Feature Article
Ensuring Equal Access for All Students
Ensuring equal access to all students – and their families – is a fundamental concept embedded in a free, public education in America. The National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform recognizes “Access” as a Social Equity issue – one which, when addressed by caring adults who know, understand, and value the concept – can ensure that middle grades students succeed in school in spite of academic or behavioral challenges. One of the hallmarks of equity is ensuring all students have equal access to a learning environment that includes grade-level standards-based instruction; academic interventions; learning resources; leadership and recognition opportunities; exploratory programs, sports, clubs, and enrichment activities; and, to the extent possible, placement in heterogeneous classes.
Providing all students with equal access to an education provided by a devoted, caring, and highly-qualified teacher who is supported by an instructional leader and additional support services underscores the California State Superintendent of Public Instruction’s call for action in A Blueprint for Great Schools. The strategies described in the Blueprint serve as the major foundation for moving all of California’s students through a system that will ensure they “are healthy, productive citizens, and lifelong learners” who graduate on time with their peers and are fully prepared for career and college options. Without equal access, our system will not work.
A sampling of questions regarding access for staff, family, and student conversations might include:
- Do we believe all students can learn?
- Do all of our students have equal access to electives, or are their choices limited?
- Do we provide all students with opportunities to succeed, and does our definition of success match our students’ and their families’ definitions?
- Do we know and understand learning modalities and provide all students with ways to access their own personal learning style?
- Do we expect high-quality work from all students?
- Do we provide families with equal access to curriculum, learning resources, our classrooms, and events?
- Do we adapt our curriculum, instruction, assessment, and scheduling to meet our students’ diverse and changing needs?
These are just a few questions that are fundamental to Recommendation 7, Access, one of the California Department of Education’s 12 Recommendations for Middle Grades Success. The key to successfully implementing recommendation seven is ensuring that all students are provided with a learning environment that includes equal access to curriculum, instruction, electives, and highly-qualified teachers, and conveys the message, “I know you can learn. I expect you to learn. I want you to learn.”
In the new professional learning activity, Access that Promotes Success in the Middle Grades, the K-12 Innovation and Improvement staff have created ways for you to emphasize access at your school. Included are strategies for developing critical thinking skills in your students and ensuring your curriculum is aligned with California’s grade level standards. Also included is a tool to gauge how successful your school is in providing access.
Above all, we encourage you to have conversations – the kind of conversations that include decision-making outcomes and action – conversations that say, “Today we will ensure all of our students succeed because we believe they can.” We encourage you to investigate other schools and learn of their practices regarding Access. Most importantly, with your students at the center of every conversation, decide today what is most important for their future, and if denied equal access, what will their future look like?
TCSII is featuring additional information about access:
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