Linda E. Skrla – författare

"It brings into focus the many aspects of equity and equality in one source. It makes an excellent base for some meaningful discussion of these issues by those working with aspiring educator leaders, as well as those already in the field."Deborah A. Drugan, PrincipalGeneral John J. Stefanik Elementary School, Chicopee, MAWhen true equity prevails, all students can be successful students!Do you dream of success for every student? Do you dream of raising achievement for each and every child to meet the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act? Historically, underserved students—children of color, children from low-income families, English language learners—all deserve to live this dream. Creating an equitable learning environment in which all students thrive is possible—with this guide you can turn dreams into reality for your school.Leadership for Equity and Excellence encourages school leaders and teachers to develop creative strategies for student advancement using tools such as accountability, equity audits, and proactive redundancy. Scheurich and Skrla demonstrate how deeply held beliefs manifest as biases, preventing educators from unlocking their students′ potential. The authors also examine the U.S. education achievement gap, and suggest several concepts for overcoming this gap, such as: Eliminating "can′t" from your vocabulary Using creativity, perseverance, and persistence Envisioning educators as civil rights workers Moving beyond harmful, but entrenched, biases Understanding the cultures and backgrounds of each studentChildren of color excelling in school . . . children from low-income homes thriving academically . . . classrooms, communities, and even a nation of people becoming truly equal—this is the living dream of today′s educators.

Use the power of equity audits to help eliminate achievement gaps and educational bias!

If you've heard about equity audits but aren't really sure how to use them in your school, you are not alone. This resource, written by well-known authors and experts in the areas of equity and achievement, expands school leaders' understanding of how to interpret data in order to make equity audits work and provides practical, easy-to-implement strategies for using this school assessment approach to help ensure a high-quality education for all students, regardless of socio-economic class.

Grounded solidly in theory, this book demonstrates how audits can help not only in developing fair programs that provide all students with the opportunity to reach their potential but also for hiring, training, and retaining good teachers. Readers will discover how to remedy inequalities in student achievement by using:

A set of "inequity indicators" for evaluating schools, generating essential data, and identifying problem areas The NCLB Act in a positive way to create equityNine skill sets for improved equity-oriented teachingCharts, graphs, and support materials that can be customized for specific settings

Ideal for helping principals develop school-based equity audits with confidence, Using Equity Audits to Create Equitable and Excellent Schools can also be used by superintendents to increase equity awareness at the district level.