An Agenda for Equity: Responding to the Needs of Diverse Learners

(Paperback)

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The vast numbers of new educational policies, programs, and practices being implemented as educational reform in American public schools have not been analyzed for short or long-term effectiveness or impact on students and their learning. Not only are conditions for many learners still a concern, new information about conditions for students who are not under-performing informs us that they are falling short of the desired mark. This calls for expert educators, researchers, school leaders, teachers, families, students, and interested others to determine the degree to which policies and practices have a positive impact on student outcomes, and the aims of public education. Using Response to Intervention as an innovative model, An Agenda for Equity contributes to filling the void by analyzing the essence of educational reforms for increasing enduring, equitable effectiveness, and improving conditions and teaching and learning for both teachers and students.

Reviews

An Agenda for Equity: Responding to the Needs of Diverse Learners examines how a successful school improvement process must address teaching and learning from the perspective of our students. The book provides a pathway from a series of disjointed school improvement initiatives to an evaluative process that can impact the outcomes of public education for each student. The book is philosophical yet practical; reflective yet vigorous and guides the reader from planning through practice. It changes our journey from the static one size fits all approach to one of actively examining school data; providing targeted and appropriate instruction; and engaging and supporting each student to achieve maximum learning. -- Judith Richardson, Director, Diversity, Equity, and Urban Initiatives, NASSP
This is a thought provoking treatise by an experienced educator who chronicles the past twenty years of public education in trying to include diverse and lower income students in the race toward success in their endeavors. The author has taught, led and advised on the topic she now writes about. From her rich experience comes this book chronicling her ideas on the subject. -- Herbert Berg, Ed.D.
This is an important book which conscientiously addresses the need for effectively educating all students by using Response to Intervention strategies. I highly recommend Dr. Smith-Collins book for use by all educators including those primarily concerned with minority and gifted students. This rigorous and humanistic approach to teaching all students should have a profound effect upon improving the current state of the public schools by helping students to attain their maximum achievement levels. -- Maurice D. Fisher, Ph.D., Publisher, Gifted Education Press and Gifted Education Press Quarterly

In An Agenda for Equity, Searetha Smith-Collins lays out a thoughtful case for why merely sprinkling magic dust on a system that uses random-act approaches" to educating students well, will not miraculously transform that system into one that meets the needs of all students. She shows that the path to equity involves addressing the educational systems logical, historical, and evidence-based errors in ways that expand the capacity of educators, and refine the nature of classrooms and schools through the ever more-precise use of data
matched to appropriate innovations, interventions, and responses.

-- Mark E. Weston, Ph.D is the co-author of The Learning Edge: What Technology Can Do to Educate All Children
Dr. Smith-Collins is a distinguished scholar/practitioner who has adeptly captured the essence of what it takes for parents, policy makers, leaders, and on-line practitioners to make significant differences in the lives of children for whom they are responsible. An Agenda for Equity: Responding to the Needs of Diverse Learners is a timely and thought provoking book that should not only be read but practiced. -- Jim Hager, Ph.D
Searetha Smith-Collins gets right to heart of things. She has written a courageous book that highlights innovation in teaching and learning for social justice. Infused with hope, her ideas will prompt deep change for the sake of our most challenged students. -- Margaret Grogan, Professor and Dean,School of Educational Studies, Claremont Graduate University

Author Bio

Dr. Smith- Collins analyzes educational policies, trends, solutions, and innovations that are intended to improve the state of public education. She applies practical experience, educational expertise and knowledge to translate implications for schools, families, communities, educators, and students.