Equal educational opportunities are a priority set not just by parents of students and educators but also by policymakers. In the court ruling of Brown v Board of Education (1954), the Supreme Court mandated that schools be desegregated to ensure students are provided equal educational opportunities. Yet, 65 years later, achievement scores still show great disparities between ethnic and socioeconomic groups of students. The idea of equal educational experiences is still a standard worth striving for; however, another step is required to reach this expectation.
Rather than focusing solely on equal opportunities, educators need to switch their focus to an equitable education. Equity and equality within a classroom are two, distinct variables. A prime example of equitable experiences is seen through the accommodations given within a classroom. If administrators take the average student and measure the time it takes him to answer a 60-question test and then require all students to take the same test in the same amount of time, that is considered an equal educational opportunity for all students. However, for the students outside the norm, which may require more or less testing time, this situation is not at all an equal experience. Students who require longer testing times, such as 90 minutes to complete the same 60-question assessment, require an equitable accommodation.
Another example is illustrated through scores on standardized tests. Two students may experience the same educational experiences, whereas they sit within the same class, being taught by the same teacher, possibly even held to the same standards, yet these two students may still perform quite differently on standard tests. The explanation for this occurrence lies within the background experiences of these students (“Equity”, 2018). One student may have faced racial discrimination as well as marginalized experiences based on her gender and race, while the other student identifies with the dominant culture and therefore has a better understanding of what knowledge is required to correctly answer standardized test questions. These two students may appear to have equal access to their education, but without the intended investigation, one student still lacks the cultural identity to experience inclusion. By creating a multicultural environment, where minority students are also depicted within the school climate, educators ensure equitable experiences are granted to all students.
The federal educational act, No Child Left Behind, tries to also enhance the idea of equitability by comparing proficiency gaps between two or more ethnic and/or socioeconomic groups of students. These measures then pinpoint areas in which school systems can focus their resources to ensure all students are provided with the opportunities required to reach their full potential. However, simply examining the proficiency gap based on this criterion, schools are not only deprived of other important data such as the academic growth of students, but they are also inevitably able to adjust standards in such a way that illustrate different outcomes based on which standard is used as a measuring tool. Therefore, schools must examine whether or not students are able to perform the skills required to achieve success in college or the workforce, not just whether or not they are proficient based on an illusionary gap (Dahlin & Cronin, 2010).
Overall, the answer to achievement gaps and equal educational opportunities is not defined by one strategy. It is the culmination of community, acknowledged historical oppression, and equitable educational prospects that lead the way to the successful future of our students. By accessing a more individualized education, students are provided equal experiences, wherein equitability ensures equal educational opportunities, across the board, for all students.
References
Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954).
Dahlin, M., & Cronin, J. (2010). Achievement gap and the proficiency trap; Kingsbury Center at NWEA.
Equity in education. (2018). Achievement network. Retrieved from https://www.achievementnetwork.org/anetblog/eduspeak/equity-in-education?gclid=Cj0KCQiAw4jvBRCJARIsAHYewPPXHGx_ggRene9HrN- WQCtzmX_qns6551QPpoomLuXmLPkzmbzdKa8aAhAIEALw_wcB