Chapter III: A Shifting Social Context: NSSE Looks at Equity in Schools and Classrooms

Abstract

The issue of equity is an important thread running through a century of Yearbooks of the National Society for the Study of Education (NSSE). Although we tend to think of equity in the schools as a relatively recent issue, it was a major concern as early as 1916. This chapter analyzes how authors of NSSE chapters conceptualized and wrote about equity in U.S. schools.Equity denotes equality of educational opportunities and outcomes for all students. Although much has been made elsewhere of the difference between equity defined in terms of formal inputs to schools and equity defined in terms of outcomes, a more inclusive definition is a better match for the breadth of the literature surveyed. If schools achieved this ideal state of equity we would find the following relationships: weak or nonexistent correlations of indices of social class (SES), race, and ethnicity and student educational outcomes such as attainment or performance; few schools segregated by poverty in which the quality of teachers and resources is inferior to that of other schools where students come from richer families; no differences in class, race, and ethnicity according to track and ability group membership within schools; and, finally, no correlations between social class background and academic status differences within classrooms so that those children who are seen as good students by the teacher and their classmates are not especially likely to be from middle-class families.Achieving equity through intervening in the schools alone is difficult because in many ways schools reflect and mirror inequities in the larger society. Some have argued that schools actively reproduce the inequalities of the larger society. In contrast, others have seen the school as receiving students who are unequal in their potential to succeed because of genetic factors or because of home and community

Influence of caring youth sport contexts on efficacy-related beliefs and social behaviors.

“…In exploring the effectiveness of this project, Battistich and colleagues (see Battistich, Solomon, Watson, & Schaps, 1997, for a review of this work) found that caring was linked with more positive prosocial attitudes and altruistic behaviors, greater concern for others, greater perspective taking, higher levels of social competence, and less delinquency. Social–emotional theorists also believe that social–emotional competencies can best be fostered in a caring, safe, and responsive context (Cohen, 2001; Comer, 2003; Payton et al, 2000). For instance, social–emotional learning programs have been positively related to indices of prosocial behavior, such as social–emotional competence (Elias, Gara, Schuyler, Branden-Muller, & Sayette, 1991).…”

Equity for Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students in Science Education: A Research Agenda

“…A danger is that teachers may misinterpret explicit instruction to mean drill and practice through didactic instruction and, thus, fail to promote critical and creative thinking with diverse students. This could become yet another stereotype that can potentially limit opportunities for diverse students to learn to function competently in the mainstream (see Cohen, 2001, for a historical context). Instead, students from diverse backgrounds need to be provided with learning opportunities to explore and construct meanings based on what they bring to the learning process.…”

Evaluating an inclusive program for promoting equal-status participation in classrooms with high sociolinguistic diversity: diversity valuation and multilingual cooperative activities

“…Status was measured using a sociometric instrument inspired by Cohen and Lotan (1997) at the beginning and end of the school year. In determining status among peers, local characteristics, such as academic status and popularity are significant factors ( Lotan, 2022 ).…”

“…Equal status is needed to facilitate participation of all in academic tasks ( Cohen, 1994 ; Pescarmona, 2015 ), to develop inclusive education in heterogeneous classrooms ( Cohen, 1994 ; Lotan, 2006 ; Pescarmona, 2014 ; Lotan and Holthuis, 2021 ; Lotan, 2022 ) and to give voice to diversity ( Pescarmona, 2023 ). It requires fostering the participation and learning of those who have lower initial status ( Cohen and Lotan, 1997 ). This is particularly crucial and challenging for students who have not yet acquired all the social and/or academic skills or have limited mastery of the language of instruction ( Cohen et al, 1999 ).…”

“…Secondly, appropriate tasks should support the participation and learning of students who may be in a vulnerable position within the group due to their status ( Cohen and Lotan, 1997 ). Engaging in challenging learning tasks helps broaden and deepen students’ and teachers’ understanding of intelligence ( Lotan, 2006 ; Lotan, 2022 ).…”