Equity - Research Reveals the What, the Where and the How November 21, 2011.

Equity - Research Reveals the What, the Where and the

How

November 21, 2011

Content

•Setting the Context•Students’ World

•Introducing PISA

•Equity – the What•Equity – the Where•Equity – the How

Setting the Context: Policy Emphasis Assumption about

Role of EducationTheoretical basis

Education for All

Education changesSociety Disadvantages are

attributes of a family - Individual

Quality Education for All

Quality with Equity

Education Reproduces Society

Equity and Quality Disadvantages are attributes of social structures

Student’s World

DisadvantagesStudents

Context of School

IMPACTS

Context of Family

Is this my life? – Disadvantages, more disadvantages, more and more disadvantages…………….

Introducing Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)

•PISA is a triennial survey of student’s assessment collaboratively conducted through the Organization for economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

•Purpose of assessment is to evaluate education systems world wide by testing skills and knowledge of 15 year old students

•The 2009-10 survey covered around 470 000 15-year old students in schools of 65 participating countries.

•The assessment focussed on understanding concepts and applying knowledge to real life.

•The survey collected information from students (social background information), teachers (educational qualification, experience etc.,), school principals (on structural characteristics of schools, quality of learning environment etc.,)

Equity – The What

•2 dimensions of equity in learning outcomes•1. Fairness Dimension / horizontal equity

•Students’ learning outcomes should not be hindered by factors like socio-economic backgrounds, gender, culture, language, disabilities of students

•Measured in relative terms : The difference in performance between the high scoring and low scores in a class

•2 variations:•a) Scores bunched above the midpoint•b) Scores bunched below the midpoint

Equity – The What - Second Dimension•2. Inclusion Dimension / Vertical Equity

•Each student should be able to achieve the minimum basic standard.

•Measured in absolute terms: A baseline of minimum level is specified and the proportion of students’ whose performance falls at or below the baseline is calculated.

•There are two levels of the inclusion dimension•a) High variance – indicating low levels of equity•b) Low variance – indicating high levels of equity

Equity : The Where

Variance in Inclusion

Academic Variance

High

Low

Low

High

Shanghai-China, Korea

Indonesia

Netherlands, Japan

Brazil

Blue : Significantly higher than OECD Avg. Black : Significantly lower than OECD Avg

Finland, Canada

Qatar, Uruguay

Equity : The Where•Educational performance and national income do not go together. Countries that share similar levels of GDP do not result in similar learning outcomes. (eg. Shanghai- China has a GDP below the OECD average – but they outperform other countries that have above OECD average GDP)

•In countries that follow equitable policies the learning outcomes show the following characteristics -

a.High outcome for migrant childrenb.No difference between rural-urban regionsc.No gender differences d.Weak relationship with socio-economic backgroundse.Larger Percentage of students show Resilience

•

Equity : The How

•Measures that support Equity

•Access to similar learning opportunities: Public, Public funded and Private schools; key schools, tuitions

•Admission Criteria: Neighborhood, comprehensive integrated system, selection on the basis of

ability, or money

•Resource Distribution: equitable or equity- lead

•Administrative Autonomy (including curricular autonomy) : Centralized or decentralized; teacher autonomy, teacher pay

Measures that do not support equity

•Inequitable access to learning opportunities – homogeneous group of students in class•Growing number of elite schools•Selecting students•Early streaming of students•Tracking of students (particularly in primary grades)•High enrollment in disabled schools

Conclusions

•Equity by inclusion helps to address the socioeconomic disadvantages

•Fairness can be addressed through changes in classroom practices

•Inclusion has to be addressed through policy level changes

Thank You