Down on the Farm: Issues of Equity in a Rural School District

• In Event: Preparing School Leaders to Engage in School Reform by Understanding Issues of Equity and Social Justice

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to explore issues of equity in a rural school district in northwest Pennsylvania. The author conducted an equity audit (e.g., Skrla, Mckenzie, & Scheurich, 2009) to engage administrators and teachers in a critical analysis of current practices regarding teacher quality, access to and quality of programming, and student achievement. Findings suggest a low self-efficacy among teachers and students, low representation of students identified as economically disadvantaged (ED) in higher level programs; over-identification of students in need of special education services; high number of students identified as emotionally disturbed; and disparities in disciplinary actions including males, children receiving special education, and children living in poverty receiving the majority of disciplinary actions. The implications of the findings suggested the current system was failing more than half of the total number of students in the district (Jones, Zirkel, & Barrack, 2008). The author discusses how he addresses the realities of educational equity as a principal, and contends school leaders must be afforded spaces to engage in transformative work in schools, spaces to rethink their role and responsibility in providing optimum learning environments, and opportunities to utilize equity audits as a lens to examine decision-making practices.

Author

• Timothy Dadich, Kent State University