Fostering Equity and Inclusion in Education: Assessment, Communication, and Action
Fostering Equity and Inclusion in Education
How can classroom assessment, evaluation, and marking promote equity, collaboration, fairness, and respect for diversity? Here are some questions to consider when assessing student progress:
- How can we ensure that our assessment systems promote the success of all students, rather than promoting competition?
- How can assessment tools and marking policies be used to build the skills of all learners?
- How can assessment tools and marking policies be used to build collaborative skills across differences, rather than solely supporting individual achievement?
- Are there ways to change the norm that working together is considered “cheating”?
- How can assessment and marking practices support authentic and critical engagement with texts and other materials?
- How can assessment policies model respect for multiple perspectives and opinions?
- How can assessment and marking policies avoid exacerbating gender-based academic differences?
What are the benefits of knowing and valuing the lives of students?
- Ability to identify potential ‘hot spots’ on key issues.
- Development of caring relationships between pupils and teachers that support effective identity-based learning.
- Development of intergroup awareness and understanding.
- Guidance in the selection of relevant texts for a particular class.
- Appreciation of students’ contributions to discussions.
Building Inclusive Learning Communities
What skills should students and teachers develop so that inclusive classrooms function as a learning community based on dialogue and shared dialogue?
- Listening: Deeply listening to what others say and to the feelings, experiences, and wisdom behind what they say.
- Humility: Recognizing that, however passionately we hold ideas and opinions, other people may hold pieces of the puzzle that we don’t.
- Respect: Trusting the integrity of others, believing they have the right to their opinions (even when different from your own) and valuing others enough to risk sharing ideas.
- Trust: Building a safe space to explore new ideas and work through conflicts, controversy, and painful moments that may arise when talking about issues of injustice and oppression.
- Voice: Speaking the truth as we see it and asking questions about things we don’t know or understand, particularly on topics related to identity, power, and justice.
Enhancing Family-School Communication
Name strategies that can be carried out for families and schools to obtain strong communication.
- Inclusive Terminology and Materials: Positive communication can be as simple as using inclusive language when writing and speaking to families. For example, instead of sending home a note that opens, “Dear Parents,” use a greeting such as “Dear Families.”
- Recognition of Key Relationships: Teachers should make a point of learning the central figures in each student’s life—including those who may not be legal parents or guardians—and involving them as appropriate. This may include welcoming stepparents, parental partners…
- Use of Home Languages: Because language plays a crucial role in families’ lives, teachers should communicate with parents in their home languages as much as possible. Whenever possible, family materials should be provided in students’ home languages. When translation is needed, a school-provided translator should be employed, as asking students to translate can put them in an awkward position.
- Beginning-of-the-Year Questionnaires or Conversations: Teachers can gather valuable information about students by connecting with parents and guardians early in the school year. It is important to ask family members about students’ strengths, challenges, and life outside of school, as this will help us learn about our students’ hopes, fears… It sets a collaborative tone and allows practice in the classroom to reflect the identities of the students.
Strengthening Family Connections
What is the importance of increasing connections between families?
As students learn and grow together, teachers and parents can learn and grow with them, too. Solid connections give families the chance to support each other in fostering their children’s identities and values, so we will promote anti-bias education and social justice. We can bring families together on different occasions: school events, group email lists, social networks… The establishment of connections between families is of great importance since it favors identity and diversity. This practice deepens students’ awareness of the personal and cultural contexts that make up personal experience. Notably, making the curriculum more visible to families in the classroom helps build support for anti-bias education work and provides opportunities for families to work with their children on social justice issues.
Taking Action Against Prejudice
A fundamental component of anti-bias education is learning to take action against exclusion, prejudice, and discrimination. Name some tips to ensure that the educational community reflects values against prejudice:
- Create a community action project that addresses real needs.
- Draw on students’ knowledge of and personal connection to the issues involved. The more specific the project, the better.
- Include a strong research component that ensures students’ efforts to increase their knowledge and understanding are not simply based on what they already know.
- Incorporate reflection about student attitudes to ensure the project doesn’t reinforce assumptions or stereotypes about specific people or communities.
- Provide writing prompts to help students consider personal changes they can make to challenge bias, exclusion, and injustice.
- Study the broader social context surrounding the community problem.
- Intervene if students “blame the victim” for challenges beyond individual control.
- Use texts to spark student reflection about community challenges and issues.
- Work “with,” not “for,” individuals or groups the class wants to support.