Title: Equity in Education: What it Is and Why it Matters - Thinking Maps
Headings: Equity in Education: What it Is and Why it Matters
Equity in Education: What it Is and Why it Matters
What Do We Mean By Equity, Anyway?
Aspects of Educational Equity
Promoting Equity at the School and Classroom Level
Empowering All Students to Succeed
For Further Reading and Viewing
The Challenges of Equity in Public Education
An Equity Q&A with Laura Slover, CEO at CenterPoint Education Solutions
Equity vs. Equality in the Classroom

Content: it requires understanding each student’s individual needs and designing educational experiences that will help all students achieve success. In an equitable—as opposed to merely equal—classroom, each student is given the support and scaffolding they need to optimize their educational progress. The goal is for all students to work in their Zone of Proximal Development, which is defined as “the difference between what a learner can do without help and what he or she can do with help.” That may mean that: Some students will have different expectations on an assignment, such as only writing three paragraphs instead of five. Some students will have extra time to complete an assignment or other accommodations designed to meet their educational needs. Some students will have resource teachers or aides that provide additional support in the classroom or in a pullout environment. Some students will have resources provided at a different reading level or in a different language. These extra resources and accommodations do not make the classroom more “equal”—some students are getting more support, time, and attention than others. But they do make it much more equitable: