Toward equality of educational opportunity: What’s most promising?

2019 ◽  
Vol 100 (8) ◽  
pp. 8-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur E. Wise

Arthur E. Wise, a longtime advocate for K-12 school improvement, reviews 50 years of efforts to promote equal educational opportunities for all children, describing the pros and cons of three main reform strategies: lawsuits focused on funding equity, which have had some success; the standards and accountability movement, which has not; and teacher professionalism, which has immense promise but has yet to be pursued with the commitment it deserves.

2000 ◽  
Vol 44 (12) ◽  
pp. 2-591-2-594
Author(s):  
Leah C. Newman

The institution of education has been one of many institutions that has been negligent in the nurturing and development of underrepresented groups in society. This institution has all but failed this significant segment of the population and, as a result, has failed society as a whole. Providing access to equal educational opportunities is vital to the survival of our communities, and society as a whole. Statistics suggest that by the millennium, underrepresented populations will encompass a large portion of the population. If our society is to remain competitive, not only will it be necessary to better develop the concept of equal educational opportunity but it will also be imperative to put these ideas into practice. The global village in which we find ourselves makes it essential that we focus on areas such as creating a diverse pipeline for future engineers and scientists. If we are to meet the demands of the 21st century, it is necessary that we focus on the academic environment and the education of our young people. A qualitative research approach was used to help extract information regarding student success and/or failure in the College of Engineering at a large Midwestern university. This research integrates principles of Total Quality Management (TQM) and systems design in an effort to identify those factors that hinder or enhance the educational performance and success of underrepresented student populations pursuing higher education in engineering and science.


Author(s):  
Kathryn R. Green ◽  
Steven Tolman

The continued growth of online learning provides more educational opportunities to a diversity of people than ever before. In fact, Smith and Basham report that K-12 students with disabilities are opting for online learning environments at remarkably high rates, a trend unlikely to diminish as those students matriculate into postsecondary education. However, growth of educational practice is not always part and parcel of the growth of educational opportunity; too often, the latent shortcomings of traditional classrooms and teaching practices are heightened in non-traditional, virtual spaces. This chapter examines current models informing accessibility in education and explores the creative application of emerging pedagogical research and practices that support inclusive and accessible instruction across an increasingly diverse learner base.


2010 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-91
Author(s):  
Paul Martin

Former Prime Minister Paul Martin discusses the importance of providing equal educational opportunities to all Canadians, particularly to our First Nations, Métis and Inuit people. He describes the propelling force behind the Kelowna Accord, which made history by bringing together Federal, Provincial, Territorial and Aboriginal peoples leaders to resolve critical problems related to education, among other things. Mr. Martin’s interest in Aboriginal education has led him to participate in four important initiatives that focus on improving K-12 education in Aboriginal communities: a Promising Practices Web site for teachers, a Mentorship Program for high school students, a Model School Program aimed at primary schools, and a Business Education Program focused on preventing dropout. He describes these programs, and the results they are achieving. Finally, Mr. Martin offers words of advice for parents, youths and governments for the future of education in Canada.


2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 132-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tuomas Zacheus ◽  
Mira Kalalahti ◽  
Janne Varjo

In many countries, there are differences in school performance between and within cultural minorities and the majority. For, instance, differences between the learning outcomes of immigrant-origin and Finnish-origin students are considerable, and the risk among young people of immigrant origin of becoming positioned outside education and work life is higher than that among young people of Finnish origin. The aim of this paper is to develop a holistic approach to educational inequalities by offering two theoretical viewpoints concerning cultural minorities in particular. First, we introduce the idea of the opportunity structure, which clarifies why the education system does not offer the same opportunities to all minority groups. Second, we highlight the need to understand the cultural variety of minorities when explaining differences in educational attainment. Here we make the distinctions of cultural differences (primary and secondary) and minority status (autonomous, voluntary and involuntary minorities). Finally, we discuss the question of equal educational opportunities by reflecting on these two theoretical viewpoints.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Wang

