by Arthur Coleman and Richard Riley

We have entered an era of education reform with an extensive focus on how well we are preparing students to succeed in postsecondary education and careers in a
rapidly changing global economy, as well as to become thriving, contributing members in our democracy. Although these aims have recast our national conversation in important ways, they have not altered fundamentally two timeless questions: What should education policymakers do to ensure that students of all backgrounds have the same opportunity to succeed? And, what can we do to ensure that our commitment to “education equity” is more than rhetorical flourish?

In this article, we attempt to address these issues with a specific focus on K–12 education, particularly by examining the question of resources—always central to discussions of equity. We do so, however, by urging that the “equity agenda” be understood in light of its potential alignment with the emerging education reform
agenda, which is grounded in important principles of shared accountability.

We argue that we need to move from abstract notions of equity devoid of practical application to a world where high expectations and accountability are clear and we are meeting our resource obligations, particularly for students currently underserved by public schools. We believe that states and districts must marry attention and transparency on student learning outcomes with corresponding attention and transparency on education investments.

We need to remain as focused on understanding the structure
and flow of our investments as we are on the outcomes those investments produce. This essential attribute of success fundamentally requires transparency andalignment of resources with the substantive policy foundations that research and experience suggest will be central to our efforts to drive improved student learning and significant education reform.

Click the link to read the full article: http://www.nelsonmullins.com/DocumentDepot/TurningthePageontheEquityDebate.pdf

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