This question has been rolling around in my head for the better part of my life.  I have always been able to recognize inequity and tell people what I think equity should be, which often got me into trouble at school, but in reality, the definition of equity has always been in the hands of those in charge.  In the image to the left, we see the famous illustration from Angus Maguire, which nicely sums up the reality of the difference between equality, which is often confused with equity, and actual equity.  However, even the picture of "equity" looks constraining.  As a society, we believe that through education, a person can achieve whatever they put their mind to.  What if that is still not the case, even today in the year 2025?  I would argue that education is the fence in this picture, allowing everyone to see what is going on in the game, but not allowing everyone to play in the game.  This project seeks to discover ways to allow all people to participate in the game.  

The concept of equity in society has been a hotly debated topic as it pertains to many aspects of society such as the workforce, the justice system, politics, government, advertising, the military, etc.  For example, if you examine some of the most recent U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) findings from June 2023 you might wonder about the state of equity in the United States.  On June 8th, 2023, SCOTUS ruled that voting policies that dilute voter strength based on race are prohibited.  Then three weeks later on June 29th, SCOTUS struck down race-conscious admissions policies at Harvard and the University of North Carolina (UNC) (SCOTUS, 2023). As Americans we are left wondering if equity will ever be found in education.  If the highest court in our country strikes down policies that seek to provide equitable admission into some of the most prestigious universities, the conclusion could be made that equity is not of importance in education.  Considering this context, it may seem that our country is in a quagmire in the equity debate for education.  If the highest court does not believe there is still a need for policies like Affirmative Action, then is there a need for equity policies within secondary and elementary education?   

A recent poll demonstrated that Americans do feel that there is a need for more equity within education.  In a survey conducted by Gallup (2023), 55% of Americans responded that they are dissatisfied with the quality of education students receive in kindergarten through 12th grade (Gallup, 2023). When asked what the reasons are for their dissatisfaction the largest reasons given were, “poor/outdated curriculum” “poor quality education/outranked by other countries”, and “lack of teaching basic subjects (reading, writing, arithmetic” (Gallup, 2023). Americans are aware that there are problems in education.  The survey also asked how to improve education, and the top three responses were, “quality teachers/better educated/more involvement/caring,” “back to the basic curriculum (reading, writing, arithmetic),” and “improve school funding” (Gallup, 2023). This would indicate that Americans are not only aware of the problems in our education system, but they also believe that at some level the government should be involved in improving the system.  If Americans are both aware of the problems and can suggest possible solutions than why is it that American society has not found ways to improve the system?   

Throughout this study there is an endeavor to understand how over thirty years of research has been conducted on how to improve urban graduation rates, yet there is still evidence that urban education systems are still not equitable when compared to the suburban systems.  Therefore, the studies examined in the literature review will be put in context with what was happening in American politics and American society.  The correlation of each study with the time period will hopefully demonstrate that education systems and research in education systems are a reflection of politics and society.   

Further, with over twenty years of experience in education working with majority Black and Brown students, refugee students, and students from low socio-economic backgrounds, I can say that the link between past research, politics, American society and how they all impact urban education is especially important to the students affected by the inequities.   I feel a daily urgency to find solutions to these inequities that assuredly still exist and prevent some of our most vulnerable youth from accessing their equitable entrance into society.  This study seeks to determine what factors can provide a more equitable system of education for some of the most vulnerable students in our country, students in urban education.   

When considering the components at play in American society it becomes clear that there are problems with equity within our education system.  It could also be concluded that because of student population in urban education systems these problems become even more meaningful. This study seeks to determine a set of factors that lead to equity within urban education based on research conducted over the past thirty years up to the present-day.  There is a significant amount of research done on equity within urban education, however, the findings from these research studies once applied do not lead to equity within the system. Therefore, even with a significant amount of research there is still a lack of understanding of how to create equity within urban education.    

The central purpose of this study was to determine a set of factors that once applied to urban school districts would increase the equity of the system.  To accomplish this purpose, the study also had to consider what makes an education system equitable and then compare that to urban education systems.  Finally, this study sought to understand the opinions of urban educators in the secondary setting on how to increase graduation rates and entrance into post-secondary programs.  

This study represents the next step in research on equity within urban education.  This is due in part to a number of elements.  First, my personal experience of over twenty years in urban education and experience with how research done on equity within urban education was implemented at the building level and the results of that implementation.  Second, a strength-based perspective on urban education and the impact that it has on research into equity factors for students.  Third, the resulting equity factors from the study when implemented will increase graduation rates and entrance into post-secondary education for urban students.  Fourth, the exciting possibility that with more urban students graduating from post-secondary education they will have a positive impact on their chosen career fields and increase equity for all within American society.    

There are many definitions for some of the terms used throughout this study, therefore it is important to distinguish how the terms are used for the purposes of this study.   

What is equity in American society? 

The illustration by the artist Tony Ruth depicting two boys trying to pick apples from the same tree does a nice job explaining the difference between inequality, equality, equity, and justice. We can see that through this series of pictures the two children have different experiences accessing the fruit of the tree.  As the pictures progress to justice, we see that the tree is altered so that both children have access to the fruit.  Therefore, equity is the ability to access resources in society without barriers based on race, class, gender, or ability.   

What is equity within American education? 

If the purpose of an education system is to prepare students for post-secondary experiences, then a school system is equitable when its students graduate and go on to their chosen post-secondary experiences including college, trade schools, internships, apprenticeships, and the workforce.  In essence, the school system has provided the necessary resources to students so that they can graduate and pursue their chosen career path.   

What is urban education? 

Urban education is the collection of public schools, “inside an urbanized area and inside a principal city with population of 250,000 or more” (NCES, 2006). It does not include school systems that are considered “suburban” or outside of the inner city and majority middle-class.   

What are equity factors? 

This study examined multiple research studies to determine a list of factors researchers claimed would increase graduation rates and entrance into post-secondary education in urban public schools.  This set of factors was referred to as equity factors, or factors that increase the overall equity of the system.   

What is the difference between a strength-based and deficit-based perspective in research? 

In the course of researching for this study, I found that a majority of the research done on urban graduation rates focused on the problems within the system.  For example, the title for a study done by J. Freeman and B. Simonsen in 2015 reads, “Examining the impact of policy and practice interventions on high school dropout and school completion rates...” This title is written from a deficit-based perspective.  Whereas V. Denten in their dissertation has the title, “Does trust really matter? A comparison of urban schools with high, middle and low graduation rates.”  The difference is subtle, but in one the research is examining the students that “dropped out,” and compared to the other researcher that examines the students that graduated.  When the majority of research on a topic examines the deficits of the topic there is a negative perspective that forms.  When those that are not as familiar with a topic start to examine this deficit-based perspective research the likely opinion that will be reached will also be deficit-based.  As a strength-based researcher I want to move away from the deficit-based perspective and focus on how the topic of urban education is changing and growing in a more positive trajectory.