Equity and leadership: Research-based strategies for school leaders

Demographic changes and increased public sensibility to the needs of the disadvantaged demand that school leaders include the equity agenda as a key component of the school’s mission. Educational equity means “raising the achievement of all students while narrowing the gaps between the highest and lowest-performing students; and eliminating the racial predictability and disproportionality of which student groups occupy the highest and lowest achievement categories”(Singleton & Linton, 2006, p.46). In this article we report the results of a literature review that investigated research on equity issues facing five student groups: special needs students; religious, cultural and racial minorities (including First Nations students and ELL -English Language Learners); groups disadvantaged by socio-economic status; gender groups; and students differentiated by their sexual orientations (Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, and Transgendered). Our purpose is to generate research-based strategies that school leaders can use to increase equity in their schools. The article begins with a rationale for identifying research-based equity strategies. We provide a brief discussion of leadership styles, emphasizing that principals influence student achievement of disadvantaged groups by creating with staff an inclusive school mission. The next sections identify specific strategies within four domains that provide opportunities for school leaders to enhance equity: (i) curriculum interpretation, (ii) instructional practices, (iii) assessment and evaluation, and (iv) community involvement