Educational Equity and Justice

Learning on the Job: A Situated Account of Teacher Learning in High School Mathematics Departments

by Ilana Horn

Lessons Learned From Detracked Mathematics Departments

by Ilana Horn

Turnaround Students in High School Mathematics: Constructing Identities of Competence Through Mathematical Worlds

by Ilana Horn

Home Access: Providing Computers to Families via a National Strategy

by Dr Eva Dakich

Yelland, N. J., Neil, G., & Dakich, E. Home Access: Providing Computers to Families via a National Strategy. In M. Turcsanyi-Szabo, N. Reynolds (Eds.), Key Competencies in the Knowledge Society
IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology, Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2010, Volume 324/2010, 440-446, DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-15378-5_43

In this paper we discuss the role of new technologies, and computers in particular, in lives of families in Australia.... more In this paper we discuss the role of new technologies, and computers in particular, in lives of families in Australia. We report on part of a project that provided children families with computers and connection to the Internet. There is an increasing awareness that living in the 21st century involves using and interacting with a range of new technologies, also referred to as information and communications technologies (ICT). However, for many children and their families this is not possible because they do not have the capacity to purchase them. The Tech Packs Project (The Smith Family, 2007) grew out of the Computer for Every Child Project which was an attempt to start to bridge the ‘digital divide’ by providing computers so that a group of families in the targeted locations of large metropolitan cities could participate in the Information Age. The families involved were those whose personal resources did not afford them the opportunity to purchase new technologies, especially computers We surveyed the families members to determine the extent of their use of any technologies before and after receiving the computer and initiated focus groups to find out the ways in which having a computer created contexts for them to become more proficient in the use of ICT In this paper we will present the findings from both the survey and focus group data that we have collected.

Life history approaches to access and retention of nontraditional students in higher education: A cross-European approach

by John Field

Co-authored with Barbara Merrill and Linden West

Higher education participation has become an important focus for policy debate as well as for scholarly research.... more Higher education participation has become an important focus for policy debate as well as for scholarly research. Partly this results from ongoing attempts to expand the higher education system in line with wider policies promoting a ‘knowledge economy’; and partly it results from widespread policy concerns for equity and inclusion. In both cases, researchers and policymakers alike have tended to focus on access and entry to the system, with much less attention being paid to the distribution of outcomes from the system. This paper reports on a multi-country study that was aimed at critically understanding the experiences of non-traditional students in higher education, and in particular on the factors that helped promote retention. In doing so, the study straddles the sociology of social reproduction and the psychosociology of learner transformations.

Open Educational Resources: Education for the World?

by Thomas Richter

Richter, T. & McPherson M. (2012). Open Educational Resources: Education for the World? Distance Education, 3(2); Paper accepted for publication (forthcoming)

Education is widely seen as an important means of addressing both national and international problems, such as... more Education is widely seen as an important means of addressing both national and international problems, such as political or religious extremism, poverty, and hunger. If developing countries are to turn into societies that can properly compete with the Western industrial countries, not only is a fundamental shift in thinking with regard to the value of and need for more/better education, but strong support from other (i. e. developed) countries (Worldbank, 2000, p.87f) is also required. This paper explores questions such as whether Western policy-makers can avoid a repetition of some of the failures of the past few decades in terms of providing foreign aid; how educators and providers of educational scenarios and learning contents can foster and manage the creation of a worldwide knowledge society; and in particular, if the provision of Open Edu-cational Resources (OERs) can realistically overcome the educational gap and foster educational justice. Recommendations include using better initial design principles to enable realistic OER reuse in different contexts and environments.

School and failure: change is in the eye of the beholder

by Francisco Javier Ramos

Published in "Revista Iberoamericana de Educación, 50, 99-112"

