Against a backdrop of the broader conversation around the mathematical achievement disparities of urban, minority students, the author reviews salient literature pertaining to student engagement as a means of identifying effective mathematical practices in engaging traditionally marginalized groups of students in their study of mathematics. First,…

As they prepare for initial implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), many state and local education agencies across the country have been taking the opportunity to redefine how best to support improvement in their lowest-performing schools. ESSA requires districts to play a larger role in the improvement process, with SEAs…

The first of two articles in consecutive months describes the origins and nature of growing income inequality, and some of its consequences for American children. It documents the increased family income inequality that's occurred over the past 40 years and shows that the increased income disparity has been more than matched by an expanding…

'Equity and Quality' is an emerging terminology that focuses on the quality of education rather than on 'excellence.' The global policy discourse is turning towards levelling up educational quality "for all." The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) 2012 report entitled "Equity and Quality in Education:…

A number of scholars are examining factors hindering student performance. Scholars suggest that understanding these factors is critical knowledge for leaders to cultivate as they work to address elements within their school or district that need to change if student learning is to improve. What is often overlooked in the literature is how…

This study examined factors contributing to achievement gaps between White and African American students in 2,868 diverse school districts across the United States. Using pooled data across five school years (2008-2013), six grade levels (grades third to eighth, which typically include students aged 8 years-14 years) and two different subjects…

Equity gaps in our society have existed and persisted over time. Recent events have further emphasized racial injustices in society. The disproportionate health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on people of color have exacerbated existing inequities, leading to renewed calls for social justice. The COVID-19 crisis is also shedding light…

Even though many of Alaska's students are getting a good education, historically Alaska has some of the largest achievement gaps in the country. Compared to other states in America, Alaska ranks at or near the bottom in reading and math scores. This document is a call to action. Thousands of Alaskans have stepped up to answer this call and have…

This piece of research project has demonstrated that there is a gap in educational achievement between parents' access to social capital and children's educational outcomes in a global context by examining England, United States and China specifically. Through examining educational resources, from in-school factors, such as facilities, teacher…

The "IDRA Newsletter" serves as a vehicle for communication with educators, school board members, decision-makers, parents, and the general public concerning the educational needs of all children across the United States. The focus of this issue is "Equity Auditing." Contents include: (1) Using Equity Audits to Assess and…

For decades, the US education system has failed to adequately combat a decline of civic engagement and awareness, resulting in what many are now calling a "civics recession." The good news is that there is growing awareness, at all levels, that we need new and concerted efforts to make civic learning and engagement a core component of…

In this paper, I will reflect on the initial reconnaissance, action, and reflection cycle of my doctoral research, exploring Community Philosophy as a tool for critical parental engagement in a primary school (Elliot, 1991). I will examine how I reflexively engaged with my influence on participants, which then significantly influenced the framing…

Education analysts often compare U.S. schools to those in Finland, Korea, Poland, even Shanghai. But surprisingly, few compare the schools here to those in Germany, though the two countries have much in common. Each nation is the largest democracy, with the biggest economy, on its continent. Each has a diverse population, strong unions, a federal…

This qualitative case study explores the political and leadership challenges imbedded within the implementation of a district-wide resource reallocation policy. Based on a two-year study of a medium-sized district's efforts to address changing demographics of families in the district and a widening achievement gap, we draw upon concepts from…

The Whole Education National Network is a dynamic national not-for-profit partnership of schools and organisations that believe that all children and young people are entitled to an education that supports the development of wider skills, qualities and characteristics to enable them to thrive in life, learning and work, as well as conventional…