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Equity in education is a major policy concern everywhere. But there are significant differences among nations with respect to definitions and issues of equality and equity. While international comparison could help countries learn from each other, reliable tools for comparison are scarce.
In this book an interdisciplinary and international group of scholars makes a compelling case for better international equity indicators in education. A conceptual framework for a system of comparable indicators is proposed and a spectrum of findings and perspectives presented. This opens a dialogue on the definition, value and use of equity indicators across nations and over time. Topics include: the sociology of equality and equity in education; the application of theories of justice to educational equity; the trade-off between effectiveness and equity; heterogeneous versus homogeneous classrooms; the influence of parental education; and the economics and demographics of metropolitan communities.
List of contents
Theoretical Approaches and Conceptual Issues.- Equity and Education.- Efficiency and Equity.- School Equity as a Matter of Justice.- Why Education Matters.- Equity Indicators: A Framework, a Rationale and Current Perspectives.- A System of Equity Indicators for Educational Systems.- Why Data Collection Matters.- International Equity Indicators in Education and Learning in Industrialized Democracies.- Monitoring Educational Disparities in Less Developed Countries.- International Comparisons on Equity Issues.- Is There an Effectiveness-equity Trade-off?.- Equity Indicators Based on the Provision of Supplemental Resources for Disabled and Disadvantaged Students.- Educational Equity.- Intergenerational Inequities.- National Policies and the use of Indicators.- Equity and Equivalence in the Swedish School System.- Narrowing the Gap.- Economics and Demographics in Metropolitan Communities.
Summary
Equity in education is a major policy concern everywhere. But there are significant differences among nations with respect to definitions and issues of equality and equity. While international comparison could help countries learn from each other, reliable tools for comparison are scarce.
In this book an interdisciplinary and international group of scholars makes a compelling case for better international equity indicators in education. A conceptual framework for a system of comparable indicators is proposed and a spectrum of findings and perspectives presented. This opens a dialogue on the definition, value and use of equity indicators across nations and over time. Topics include: the sociology of equality and equity in education; the application of theories of justice to educational equity; the trade-off between effectiveness and equity; heterogeneous versus homogeneous classrooms; the influence of parental education; and the economics and demographics of metropolitan communities.