This paper aims at two different goals. First, at presenting some issues concerning the complexity of the school... more This paper aims at two different goals. First, at presenting some issues concerning the complexity of the school failure phenomenon. This task is justified by the fact that according to figures presented by the European Union, the percentage of the young that cannot achieve basic education is significantly high. Then, this article is aimed at researching the personal and social impact of school failure, while pointing out some ways to help solving this problem. It is fundamental to approach this issue from a realistic analysis and a realistic context, with the goal of proposing not only preventive actions but also palliative ones. In this sense, it is necessary that all the social agents assume their share of responsibility, and not, as it usually happens, to blame only one of the intervening agents. Educational centers must adopt innovative procedures, rescuing activities that interest the students. It is necessary that the family, besides being deeply involved in the educative process, makes an effort to establish and maintain rules and boundaries that will let their children learn how to assume responsibilities and know the consequence of not assuming such responsibilities. Finally, the young do not see the problems, mainly work problems, entailed by this situation because despite the fact that they do find jobs, the very nature of these will not allow them to follow a qualifying path. There are some strategies that are showing positive results. But it is mandatory that, if we resort to outstanding actions outside the educative system, these are carried out following the principles of continuing studies.

Technical Assistance as Inquiry-v6

by Elizabeth Kozleski

Immigrant Students’ Achievements in Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia in Context

by Iztok Šori

Co-authored with Slavko Gaber and Nika Šušterič.

ŠORI, Iztok, ŠUŠTERIČ, Nika, GABER, Slavko. Immigrant students' achievements in Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia in context. CEPS journal, 2011, vol. 1, no. 3, pp. 31-51.

Achievement gaps between immigrant and native students indicate failure to assure educational equity in the majority... more Achievement gaps between immigrant and native students indicate failure to assure educational equity in the majority of countries assessed by the Programme for International Student Assessment in 2009 (PISA, 2009). The present article explains disparate achievement results in Europe, first testing the hypothesis of old and new democracies. In further contextualisation of the achievement results, the analysis seeks explanations beyond the common education system explanatory model. Specifically, the article considers results from Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia, highlighting the significance of language distance between native and immigrant students as well as migration regimes as important factors in creating or reducing the achievement gap between native and immigrant students. Evidence has been found that immigrant students score worse in countries with guest labour immigration regimes than in the countries with large scale forced immigration of people of the same ethnic (linguistic) origin.

Principals’ Sense of Self-Efficacy in an Age of Accountability

by Lorri J. Santamaría

DRAFT UNDER PEER REVIEW
Santamaría, A. P., & Santamaría, L. J. (under review). Principals’ sense of self-efficacy in an age of accountability. The Journal of School Leadership.

This study explored the relationship between principals’ perceptions of their levels of self-efficacy and... more This study explored the relationship between principals’ perceptions of their levels of self-efficacy and environmental influences related to Program Improvement.  Within this quantitative study, federal sanctions under NCLB had an inverse relationship with principals’ own leadership beliefs. This central hypothesis was tested on a statewide sample of California Title I K – 12 public school principals.  Results of statistical analysis indicated a significant difference between the means of efficacy for principals of schools in Program Improvement (M=7.0, SD=1.07, effect size=.025) and those not (M=7.3, SD=.89, effect size=.025).  Two corollary hypotheses related to Program Improvement and other personal and school-level demographic variables were tested yielding significant findings.  Implications are offered for policy and practice.
Keywords: principal efficacy, program improvement, Title I schools, educational equity, principals’ perceptions of leadership practice, No Child Left Behind

i-everything: Mapping Ryerson’s Neoliberal University

by Andrew Iliadis

Published in The York University Free Press on April 24, 2010.

Equity in discourse for mathematics education: theories, practices, and policies (hardback)(series: mathematics education library)

by Jeffrey Choppin

-Investigates the complex connections between equity and discourse
-Makes explicit connections between discourse... more -Investigates the complex connections between equity and discourse
-Makes explicit connections between discourse and equity in mathematics education research
-Connects the research to policy implications​

Discourse practices warrant the attention of mathematics educators because discourse is the primary medium of education. Evidence about one’s hopes or expectations can be found in discourse practice whether the goal is performance in mathematical procedures, creativity in problem solving, or a classroom environment that uses the diversity of voices as a resource. Language, through implicit and explicit action, is the medium of mathematical development and the medium through which equity and inequities are structured and sustained. Given this inherent connection between discourse and equity, this book focuses on: a) the ways in which the social, mathematical, cultural, and political aspects of classroom interactions impact students’ opportunities to participate in the kinds of discourse practices that provide access to resources; and b) the perceptions and practices of educators, particularly the extent to which they view diversity as a resource and to which they are aware of structural inequities.

