In Pursuit of Equity in Education : Using International Indicators to Compare Equity Policies

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. Booknews Authored by members of an ad hoc group focusing on equity issues within the International Education Indicators Project (INES) of the OECD, 15 chapters make a 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 is presented. Topics addressed include race, ethnicity, poverty, and American school- equity research; international equity indicators in education and learning in industrialized democracies; equity indicators based on the provision of supplemental resources for disabled and disadvantaged students; intergenerational inequities; and the economics and demographics of metropolitan communities. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) Introduction....Pages 1-22 Equity and Education....Pages 25-64 Efficiency and Equity....Pages 65-91 School Equity as a Matter of Justice....Pages 93-111 Why Education Matters....Pages 113-130 A System of Equity Indicators for Educational Systems....Pages 133-164 Why Data Collection Matters....Pages 165-194 International Equity Indicators in Education and Learning in Industrialized Democracies....Pages 195-215 Monitoring Educational Disparities in Less Developed Countries....Pages 217-240 Is There an Effectiveness-equity Trade-off?....Pages 243-250 Equity Indicators Based on the Provision of Supplemental Resources for Disabled and Disadvantaged Students....Pages 253-266 Educational Equity....Pages 267-275 Intergenerational Inequities....Pages 277-296 Equity and Equivalence in the Swedish School System....Pages 299-321 Narrowing the Gap....Pages 323-341 Economics and Demographics in Metropolitan Communities....Pages 343-372