singapore, efforts to support them better, and the place of educational technology in this support. We undertook a comparative case study of lower tracked Normal Technical (NT) secondary school students and their teachers in two schools in Singapore. We found a diversity of student backgrounds and struggles, with many students facing barriers to academic success and social mobility despite purported government efforts to support them. Findings also revealed a variety of approaches taken by their teachers, influenced by teacher ideologies of student backgrounds and abilities, pedagogy, and learning. Using the lens of selective digital technology integration, we highlight the promises and potentials of these efforts to improve NT student outcomes, along with the corresponding tensions and dilemmas. We conclude by arguing that a focus on innovation should mean pulling away from standard ideas of novel technological innovation and a move to collaborative, expansive, research-based pedagogy and systemic equity innovations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This manuscript explores the argument for lower student-to-school counselor ratios in U.S. public education. Drawing upon a comprehensive historical review and existing research, we establish the integral role of school counselors and the notable benefits of reduced student-to-counselor ratios. Our analysis of national data exposes marked disparities across states and districts, with the most underfunded often serving higher percentages of low-income students and students of color. This situation raises significant ethical concerns, prompting a call for conscientious policy reform and targeted investment. Informed by emerging best practices, we propose recommendations for enhancing counselor staffing and ultimately student outcomes. This ethical argument underscores the need for proactive actions and provides a basis for future research to further delineate the impact of school counselor ratios on educational equity and student success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper emphasises the need to consider the social, political, and economic contexts within which educational systems operate and use Artificial Intelligence (AI). Focused on Swedish compulsory education, this study explores whether the use of AI envisioned by national authorities and educational technology companies contributes to unfairness. Through qualitative content analysis of Swedish policy documents and educational company reports, the study employs the concept of Relevant Social Groups to assess how diverse stakeholders perceive the risks and benefits of using AI in education regarding fairness. Three distinct groups are identified, each prioritising different forms of “efficiency” as a key value—economic, pedagogical, and accessibility-related. In conclusion, this study sheds light on the intricate interplay between fairness and the use of AI in the Swedish educational system. It also questions the concept of fairness revolving around formal equality of opportunities that separates fairness from the broader context of social justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

‘Perhaps we should all stop for a moment and focus not only on making our AI better and more successful but also on the benefit of humanity’. - S. Hawkins, Web Summit, 2017This international collaborative piece argues for a paradigm shift in our use and understanding of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education, and in the development of Artificial Intelligence Literacy amongst our learners and professional colleagues. The main premises are: AI can change societal practices, and aid competency and capacity building within society, thereby having a positive impact on education.AI in education can support equity, inclusiveness and lifelong learning, through customisable and tailored learning experiences, while building up future professions and societies according to sustainable development premises.Education ought to equip learners with the knowledge, competency and mindset required to use AI to solve professional and societal challenges and improve day-to-day practicesAI can change societal practices, and aid competency and capacity building within society, thereby having a positive impact on education.AI in education can support equity, inclusiveness and lifelong learning, through customisable and tailored learning experiences, while building up future professions and societies according to sustainable development premises.Education ought to equip learners with the knowledge, competency and mindset required to use AI to solve professional and societal challenges and improve day-to-day practices [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Student performance data is increasingly used to monitor and evaluate teachers. This study examines whether the turnover intentions – if teachers would change schools given the chance – of teachers in socioeconomically disadvantaged classrooms are moderated by teacher appraisal practices based on student academic performance data at the school system-level. Three-level hierarchical modelling in 46 education systems is conducted based on the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) from 2018. Results show that the effect of classroom socioeconomic composition on teacher turnover intentions increases as a function of performance-based teacher appraisal. However, this is only true when the appraisal is conducted by external authorities, and not so when conducted by the school management team. The models are then re-run by school consequences of appraisal such as dismissal, financial bonuses, or sanctions, and then by teacher characteristics, including gender, experience, and teaching subject. Experienced teachers in socioeconomically disadvantaged classrooms are more likely to change schools in school systems with more performance data-based teacher appraisal. These