EditorialIn 2018, the Indian film “Starting Line” focused the public’s attention on the issue of education in India. It depicted the length some Indian parents were willing to go to secure educational resources for their children, as well as the difficulties faced by those disadvantaged in society in their fight for equal educational opportunities. In reality, many brilliant young Indian talents have been able to study in Australia through a fund set up by Prof. Chennupati Jagadish, a Distinguished Professor of the Australian National University. Prof. Jagadish is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science and the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering. In 2018 he was awarded a UNESCO Prize for his contribution to the development of nanoscience and nanotechnology. He holds many positions, and has won numerous awards. What started Prof. Jagadish on his scientific research career? How did he become the respected scientist he is today? What was his intention in setting up the educational fund for students from developing countries? What advice does he have for young researchers? Here are the answers from Prof. Jagadish.


2004 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 327-346 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morteza Haghiri ◽  
Mohammad Karimkoshteh

AbstractProviding sufficient water for various uses, in particular the agriculture sector, is one of the important problems that Iran faces. Following instructions of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Iran started considering its waterreform strategies to avoid water crises. No unique solutions can be drawn from other nations' experience since water crisis is a country-specific problem. Water-reform strategies are important, particularly when the multioriented purpose of sustainability in Iran's agricultural sector is of interest as well. The pros and cons of water-reform strategies are discussed in this paper.


2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 481-498 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janne Varjo ◽  
Ulf Lundström ◽  
Mira Kalalahti

As one of the key elements of the Nordic welfare model, education systems are based on the idea of providing equal educational opportunities, regardless of gender, social class and geographic origin. Since the 1990s, Nordic welfare states have undergone a gradual but wide-ranging transformation towards a more market-based mode of public service delivery. Along this trajectory, the advent of school choice policy and the growing variation in the between-school achievement results have diversified the previously homogenous Nordic education systems. The aim of our paper is to analyse how Finnish and Swedish local education authorities comprehend and respond to the intertwinement of the market logic of school choice and the ideology of equality. The data consist of two sets of in-depth thematic interviews with staff from the local providers of education, municipal education authorities. The analysis discloses the ways in which national legislation has authorized municipal authorities to govern the provision of education.


1983 ◽  
Vol 49 (6) ◽  
pp. 517-522 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martha M. McCarthy

The Supreme Court recently delivered two significant decisions interpreting the federal rights of the handicapped. In Pennhurst v. Halderman (1981), the Court ruled that the Developmentally Disabled Assistance and Bill of Rights Act contains a statement of national goals for the developmentally disabled, but does not create substantive rights to adequate treatment. In Board of Education v. Rowley (1982), the Court interpreted the Education for All Handicapped Children Act as assuring handicapped children procedural safeguards and an individualized educational program, but not placing an obligation on states to provide a particular level of education or equal educational opportunities for such children. Both decisions suggest a reduced federal role in determining what constitutes appropriate programs and services for the handicapped.


2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorothy Andrews ◽  
Lindy Abawi

This article provides evidence of a new teacher professionalism whereby teachers, acting as collaborative individuals working together, are the key to effectively meeting the needs of diverse student cohorts. Drawing on data from Australian school contexts and the work of researchers from the Leadership Research International team, new professional images of teachers’ work have emerged as the result of a whole-school improvement process – the Innovative Designs for Enhancing Achievements in Schools (IDEAS) process. Such processes facilitate collective engagement enabling teachers to refine and share individual strengths, as well as build capacity in areas of challenge. This reimaging of teachers is related to the concept of three-dimensional pedagogy where teachers weave personal pedagogical beliefs and authoritative pedagogical frameworks with schoolwide pedagogical principles which are known as the school’s schoolwide pedagogy (SWP). A SWP, clearly aligned with the school’s vision for a preferred future, is derived by staff as a sign of their collective commitment to contextualized, high-yield teaching and learning practices. The focus is on meeting the needs of ‘our students’ in ‘our context’ while being sensitive to systemic direction. Teachers lead the process of developing SWP, working with it, refining it and embedding principles into shared pedagogical action. What emerges is the concept of micro-pedagogical deepening, a process of critiquing and defining contextualised practice. Such practices, led by the new teacher professional, are not only changing the professional image of teachers but also the look, feel and sound of educational workplaces.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document