Exploring the Facts of the Digital Divide in Texas Public Schools Grades K-12

by Texas State PA Applied Research Projects

Jones, Ammy, "Exploring the Facts of the Digital Divide in Texas Public Schools Grades K-12" (2004). Applied Research Projects, Texas State University-San Marcos. Paper 19.
http://ecommons.txstate.edu/arp/19

The purpose of this research is to explore differences in levels of technology integration in Texas school districts... more The purpose of this research is to explore differences in levels of technology integration in Texas school districts grades K-12. Despite intervention at the state and federal level, there is a perception that a digital divide exists in school district technology integration by geographic location, socioeconomic status and ethnicity.

This research uses survey data completed by 5,007 Texas school principals during the 2002-2003 school year. The principals ranked each campus' level of technology integration based on four key indicators, teaching and learning, educator preparation and development, administration and support services and infrastructure for technology. ANOVA and Independent t test were used to determine whether there were statistical significance with regard to the level of technology integration based on geographical location, socioeconomic status and ethnicity. The research uses three working hypotheses with four sub-hypothesis for each.

The data revealed that rural school districts have significantly higher scores in the area of teaching and learning than midsize and suburban districts and rural school districts are doing significantly better than midsize school districts in the areas of educator preparation and development. Rural school districts were also doing significantly better than urban, suburban and midsize school districts in the area of infrastructure for technology. Additionally, affluent school districts were doing significantly better than economically disadvantaged school districts in the areas of teaching and learning and educator preparation and development. Further, non-minority school districts are doing significantly better than minority school districts in teaching and learning, educator preparation and development, administrative support services and infrastructure for technology

Slaying the Inequality Villain in School Finance: Is the Right to Education the Silver Bullet?

by Derrick Darby

Educating in multilingual and multicultural schools in Madrid. In Martin Rojo Constructing inequality in multilingual classrooms. Berlin: Mouton

by Luisa Martín Rojo

Constructing the “good” and “deficit” student through norms and assessment. Alcala & Martin RojoI. In Martin Rojo (2010) COnstructing inequality in multilingual classrooms. Berlin: Mouton

by Luisa Martín Rojo

Some Potential Benefits of a Universal System

by Poppy Valentine

This is a thought paper on the power of the fusion of knowledge, love and diversity and what I believe that has to... more This is a thought paper on the power of the fusion of knowledge, love and diversity and what I believe that has to offer humanity.

Making the Case for an Equity Focus in Education

by Andrew Epstein

Based on the CRC, UNICEF has for decades worked to ensure the rights of all children to an education. However, despite... more Based on the CRC, UNICEF has for decades worked to ensure the rights of all children to an education. However, despite best efforts, political, economic and social processes combine to exclude many children from realising this right. In addition, shocks such as natural disasters, economic downturns and conflicts interrupt the education of many who have been able to start their education. Official enrolment figures in education have shown promising trends globally as well as nationally in many parts of the world. However, there is still a difference between rich and poor countries, and large differences between regions and groups with distinct characteristics within countries. The coincidence of the MDG Summit in September 2010, where progress has been reviewed, and the agenda of the new Executive Director who has encouraged a new focus on equity has led to the section reviewing equity issues in education, and methods through which country programmes can improve their equity focus. This paper is one of several instruments being developed by the education section in order to address this new agenda, and serves as a background for the development of other instruments.

Good teaching? An examination of culturally relevant teaching as an equity practice

by Mardi Schmeichel

In press, Journal of Curriculum Studies

The adoption of educational policy measures to close the achievement gap, as well as the significant amount of... more The adoption of educational policy measures to close the achievement gap, as well as the significant amount of scholarship dedicated to the subject, are just some of the indicators that reflect the tremendous concern in education about the academic performance of students of colour.  Within research aimed at promoting equitable practises in education, culturally relevant teaching has emerged as a good teaching strategy to improve achievement.  Using genealogical methods to examine the ways in which culture has become relevant to classroom practice, the author argues that that the perceived difference from white students that made it possible to conceive of children of colour as culturally deficit in the 1960s is also invoked in more recent literature that promotes attending to culture as an equity strategy.  The take up of culturally relevant teaching as something that a teacher can 'do', instead of an critical stance that a teacher takes, is also examined and critiqued.

Education Equity and the Digital Divide

by Paul Gorski