results underscore the potential pitfalls of performance data-based accountability systems for students in socioeconomically disadvantaged educational settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proponents of academic selection argue that academic selection helps children from disadvantaged backgrounds have better lifelong outcomes. However, the evidence needs to be clarified since selections by performance could be a proxy for selection by socioeconomic class. Based on the unique situation in England, where both selective and non-selective systems coexist, we evaluate whether students from selective schools are more likely to continue higher education than those in non-selective schools and whether the link between students’ family backgrounds and their likelihood of higher education participation is stronger under a selective system. The results show that attending selective schools is associated with some post-18 advantages for pupils who stayed until the end of Key Stage 5, but brings disadvantages for those who left at earlier stages, even if we look at the upper bound of the selective school effect. Meanwhile, the link between students’ family backgrounds and future opportunities is consistently stronger under the selective system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advanced Placement (AP) is a program initially developed by the College Board to engage "superior" high school students with rigorous college-equivalent coursework. Because the AP program has the potential to facilitate the college placement and success of diverse youth, the College Board has made equitable AP access a core objective. This article reports the results of an assessment conducted to gain a better understanding of the number and characteristics of students who have participated in AP Human Geography and how they fared on the exam. Although AP Human Geography enrollments have grown more diverse since the program's launch in 2001, unequal access to the course remains a challenge. Unequal outcomes on AP Human Geography exams are also evident when comparing mean scores and qualifying scores by race, ethnicity, and gender. The effectiveness of AP Human Geography for youth of color is compromised by the inordinate number of exams taken in ninth grade, a point in schooling characterized by widespread and embedded geography achievement disadvantages and unequal educational opportunities. Ensuring the equitable preparation of students for advanced geography coursework and fostering racial and gender equity in the curriculum are among the reforms recommended to reduce inequality in AP exam scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite growing attention on Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) in education settings (Jones, S. M., McGarrah, M. W., & Kahn, J. (2019). Social and emotional learning: A principled science of human development in context. Educational Psychologist, 54(3), 129–143. ), there also has been an increasing concern that the existing understanding of SEL is not based on diverse racial, ethnic, and cultural perspectives (Hurd, E., Brinegar, K., & Harrison, L. (2021). Equity-based social emotional learning (SEL): A critical lens for moving forward. Middle School Journal, 52(3), 2–3. ). The purpose of this research was to explore teacher educators' perspectives on promoting an equity-based approach for Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) in physical education teacher education (PETE) from an international perspective. Using an international comparative case study design (Penn, R. (2019). International comparative case studies: Multiple methods in action. Sage.), 18 teacher educators were recruited from 10 different countries (Australia; Brazil; Cyprus; China; Finland; Germany; Ireland; New Zealand; South Korea; The United States). Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted using a video-conferencing system to collect data on the participants' perspectives on promoting equity-based SEL in PETE. Using a systematic process of inductive data analysis by Miles et al. (Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldana, J. (2014). Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook. Sage.), four findings were generated: (a) Respecting differences with culturally responsive pedagogy, (b) Embedding diversity across different phases, (c) Critical introspection on self and others, and (d) Having intentional and difficult conversations. Based on the findings, more research needs to be conducted in the future to investigate how PE teachers incorporate equity elements into their SEL practices in real-time school settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the article is to offer a base for discussions on educational equality from the viewpoint of changes in the world causing widening disparities between pupils and students. The essence and possibilities of educational equity and equality in the Nordic educational realm are discussed from six viewpoints. The outcome is that all children have the moral right to access equal opportunities even though they are different and unique. Second, we cannot find absolute equality between individuals because all individuals are different and unique. Third, we should find political and pedagogical ways in which to handle educational inequalities. Fourth, students who are not motivated and skilled to undertake independent work may be in danger of being left behind. Fifth, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the differences between students and diminished the possibilities of students who are vulnerable. Finally, new technologies may open new paths to reduce educational inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and academic achievement can both reflect the degree to which students' academic achievement is affected by SES and reveal detailed information about educational equity in a country/economy. Based on PISA 2018 