Educational equity is based on the principles of fairness and justice in allocating resources, opportunities, treatment, and success for every student. Educational equity programs promote the real possibility of equality of educational results for each student and between diverse groups of students. Equity strategies are planned, systemic, and focused on the core of the teaching and learning process (Bitters, B.A., 1999). Bradley Scott, Ph.D., (Director of the Equity Assistance Center at IDRA) has proposed six goals of education equity.

SIX GOALS OF EDUCATION EQUITY

Goal 1: High academic achievement & other student outcomes

As data on academic achievement and other student outcomes are disaggregated and analyzed, one sees high comparable performance for all identifiable groups of learners, and achievement and performance gaps are virtually non-existent.

Goal 2:  Equitable access and inclusion 

The unobstructed entrance into, involvement of and full participation of learners in schools, programs and activities within those schools.

Goal 3:  Equitable treatment

Patterns of interaction between individuals and within an environment characterized by acceptance, valuing, respect, support, safety and security such that students feel challenged to become invested in the pursuits of learning and excellence without fear of threat, humiliation, danger or disregard.

Goal 4:  Equitable opportunity to learn

At minimum, the creation of learning opportunities so that every child, regardless of characteristics and identified needs, is presented with the challenge to reach high standards and are given the requisite pedagogical, social, emotional and psychological supports to achieve the high standards of excellence that are established.

Goal 5:  Equitable resources

Funding, staffing and other resources for equity-based excellence that are manifested in the existence of equitably assigned qualified staff, appropriate facilities, other environmental learning spaces, instructional hardware and software, instructional materials and equipment, and all other instructional supports, are distributed in an equitable and fair manner such that the notion that all diverse learners must achieve high academic standards and other school outcomes become possible.

Goal 6:  Accountability

The assurance that all education stakeholders accept responsibility and hold themselves and each other responsible for every learner having full access to quality education, qualified teachers, challenging curriculum, full opportunity to learn, and appropriate, sufficient support for learning so they can achieve at excellent levels in academic and other student outcomes.