Equity Issues in American Education

Providing a quality education for all students is the goal of the U.S. educational system. Educational measurements and assessments allow policy makers and other stakeholders to determine whether students learn core standards. To this end, achievement testing has become an important industry. Organizations—such as the Education Testing Service—help to satisfy the public’s demand for schools to be held accountable.

However, school leaders must recognize that in order to accomplish quality education, students who live in poverty need greater levels of support. Educators should examine how communities can create innovative solutions to meet the needs of all learners. Only by doing so can the educational system close the long-standing achievement gap in American schools.

This resource provides instruction for users to:

• Explain the purpose of testing that began during the early twentieth century
• Identify strategies that engage the community and the school successfully
• Describe challenges facing schools with growing minority and immigrant enrollment