data, this study investigated the effects of SES and its components on student academic achievement at both the student and school levels in a population of 15-year-old students from Beijing-Shanghai-Jiangsu-Zhejiang (China). Results showed the following: (1) B-S-J-Z (China) students' academic achievement was positively related to their family SES and school SES. (2) The effects of different SES components on academic achievement varied, and the most predictive variables were the father's occupational status, the father's level of education, and the mother's occupational status. (3) School disciplinary climate was shown to moderate the effects of SES on academic achievement. Drawing on the research findings, this study suggested that the government should (1) further promote education equity with a primary focus on disadvantaged student groups; (2) improve the enrolment policy and increase the diversity of student backgrounds; (3) promote teacher professional development and continuously improve school effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much of the formal professional development teachers experience consists of short-term workshops that maintain – rather than disrupt – the systems of power that reproduce educational inequities. In response, some scholars have advocated critical professional development (PD) as a means of supporting teachers' interrogation of these inequities and empowerment to effect change. Critical PD is based on Paulo Freire's ideas of dialogue, problem-posing, and praxis, and it tends to emerge within grassroots organisations that function independently from the school systems. There are two drawbacks to this autonomous structure, however: the legitimacy problem, or the fact that the pedagogies advocated within these groups may be difficult to implement without the institutional support of participants' districts; and the resource problem, or the fact that teachers' time and efforts within these independent organisations is typically uncompensated. In this essay, we describe a research – practice partnership in which we co-developed critical PD on culturally responsive teaching with district leaders. The form of the PD, critical action research, allowed the participants to engage in problem-posing and praxis in order to analyse systems of power and their own positionalities within these systems. Recommendations for those with and without access to research – practice partnerships are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the challenges to Vietnamese education has been the schooling inequality between students of the ethnic majority and those of ethnic minorities. This paper, therefore, reports on research that explored the challenges to educational equity for ethnic minority students in Vietnam from stakeholders at the lowest levels. Data were collected from interviews with teachers, school principals, an educational leader and the researchers' notes of field trips to ethnic minority villages. The findings indicate the challenges lie in the inadequate preparation of teachers for teaching ethnic minority students and the students' language barriers. Beyond the school setting, ethnic minority students' schooling opportunities were hindered by the ethnocentric attitude of the ethnic majority towards their learning capacity. Political and economic constraints in local communities also prevented ethnic minority students from accessing high-level education. Recommendations for promoting educational equity for ethnic minority students in Vietnam and other similar contexts were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The following case study explores the durability of conflict between urban growth machine policies, public-school finance, and educational equity in Columbus, OH. The City of Columbus is one of the fastest growing cities in the Midwest, but it's largest urban public school district (Columbus City Schools) has grown smaller, more segregated, and poorer. Historical development policies enabled the city's growth but undermined the school district. Contemporary conflict has emerged related to the impact of tax abatement programs on public school funding. Our Franklin county analysis suggests previous statewide estimates of public schools revenues lost to abatements were underestimated. Analysis of the relationship between abatements and school finances for all public-school districts in Franklin County finds a weak relationship with per pupil spending, but a strong relationship with district demographics and classroom expenditures. Our case analysis suggests planners should focus greater attention on the intersection of economic development policy and public schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ideal of U.S. public education as "a great equalizer" remains unrealized across large swaths of the country. Young people in schools are at varying levels of educational advantage and disadvantage owing to wide gaps in learning opportunities and disparate access to high-quality curriculum. Unequal educational achievement has also been linked to inequities affecting some students before they enter school due to socioeconomic circumstances, prejudice, and discriminatory social systems and structures. In this study, we begin to partition the various factors that account for inequality in student outcomes in the context of U.S. geography education. Using large-scale data sets provided by the National Center for Education Statistics within the U.S. Department of Education, we developed a two-level statistical model to analyze the extent to which geography achievement in eighth grade varies systematically with contextual opportunity to learn (OTL) factors and the relative poverty level of neighborhoods around schools. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to account for data clustering, producing an achievement estimate for each predictor and controlling for the effects of all other predictors. Statistically significant OTL predictors included instructional exposure, taking geography prior to eighth grade, teaching experience, and the availability of computers in classrooms. Schools located in neighborhoods with higher income-to-poverty ratios outperformed schools in neighborhoods closer to the federal poverty threshold. Controlling for OTL and school neighborhood effects accounted for some of the geography achievement disadvantage associated with race and other student characteristics. Geographers can further explore these relationships with formal mediational models and educational programs based on equity-oriented frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disparities in school discipline data indicate that children of color, particularly boys, receive more frequent and harsher disciplinary actions than their white peers, and this begins in early schooling. Within today's print-centered, bodily restricted school curricula, literacy instruction is often reduced to highly controlled, leveled readers and narrowly tailored writing tasks. Drawing on data from a qualitative study, we present the literary counter-stories of two boys of color in an urban 2nd-grade classroom, both from low-income, single-parent families, each being initially reported as "low performing" and having "misbehavior issues" prior to 2nd grade. Framed by the critical theoretical perspectives of critical race theory, intersectionality, and raciolinguistics, the study investigates digital literacies, multimodality, and identity performances embedded in two juxtaposed cases. The findings address the significance of cultivating boys of color as artistic individuals and providing meaningful, multimodal "writing" opportunities to promote creativity, inclusivity, and educational equity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to understand educators’ perspectives of the state of teacher-family relationships with refugee-background families resettled in the U.S. as well as factors that facilitated and impeded the formation of collaborative relationships. Drawing on data from interviews with 42 teachers across three school districts in a northeastern state, we found variance in the state of collaborative relationships between refugee-background families and their children’s teachers. Intersecting and overlapping barriers included bureaucracies lacking a systematic focus on relationships with refugee families and characterised by confusion about responsibilities and systems, unsustainable initiatives, and a lack of professional collaboration among teachers. Teachers expressed uncertainty about sharing honest, though potentially disheartening, data about students’ achievement and progress with their families for fear of deterring hope and motivation. Facilitating factors included systems that prioritised collaborative relationships with families and were characterised by student-centred interprofessional collaboration and engagement in innovative initiatives that were sustainable due to a culture of support. Implications for supporting teachers are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores ideas about the role of the school principal embedded in New York State education policy. Many public schools across the state fail to deliver equitable opportunities and outcomes for an increasingly diverse student population and improving school leadership offers the potential for substantial returns. Drawing on concepts of role identity, organisational coherence, and leadership for equity, I use an interpretive approach to examine how conflicting and ambiguous expectations for principal behaviour in New York's Every Student Succeeds Act Plan, its Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Framework, and its approach to principal evaluations might endanger realisation of a principal's moral commitment to educational and social justice. I conclude with recommendations for state policy and future research with the aim of supporting principals to navigate the complexity of their role and lead to organisational coherence around equity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parents make choices about their children's education within a neoliberal, racist system. Measurable metrics are used to evaluate school quality within a competitive, market-based system, yet those indicators often do not align with parents' definitions of a good school, and they obscure the role of race. This paper examines how white, privileged parents understand school quality and justify their educational decisions, illuminating how white parents subtly reinforce racial and socio-economic hierarchies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates how educational equity is applied in university preparatory classes from the perspective of minority students. It explores minority students' access to, participation and outcomes in preparatory classes, as well as the factors that influence their experience and attitude. Using a mixed research method, 320 students from a School of Minzu Education were surveyed and further in-depth interviews were conducted with seven respondents. This study finds that minority students from cities and towns are more likely to get into preparatory classes. Moreover, the fairness of the access to preparatory classes is questioned between various ethnic minority groups and even within the same ethnic group. In terms of participation in preparatory classes, preparatory classes play a positive role in promoting integration between Han and ethnic minorities and educational equality. However, minority students in preparatory class lack a sense of belonging to the affiliated university due to insufficient recognition of their cultural and linguistic background in class and community activities. The findings indicate that the outcomes of preparatory classes were mainly reflected in minority students' academic performance and perception towards preparatory