EQUITY & ACCESS
The terms equity and equality may often be used interchangeably, yet have vastly different meanings, especially when it comes to education. Equality refers to every individual being given the same resources and opportunity. Equity, on the other hand, means learner are given what they need to succeed. Some learners may need more than others. There are are variety of reasons for this - one being the opportunity gap. In the United States, many young students suffer from the lack of access to quality schools. According to the Schott Foundation Opportunity to Learn index "students from historically disadvantaged families have just a 51 percent Opportunity to Learn compared to White, non-Latino students" (Schott Foundation, n.d., par. 2).
Equity and access mean providing learners with the individual support and resources the need to be successful. The research projects and theories toolkit below provide insight and resources as to how we can improve equity and access in education.
Reference
Schott Foundation. (n.d.). Opportunity gap - talking points. Retrieved from: http://schottfoundation.org/issues/opportunity-gap/talking-points
Equity and access mean providing learners with the individual support and resources the need to be successful. The research projects and theories toolkit below provide insight and resources as to how we can improve equity and access in education.
Reference
Schott Foundation. (n.d.). Opportunity gap - talking points. Retrieved from: http://schottfoundation.org/issues/opportunity-gap/talking-points
Research & Resources in this Section
Family Literacy Programs
Family literacy programs are a type of intergenerational learning that serve parents and their children. The research in this section includes a literature review on intergenerational literacy and a paper exploring how transformative multiculturalism can be applied to family literacy programs to improve outcomes.
Distance Education
Online learning enrollments are skyrocketing across all levels of education. My research particularly focuses on online/distance learning in higher education settings and how online learning may be tied to the concept of cumulative advantage.
Crucial Theories
There are many cutting edge frameworks and theories that support equity in education and change through learning and reflection. The three theories explored in this section are: Critical Race Theory, Culturally Responsive Teaching, and Transformative Learning Theory.