Given the call for schools to enhance equity of opportunity, the Center for Mental Health in Schools and Student/Learning Supports at UCLA sent out an inquiry across the country asking "Which Schools are Taking Equity Seriously?". The received a variety of responses including: (1) One response which focused on "Colorado's Equity…

Teachers' unions and community organizing emerged out of shared collective struggles for social justice in the United States in the twentieth century. Beyond broad general aspirations for a better society, however, their interests and tactics have not always been compatible. This interpretive essay revisits three recent case studies of interaction…

This article explores the many ways in which states can and are addressing racial equity in problem solving and policymaking. The authors explore national data that make the case for addressing bias and advancing equity in state policy; share strategies and best practices for engaging families and communities; and provide examples of policies that…

This chapter highlights the use of the Equity Scorecard with the Community College of Aurora. The Equity Scorecard is a theory-based strategy that assists community colleges in embedding equity into their institutional norms, practices, and policies.

Institutions of higher education are increasingly focusing on involving their undergraduates in civic engagement opportunities. When done carefully and respectfully, civic engagement work can lead to positive benefits for all involved, including faculty, undergraduates, and community members. However, issues of power and privilege undergird civic…

In this article, the author explores the development of a continuum of identities, which range from Chicano/a to Xicana/o. The former is rooted in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and 70s, while the latter has its roots in the transnational, globalized, and neoliberal policies of the early 21st Century. The author highlights how these two…

Dramatic changes in the higher education landscape and the recent recession have intensified the challenges students face in postsecondary enrollment and completion. In response, some states, communities, and institutions have developed "postsecondary opportunity programs (POPs)"--comprehensive college access and success programs…

A wide variety of universities are engaged in service-learning activities that create opportunities for K-12 students to interact with university students. Engaging students in their communities and working toward social justice in a variety of settings provides positive outcomes for communities, university students and the K-12 students involved.…

This paper traces the evolution of the choice idea over three generations, from a market model concerned with economic liberty, to a demand for social justice based on equality, to a political movement that translates the idea into policy. Focusing on the last generation, it explains why the market concept has lacked political appeal and how…