classes. The outcomes differed depending mainly on the family income, ethnic origins and the high schools they attended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Faced with the sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese K-12 schools pivoted to online teaching to "suspend classes without stopping learning" and to ensure continued learning in the first half of 2020. As an emergency measure to combat the pandemic, the implementation of online teaching met a range of challenges. This study randomly distributed approximately 420,000 questionnaires to primary and secondary students, teachers, and administrators across all provinces in China, with the aim of investigating online teaching during the pandemic from the perspectives of teaching organization, policy implementation, and learning experience, as well as comparing the ways urban and rural schools responded to COVID-19 from the perspective of balanced education development. Results show that schools across different regions in the country are equipped with essential facilities for online teaching, guaranteeing the successful rollout of online teaching. It is also found that schools need to enhance their capacity for contextualized decision making and innovation in teaching practice and that additional support should be given to rural schools to improve their access to resources and their online teaching experience. Significant differences between urban and rural schools are found to exist in such areas as students' learning interest and effectiveness, information technology literacy, and psychological well-being. Moreover, there also exists considerable discrepancy in teachers' digital teaching competence between urban and rural schools. We discuss the implications from the findings of this large-scale study and make suggestions for future directions of online teaching development in the digital age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article details the findings from Project LOCAL (Library Outreach as a Community Anchor in Learning),a mixed-methods study that explored how public libraries contribute to educational equity by going into community locations to reach and serve families and children in underserved communities who cannot come into the library due to a variety of barriers. The data revealed four main aspects to this outreach work: program types, locations, goals, and partnerships. Public libraries offer a variety of program types – literacy programs, summer meal programs, STEAM programs – in various locations, like schools, shelters, housing developments, barbershops, and others. These programs and services are developed with an array of goals in mind, broadly categorized as related to access, advocacy, and impact, to serve a variety of underserved communities. Furthermore, libraries are forming complex, fruitful partnerships with different community organizations to build trust, relationships, and goodwill in these communities. Bronfenbrenner's ecological model of human development provides a lens for situating these four aspects within the various environmental systems in families' lives and reveals how, through outreach work, librarians are moving from outer, less visible systems to more central ones that reinforce their relevance and importance in the lives of families in underserved communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School discipline is a significant problem of practice and policy. The differences in disciplinary patterns across schooling levels have received relatively little attention. This study examines the differences in disciplinary infractions and consequences across elementary, middle, and high schools. The results illustrate there are important variations in students' disciplinary experiences across elementary, middle and high schools. In elementary schools, there is low overall prevalence of out of school suspension (OSS) yet disparities in OSS exist, especially for Black students and students with disabilities (SWDs). In middle and high schools, there is high overall prevalence of both in-school suspension (ISS) and OSS. The Black OSS and ISS risk indices as well as Black-White disparities in OSS and ISS are highest in middle schools. Differential processing (receiving harsher consequences for similar infractions) also varies across suspension types and schooling levels. In high schools, female students are more likely to receive an OSS for subjective offenses, whereas male students are more likely to receive an OSS for attendance-related offenses. Similar to elementary schools, there is differential processing of subjective offenses for SWDs in high schools. Scholarly and policy implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, racial disparities in K-12 disciplinary outcomes in the United States have garnered considerable attention. Empirical studies have established that schools' discipline policies and practices play an important role; however, the lack of an integrated theoretical framework inhibits the discourse on bias and discrimination as a contributing factor. This study aims to close the gap between theory and empirical evidence by examining the contributors to the racial disparities in disciplinary outcomes through theoretical lenses. Our findings indicate that school discipline approaches that predominantly focus on policing minor and subjective behavior may facilitate racial bias in enforcement. Our results suggest that the racial discipline gap may be the product of the: (a) heightened focus on risk management, (b) cultural and demographic mismatch between the teaching workforce and students, and (c) transmission of dominant values through school discipline policies and practices that are reflective of upper and middle-class norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing from the professional experience of one "zhijiao" teacher in the southwestern border of China, this study uses a