Incremental equity initiatives often just paper over the status quo. How can schools be bolder and more strategic? Educators Paul Gorski, Marceline DuBose, and Katy Swalwell share four steps to seismically shift thinking and action and make significant equity progress.

The George Floyd incident caused severe anxiety in a lot of people, especially children and adults of color. These types of tragic incidents tend to happen to Black and Brown people more often than any other group. Experiencing or witnessing violent events like this can lead to trauma--and teachers must realize that the events of last year may…

Differentiated instruction has always been about providing every learner full opportunity to grow as much as possible academically, intellectually, and socially. A key principle of differentiation is "teaching up" (Tomlinson, 2021, 2022; Tomlinson & Javius, 2012). Teaching up is of particular importance at this moment in education…

"Techquity," as the author defines it, means merging the effective use of educational technologies with culturally responsive and culturally relevant learning experiences to support students' development of essential skills. Technology, distributed and used equitably, enables opportunity and voice, dismantles barriers around learner…

Understanding how and why rising racial and economic segregation impacts achievement gaps is critical to closing them. Analyzing data from every school district in the U.S., researchers sean reardon, Erin Fahle, Heewon Jang, and Ericka Weathers evaluate how growing racial segregation interacts with unequal economic opportunities and contributes to…

After a grand jury report cited a pervasive pattern of racism and hate speech, a California school district took bold--sometimes uncomfortable--steps toward cultural change. At San Mateo Union High School District, assistant superintendent Julia Kempkey and equity coaches Shane Safir and Joe Truss faced the hard truth that no single policy,…

The authors describe Pathways2Teaching, a grow-your-own-teacher program operating in high schools in six Colorado school districts that focuses on getting students of color interested in going into K-12 teaching.

If students from all backgrounds and advantages were given equal opportunity to succeed, how would this change our schools? Anindya Kundu examines two New York City schools--Medgar Evers College Prep and The James Baldwin School--and how their energized school culture contributes to the success of all students. By leading with consistency,…

Reflecting on his own experiences attending integrated schools in the 1960s and 70s, scholar Pedro Noguera argues that, despite the challenges involved, school integration remains essential for providing better educational opportunities for students. At a time when our nation is becoming irreversibly more diverse, Noguera writes, the country's…

The author, a consultant on school equity, describes a common situation: teachers try to discuss the issue of inequitable outcomes for students of color, and all of a sudden, the conversation stalls. Such discussions are not the norm for educators. They often shut down or disengage emotionally because of various fears. When schools realize that…

In this article, Bryan Goodwin reflects on a Johns Hopkins University study from 1966 that at that time sent shock waves across America. The report's sober conclusion was that: "Schools provide no opportunity at all" to bring impoverished and minority students up to the starting line. Rather, schools allow them to "fall farther…

Across the United States, decisions championed in the name of school "reform" are segregating students on the basis of race and class. Traditional public schools that serve low-income students of color have been closed, consolidated, or co-located with charter schools. The officials initiating these reforms claim they will benefit…

Broadening computer science learning to include more students is a crucial item on the United States' education agenda, these authors say. Although policymakers advocate more computer science expertise, computer science offerings in high schools are few--and actually shrinking. In addition, poorly resourced schools with a high percentage of…

Neither desegregation nor testing programs are sufficient to guarantee equal opportunity. A comprehensive effort will be required if both equity and quality are to be achieved in public education. (Author/MLF)

Public opinion surveys conducted by Public Agenda confirm that parents, students, and educators from diverse ethnic groups share the same fundamental aspirations for education and agree on the basic reforms needed in schools. The author, a senior advisor for Public Agenda, describes survey findings that suggest that all groups see education as the…