Educational Equity Flashcards

A school in a wealthy neighborhood has a new computer lab, while a school in a low-income neighborhood shares ten-year-old computers. This difference in resources is an example of what?

Answer: Educational inequity

When schools have unequal resources based on the wealth of their communities, this is called educational inequity.

Which U.S. federal law requires schools to provide equal educational opportunities to students with disabilities?

Answer: The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

IDEA requires public schools to provide free and appropriate education to students with disabilities, ensuring equal access.

Many U.S. public schools are funded primarily through local property taxes. Why might this create inequity?

Answer: Wealthier areas collect more tax revenue, giving their schools more funding

Because wealthier areas have higher property values, they generate more tax revenue and therefore can fund their schools at higher levels than poorer areas.

What does the term 'achievement gap' refer to in education?

Answer: Differences in academic performance between groups of students

The achievement gap describes the persistent difference in academic performance between groups of students, often linked to race, income, or disability status.

Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act provides federal funding to schools with high percentages of students from low-income families. What is the purpose of this funding?

Answer: To help close the resource gap between wealthy and low-income schools

Title I funding is designed to support schools serving low-income students by providing extra resources to help close educational gaps.

A student who is an English Language Learner (ELL) receives extra language support at school. How does this support relate to educational equity?

Answer: It ensures ELL students have equal access to learning by removing a language barrier

Providing language support removes a barrier that would otherwise prevent ELL students from accessing the same education as their peers.

Which of the following best describes the difference between equality and equity in education?

Answer: Equality means giving everyone exactly the same thing; equity means giving people what they specifically need to succeed

Equality treats everyone identically, while equity recognizes that different students may need different levels of support to reach the same outcomes.