narrative method to describe and analyze the growth and development of an effective teacher serving in a rural and remote school with a high concentration of ethnic minority students. Qualitative data for this single case study were generated through interviews with the selected teacher and her colleagues and students. Specifically, the study examines the teacher's professional philosophy and beliefs, professional knowledge, and professional skills. It illustrates how these domains relate to the teacher's effectiveness. The study also discusses possibilities for better preparation and development of teachers serving the most disadvantaged areas in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phenomenon of transnationalism among students has acquired special importance in the last few years as a consequence of political, economic and social events. This is especially the case in the context of migration between Mexico and the United States. This article describes a qualitative research study where the perspectives of students and their teachers about the transnationalism of the former are examined. The constructs of equity in education and migration provided the conceptual framework to examine the impact that transnationalism among students has on the quality of the education that they receive. For this purpose, the research team conducted a series of interviews in Mexico and the United States. The data collected showed the social and academic challenges of transnational students to thrive. Based on the findings, the authors suggest specific educational policies to reduce inequities and give transnational students a prominent place in the schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the number of dual language programs in the U.S. is on the rise, district and school administrators need to pay attention to race as they design and implement these programs to offer equitable access for all students. Utilizing a CRT and raciolinguistics framework, qualitative interview data revealed the ways that whiteness operated in school institutional processes to inhibit access to dual language for African American and Latinx working-class families. This work suggests important policy implications for designing DL programs that are accessible to communities of Color through engaging in information sharing and meaningful dialogue with communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the 2018 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) datasets for geography, we explore relationships between geography achievement in the eighth grade and contextual variables related to the content and organization of the geography/social studies curriculum. Differences in student achievement are associated with grade-level variations in exposure to geography as well as the organization of social studies as discrete versus integrated subjects. The achievement gaps observed in this study underscore the need for research into the characteristics of geography curricula and the extent that variance in student outcomes is explained by differential access to geography in schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social disparities in NAEP student outcomes with respect to geography provide further evidence of how far the discipline of Geography still must go to address issues of diversity, equity, inclusion. Addressing these issues requires difficult but necessary conversations and planning of initiatives along with a more fundamental re-envisioning of what Geography education is, for whom the learning of geography matters and why, and a commitment to decolonize curriculum and pedagogical approaches. Such reform has the promise of not only making Geography education more responsive to social difference and justice, but it also ultimately will increase the intellectual and political efficacy of our profession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alternative teacher education programmes associated with the Teach For All network are emerging worldwide. Largely inspired by Teach For America, these programmes draw on the meritocratic vision that 'one day' all children will receive a high-quality education and fulfil their potential. This paper questions the underlying ideology of meritocracy as evident in two Teach For All affiliate programmes – Teach for America and Ako Mātātupu: Teach First New Zealand. By drawing on qualitative data collected from across both programmes including interviews with participants and stakeholders, this article explores the ways in which meritocratic discourses undergird each programme's mission and are subsequently voiced by participant teachers. Findings suggest that, despite significant differences in socio-political and economic contexts, strikingly similar discourses surface. We argue that the meritocratic ideologies evident in both contexts promote narrow definitions of 'achievement', disillusionment among teachers, and a general obfuscation of inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors argue that educational redlining, like redlining practices in housing markets, occurs in schools that use standardized test results to determine eligibility for academic programs. This discriminatory practice, which reduces education equity and increases academic segregation along the lines of racial and socioeconomic status within schools, must end. