Supporting the promise of equity in education

In his second inaugural address in 2013, President Barack Obama illustrated the core of the inspiring mission of public schooling when he said:

"We are true to our creed when a little girl born into the bleakest poverty knows that she has the same chance to succeed as anybody else."

What President Obama is describing here is “equity,” a goal or outcome that education leaders frequently cite when describing what they do and why they do it. Yet the outcome of equity is somewhat different and harder to measure than, say, reading fluency or the ability to multiply fractions.

As a partner to schools and educators in the U.S. and around the world, we need to be intentional and explicit about how our products and services will help schools achieve this lofty goal. To dig into the issue of educational equity and how we think about it at McGraw-Hill, I’ve invited the head of learning research and strategy in our School group, Dr. Lanette Trowery, to join me for a Q&A.

Could you define what we mean by educational equity and how that differs from educational equality?

I want to start by defining equality and then talk about equity. In education, equality is providing all students with access to a base level of educational services. It’s making sure all students have access to the same quality of teaching, school building, curriculum, etc. As I’ve described in this blog post Equality vs Equity: A False Dichotomy, think of equality as a toolbox. Every student gets a toolbox, containing everything he or she needs to succeed in school. Making sure each student receives that full toolbox is the crux of equality. If some students get more advanced tools or a higher quality of tool than other students, they have an advantage over other students who do not get those same tools.

Equity builds on the foundation established by equality and focuses efforts on providing each student with additional resources or support they need to learn effectively or meet expected outcomes. Going back to the toolbox analogy, support should be provided to make sure every student understands how to effectively use each tool in their toolbox; some students may have learned how to use those tools at home or in their communities, and others may not. Understanding the differences in past experiences and knowledge and working to mitigate those differences is the crux of equity.

What are characteristics of an equitable classroom and equitable education practices?

Our research at McGraw-Hill has shown how important it is for schools and districts to adopt a mindset steeped in equity. From there, leaders can set and implement a plan that helps all students, and spend time supporting, critiquing, and revising the equity plan so the work can evolve to meet the needs of all stakeholders.

Within the classroom, creating equitable spaces where all students can grow and flourish requires a focus not only on individual students and their characteristics, but on the learning environment as a whole. In an equitable classroom, all students are supported so they can learn rigorous academics at their level, examine and critique the content and skills they are learning, and engage in critical inquiry of how the things they’re learning interact with the world around them. An equitable classroom is one that nurtures students’ strengths, acknowledges and upholds their individuality, and is dedicated to their success.

What does that mean for us as an education company?

As a creator of curriculum for schools, we want our programs to be a critical component in creating equitable classrooms. Here are a few examples of how they specifically address equity: In our Wonders 2020 reading program, we apply social and emotional learning research to help students master competencies that have been shown to improve students’ social skills and increase achievement. Our IMPACT Social Studies program is designed to facilitate true student-centered, inquiry-based learning by engaging learners through compelling questions around important and relevant issues and topics. Adaptive technology programs like ALEKS ensure each student is learning at their own pace and focusing on what they are ready to learn. These are just a few examples of how we strive for excellence in all that we create. It is so important for us to keep focused on learner outcomes as a way to ensure all learners unlock their full potential.

How is thinking around this issue shifting?

Educational equality and equity have been national goals since Reconstruction. The landmark Brown vs Board of Education court decision in the 1950’s marked a milestone in the efforts to bring equality into education. In the 1960’s, President Lyndon Johnson started the War on Poverty and signed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act as attempts to create equity in our nation’s schools. Other policies such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Bilingual Education Act, and Title IX have focused on supporting equality and equity as well. As the U.S. has grown more diverse, educators and policymakers are paying more attention to upholding the promise of those policies to ensure all children are getting a quality education. That means schools and districts continue to look for evidenced-based solutions to help make their classrooms as equitable as possible. We’re here to help.

Thank you, Lanette.

To learn more about her team’s research, you can download these Guiding Principles for Equity in Education, which provide a blueprint for school leaders to begin thinking about educational equity.