Equity

Equity, in general terms, means the quality of fairness or impartiality. Equity, related to education and curriculum, does not connote that every student should be treated in the same way; rather, it indicates that each student should be guaranteed fair treatment with equal access to resources and curricular programs. To ensure educational cur-ricular equity for all students, the U.S. government has enacted numerous laws, such as The Civil Rights Act of 1964 (e.g., Titles VI and VII), The Education Amendments of 1972 (e.g., Title IX), and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of [Page 345]1997. Through these laws, an unprecedented commitment has been made to educate all students, regardless of such challenges as their language, physical abilities, backgrounds, characteristics, and/or gender, to be effective thinkers, problem solvers, and communicators so that they can participate successfully in a globalized technology-driven world.

Despite laws aimed at guaranteeing equity for all, securing educational curricular equity in reality becomes the responsibility of the professionals in the education field, including school boards, superintendents, principals, teachers, and staff, as well as community members. First, school districts and schools should design an equity plan to ensure that curricula are established to maintain an inclusive educational program, that responds to the needs of all students through understanding that student learning is influenced by a myriad of factors such as students' gender, culture, language, socioeconomic level, talents, exposure, and family values. Second, school policies and procedures should address curricular equity guaranteeing that all types of students are included and represented in the curriculum. Third, all stakeholders must be willing (a) to discuss openly and sensitively the diversity of students, speaking with inclusive language and (b) to incorporate such diversity discussions in the curriculum. Fourth, high expectations of achievement should be held for all students regardless of ethnicity, gender, ability, or socioeco-nomic level. Fifth, physical and human resources that supported curriculum and instructional programs should be accessed equally. Curriculum materials and visual media accompanying them should (a) portray gender, races, ethnicities, ages, religions, and abilities in multiple roles and responsibilities and (b) demonstrate the various groups' contributions fairly. Sixth, school policies, including curriculum policies, should promote and demand respectful behaviors. Such policies aid in establishing a learning environment with language and actions without prejudice. Seventh, equity also should include the capacity for all students and teachers to feel they are participating in a safe environment; thus, safety curriculum should be supported financially and should be established inclusive of peer mediation. Eighth, professional development should focus on establishing an agenda of inclusiveness and equity in schools and on advancing the values, attitudes, knowledge, and skills that promote understanding and respect for students' ethnic, cultural, and economic backgrounds. Such professional development improves the way that educators relate to and interact with students of diverse backgrounds and helps them in developing a fair and socially just learning environment. Ninth, a flexible and inclusive curriculum requires success-oriented approaches to assessment and evaluation that are related to the aims of the curriculum, the design and delivery of the curriculum, and the ethnic and cultural backgrounds of students. Tenth, curriculum aligned with state or national standards may promote educational equity in that the equivalent standards are expected of all, not just some students in some schools. Standards-based education reform, though surrounded by controversy, emphasizes clear expectations for all students and seeks to establish attainable and measurable principles for the entire student population.

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