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article theorises and historically contextualises the racialised experiences of a Black male who has attempted to do racial equity work with white teachers in a suburban Minnesota school district. I use Afro-Pessimism as a theoretical tool and guidepost as I weave the journey to becoming a racial equity teacher and the systemic troubles of succeeding and failing in that kind of work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This systematic review of recent research explored the uncharted intersection of literature on educational leadership, professional learning, and educational equity. It investigated leadership approaches to shaping the professional development and ongoing learning of educators which supports more equitable outcomes for students. The underlying motivation for the work is our concern for the educational experiences and achievements of marginalised students, and for professional learning to address these inequalities. Guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Statement, and iterative selection of literature based on relevance and quality judged by the weight of evidence assessments, we identified 41 empirical items for detailed analysis. The outcome was five themes: Critical framing of social justice issues; Dialogue and enquiry; Learning and identity development; Context, resources, and motivations; Normalising inclusion and shared leadership. A further six articles informed a conceptual framework linking professional learning and outcomes that developed existing models. Critique of linear conceptualisations of learning, and affinity with the values and philosophy of the process model of education championed by Lawrence Stenhouse, prompted proposing the themes as nascent principles. These require further research, yet they have immediate practical utility for educational leaders and teachers working in pursuit of educational equity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite Brown vs. Board of Education, prejudice still exists in the American school system. These attitudes can give rise to negative social experiences for students of color (i.e., discrimination), negatively impacting their mental and physical health and creating disparities in educational outcomes. Rather than seeking to ameliorate these negative experiences, our approach attempts to address the underlying prejudices and, in so doing, reduce these disparities. Using 4 waves of data from a cluster randomized trial (N = 15 middle schools, 1,890 students, 47.1% female, 75.2% White), we hypothesized that cooperative learning, which has been shown to reduce prejudice in previous research, would create positive gains in peer relatedness, perceptions of academic support, and engagement in learning, and that gains would be larger for students of color; our results confirmed these hypotheses. Our findings highlight the potential role of cooperative learning in reducing disparities and creating greater equity in education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In most teacher education programmes in Canada and the United States, educators' opportunities to develop equity-related skills are concentrated into single 'multicultural' courses. These courses tend to have a conservative or liberal orientation, focused on appreciating diversity or cultural competence, rather than a critical orientation, focused on preparing teachers to address inequity. In this study, based on a survey of instructors of multicultural and intercultural teacher education courses in Canada and the US (N = 186), we examined the relationship between the criticality of their multicultural teacher education courses and their perceptions of institutional support for the values they teach. We found a negative relationship between the two – the more critical the instructors' approaches, the less institutional support they perceived. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Working with a community-based organization, we engaged middle school youth in mapping the realities of and dreams for their neighborhoods. We document the process we used to guide youth reflection on themselves as learners and, more specifically, detail our discoveries about their schools as learning places. Using critical literacy as a frame, we assert that youth insights about the physical, relational, and agentive environments of school reveal that they were able to read themselves as products of their community "text" in ways supported by scholarly understandings of educational inequity. This advanced and legitimized youth representation in our university-school-community partnership effort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Linguists understand metaphors to be shortcuts to an individual's tacit knowledge about the world. As ethnographers and planners building a university-school partnership and seeking to understand residents' perceptions of their urban neighbourhood, attention to use of metaphor allowed us insight into an insider's mental model of who is in the community. In this article, we describe how, in our interview-based ethnographic needs assessment, one of our project participant's metaphors helped us discern the lived nature of social stratification as racialised economic inequality. This insight not only informs our partnership work but subverts some important assumptions about programme impact. Our experience suggests metaphor analysis contributes an important tool for ethnographic interpretation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores how one cohort of first-in-family students narrated their movement into and through university, proposed as a form of boundary crossing. These metaphors emerged from the stories that students told about their persistence, with references ranging from institutional or organisational boundaries through to those imposed by self and others. Applying the sensitizing lens of boundary crossing, an analysis is provided of how learners navigated their transition into university and the types of persistence behaviours adopted. The focus is on those who traversed these boundaries, considering the nature of incursions and the ways these were negotiated within students' everyday lives. This cohort all self-identified as being the first in their family to attend university but also acknowledged a variety of additional social, cultural and economic factors that impacted upon their educational journey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]