Equity in the Classroom

Equity in the classroom can be a very sensitive topic in education and one important for a professional learning community to grapple with and to find solutions that fit the context of their own school. As we continue to address the achievement gap, we must look at ways to provide equitable opportunities for all students.

As an example of early this hits our classrooms, it’s been found in research that as early as second grade, both boys and girls express gender stereotyping by describing math as a male domain. By third grade, females, in comparison with males, rate their competence in mathematics lower - even when they receive the same or better grades. By sixth grade, girls see mathematics as less important and useful to career goals than boys do (Hanson, 1992).

Teacher practice can contribute to the elimination of these patterns. Some of the most commonly cited research shows that teachers of all grade levels tend to call on boys more often than girls, ask them more complex questions, provide them with more analytical feedback, and attribute their success to ability. Teachers more often think girls succeed in math because they try hard. The first three patterns also hold true for teachers' interactions with White and non-White students (Grayson and Martin, 1997).

The links below (PDFs) will help PLCs look more closely at equity in the classroom.

Equity Activities	Equity Protocols
The Habit of Looking at Equity Classroom Equity Writing Prompt Diversity Rounds Equity Perspectives Equity Stances First Ask, Then Listen Honoring Differences Liar’s Poker Multiple Perspectives Provocative Prompts for Equity Suggestions for Work-Equity Conversations The Paseo Village of 100 People	Equity Protocol Looking at Student Work – Building in the Habit Multiple Perspectives ProMISE Protocol Tuning for Equity Protocol