A high school education is usually a prerequisite for entering the job market. It is reflected in pay gaps between those with a high school diploma and those with a college degree, which expand as individual ages. Unfortunately, minorities and low-income families are increasingly more likely to drop out of high school, contributing to the wage gap between educational classes.
A promising way to bridge this wage gap is by implementing equity in education, which consists of social policies that lead to fair and equal opportunities for students of all backgrounds. Equity in education can reduce the wage penalty associated with dropping out of high school by increasing academic performance among minority students while reducing class size or teaching quality gaps between different groups of people.
Improving equity in education can be difficult, especially if you want to do this free of charge. If you don’t have a ton of money to spend on the endeavor, that doesn’t mean you need to leave your students with nothing. Below are some helpful strategies for improving equity in education without breaking the bank.
Inequity in education:-
Equity in education is the idea that all children should have an equal opportunity to succeed. Inequity in education refers to unequal access to educational resources such as quality teachers, safe environments, and adequate funding, among other factors.
Inequity in education can be caused by many different factors including poverty and gender. The effects of inequity in education are also wide-ranging, impacting students and society.
There are many ways to improve equity in education:
Addressing Inequities on Three Levels:-
Equity is about ensuring that all students can access quality education, which includes addressing the achievement gap between groups by improving the quality of teaching and learning environments.
To achieve equity in our schools, we must address inequities on three levels:
1) Classroom level
2) School Level
3) District level
Schools should provide opportunities for students to develop skills such as teamwork, critical thinking, and creativity to help them succeed. Student engagement can be measured through surveys or interviews with teachers or parents about how well their children are doing in class or how often they participate in extracurricular activities outside school hours.’
Addressing the Alignment of Curriculum Standards with Student Diversity:-
Many states have begun efforts to address this issue by aligning curriculum standards with student diversity. These efforts have met with some success, but there is more work to be done.
Curriculum alignment is not just about ensuring that the academic content taught in different schools is similar; it also involves ensuring that teachers are prepared to teach all students effectively, regardless of their backgrounds or experiences. Teachers need training on how to best use instructional strategies to help them reach all types of learners.
Increasing teacher in-service training on culturally responsive pedagogy and encouraging school district leaders to create systems that support effective implementation of culturally responsive pedagogy.
Cultivating Collaboration Between Teachers Across Grades and Subjects:-
The research on equity in education has shown that a one-size-fits-all approach to education doesn’t work. Students learn differently, and teachers must be able to adapt their teaching styles to meet the needs of all students. Schools can foster collaboration between teachers across grades and subjects.
If we want schools to be successful places where all students learn, we need everyone on board. When teachers work together, they can share resources and best practices and work out strategies that work best in their classrooms. They can also support each other during difficult times with students or parents by lending an ear or offering advice on how to handle a situation.
One way to encourage collaboration between teachers across grades and subjects is by holding meetings where you invite all of your colleagues into one room for an hour each week (or month).
Inviting community input:-
To begin your efforts toward improving equity in education, it’s important to consider how your school’s current policies affect different groups within your community. Start by asking questions about what people think about your school’s policies on integration, discipline and funding. You can ask these questions through surveys or focus groups and then use the results as the basis for making changes.
Inviting community input into school reform efforts can help build trust with parents and communities so that they feel included in decision-making about their children’s education. It will also allow them to see how policies relate to real-life experiences, which may help them understand why certain reforms are necessary.
Invite parents to participate in all aspects of school life. Offer them opportunities to participate as volunteers or to serve on committees. It allows parents to get involved with their child’s education while learning about how schools operate.
Providing Access to Resources & Funding:-
One way you can create more equitable learning environments is by providing access to resources such as school supplies and technology so that students from all backgrounds have an equal opportunity to learn at their best level without having to worry about things like money or whether they have enough pencils at home for school work assignments.
Schools require equitable funding to ensure they have adequate resources and support systems in place. It includes having enough teachers with relevant training, and necessary supplies such as textbooks and computers to allow students to learn at their highest potential.
Reducing barriers and Building Human Infrastructure:-
Barriers can include poverty, racism, or gender discrimination which prevent certain groups from accessing these resources. For example, if there are no books or computers available at a school because it is located in an impoverished area then this will limit the learning opportunities available for children who live there.
To improve equity in education, we need to invest more in building human infrastructure. One way to achieve this is through building teacher capacity through professional development programs. These programs should focus on improving teacher quality and enhancing teaching skills such as classroom management, testing methods, and the use of technology in the classroom.
Increase access to technology and bridge the digital divide:-
The digital divide, or the gap between those who have access to technology and those who do not, is a barrier to educational equity. Students whose families cannot afford computers and broadband internet are at a disadvantage.
Increasing access to technology can be done in many ways. One is through the expansion of broadband infrastructure in communities across the country. Another is through increased funding for schools, which allows them to purchase computers for every student and ensure they are properly maintained and kept up-to-date with new software updates.
Teachers also need training on how to use technology effectively in their classrooms to help students get the most out of it when they’re using it outside of school.
Supporting local initiatives:-
Local governments, nonprofits, and community organizations often lead efforts to bring technology into schools and provide training opportunities for teachers in underserved areas. These groups also help develop curriculum guidelines so that students receive consistent instruction on how technology can be used in their classes.
Mentorship can help young people from low-income families succeed in school. Students feel more connected to their community and feel more hopeful about their future, which helps them stay in school and perform better academically.
Conclusion:-
Education is the most important tool for improving quality of life and reducing economic disparity. Yet, despite decades of reform efforts aimed at improving educational outcomes, there are still disparities in achievement between students from different racial and ethnic backgrounds.
Equity in education is a complex and multifaceted concept. It includes the condition of being fair or impartial and the idea that everyone should have the same opportunities regardless of race or income level.
Trust, communication, and listening are key to building a strong school system.