“Educational equity means that each child receives what they need to develop to their full academic and social potential.”
—National Equity Project
The definition of educational equity seems straightforward, but achieving it has proven extraordinarily complex. Disadvantaged groups continue to underperform in school compared to their more-privileged peers. That disparity has increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Equity and inclusion complement one another; as the Department of Education Equity Plan observes, “[O]ur nation’s future is brighter when we provide every student in every community with equitable access to an academically rigorous, well-rounded education in a safe and inclusive school.” Equitable and inclusive practices ensure that all children benefit from the differences that diverse families, opinions, and experiences bring.
Educators understand this; 97% of teachers recognize the importance of equity. Even so, many need training to facilitate it within the classroom. Fortunately, aspiring teachers across all grades and geographic locations can develop the necessary skills through a teaching master’s program from a university at the forefront of equity and inclusion promotion. In New York University’s Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT), teacher residents are prepared for today’s classroom experience through an immersive one-year program, emerging empowered to meet the needs of a diverse and vibrant classroom community.
Inclusive Education Overview: What is Classroom Equity?
Equality and equity sound like synonyms, but they are not.
Education equality means giving every student the same resources and opportunities, regardless of their needs or differences. This one-size-fits-all approach appears fair in theory, but it does not fit the needs of today’s student population. The current classroom is more diverse than ever before, requiring different approaches to learning to ensure all students can succeed.
These strategies fall under the concept of equity, which involves providing extra support for those who need it to promote success for all. Educational equity pivots the focus from equal beginnings to equal outcomes.
Earn Your Master’s in Teaching from NYU
Become a Champion for Equity in Your School
The benefits of equity and inclusion in the classroom are proven—and impossible to ignore. Children who are part of a diverse student body, composed of different cultures, socio-economic backgrounds, learning abilities, and multilingual abilities (to name a few), fare better than those in schools more heavily weighted in poverty. The benefits of integrated classrooms include:
- Students with higher average test scores who are more likely to enroll in college and less likely to drop out
- Reduced racial achievement gaps, reduced racial bias and stereotypes, and improved student satisfaction and self-confidence
- Students prepared to succeed in a global economy
- Children who have higher earnings as adults and improved health outcomes and are less likely to be incarcerated
Addressing Equity in Education With the NYU MAT Degree & Teacher Residency Program
“Genuine learning happens only when teachers truly know and understand their students, including students’ strengths, assets, backgrounds, and previous knowledge, and then take the time to build upon these to make teaching powerful and connected.”
—Diana Turk, Director of Teacher Education at NYU Steinhardt,
Vice Chair, Department of Teaching and Learning;
Former Co-Director, NYU Teacher Residency
The NYU Teacher Residency is grounded in a curriculum that prioritizes community and emphasizes an asset-based approach to education. Recognizing that each child comes to school with different strengths and building an environment that values those differences establish a strong foundation upon which learning and discovery can flourish.
The program fosters this community atmosphere by embedding teacher residents in a partner school where, as they gain hands-on experience, they participate in a gradual transfer of classroom responsibility. While NYU is in New York, the MAT program works with multiple residency locations across the country, a network inspired by NYU’s location in one of the most diverse cities in the world.
Steinhardt’s skilled faculty informs the curriculum and residency experience. These subject experts have strong backgrounds in the areas of equity, access, and social justice; their professional experiences have helped form NYU MAT’s focus on building community. Through faculty instruction and the residency experience, teacher residents bring equity and inclusion to the forefront of their classrooms, their academics, and their MAT coursework.
Grade Levels
Classroom equity needs will look different for younger and older students. Early childhood/elementary school is a critical time in a child’s learning, so ensuring they have access to the necessary resources is imperative. Future educators pursuing a concentration in inclusive childhood education may employ actions such as:
- Building trusting relationships with children and their families
- Considering the cultural and developmental aspects of the curriculum for each child
- Involving children, families, and the community in learning activities
- Actively promoting children’s independence and voice, as well as their strengths
For secondary education instructors, classroom equity can expand upon the groundwork set in elementary school with:
- A restorative approach to discipline
- Frequent opportunities for students to discuss their opinions Â
- Curriculum flexibility that allows students to choose their learning pathways
- A re-evaluation of grading systems
- The removal of prerequisites for honors and Advanced Placement classesÂ
Content Areas
In addition to age-appropriate integration strategies, classroom equity also requires reviewing content so all students can see themselves reflected in the material and access a robust and culturally relevant education.
English language arts and STEM offer examples of academic areas in secondary education that have imposed barriers to diverse communities. In addition to literature and textbooks that favor a white middle-class experience, unconscious bias can steer certain student groups away from technical subjects.
Many NYU teacher residents access their own early and secondary education experiences to inform their equity work in the classroom. Lorraine Zhong, who uses chemistry and her own lived experience as an Asian American to help inform her teaching practice, is among them. She explains:
“In an urban community, there are many societal pressures and stereotypes placed on students based on factors … such as ethnicity and gender. I witnessed how these pressures negatively impacted the academic growth of my peers. Now I am inspired to use my position in teaching to motivate and encourage students to pursue their true interests and challenge societal norms.”
The benefits of a diverse teaching staff are deep and impactful, including reduced expulsions and increased elevation to gifted and talented programs. In the NYU MAT program, 66 percent of teacher residents identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). In contrast, that figure drops to 20 percent in public schools overall. The recruitment of diverse teachers to the MAT program is an intentional effort to diversify teacher demographics and enable more students to see themselves reflected in their educators.
Classroom Management
The master’s in teaching degree at NYU empowers teacher residents to integrate equity and inclusion into all aspects of their students’ learning experience. They go beyond academics to build a deeper connection with young people. Ray Badal is one MAT graduate incorporating this into his teaching practice.
“I am trying to figure out the ways in which I can bring equity to the classroom, from eliminating biases to discussing cultural backgrounds. The first thing we had to do in the Teacher Residency was walk around the neighborhoods of our students. I still do that every September and every time I get a new student. I walk their neighborhood to understand what they experience.”
Ray’s connection with students gave them the security to share their concerns and reactions to Black Lives Matter protests. Because of this rapport, Ray has a deeper understanding of their needs and concerns, which enables him to support their growth as learners and as part of a larger community.
Participatory Action Research
Building equity in the classroom, in the curriculum, and in the community all connects back to the MAT program, helping to inform the teacher residents’ Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) projects. For this work, the teacher resident joins with their students to help identify a problem of practice.
“We aim to connect this collaborative research with other concepts that residents are learning so they can apply the lessons to the YPAR….This alignment of the curriculum, research, and hands-on work in the classroom is an essential component of the Teacher Residency.”
—​​Nada Ahmed, former co-director of the NYU Teacher Residency
The topics vary widely, from academic challenges to school culture. By involving students in YPAR projects, teacher residents build stronger relationships with their students and empower them to impact their schools and communities. Teacher residents also learn how to engage with their students and advocate for them, a vital first step in becoming equitable teachers.
Next Steps: Apply to the NYU Teacher Residency Program
Answer the call to become an equitable and inclusive educator prepared to build community within and beyond your classroom. With a curriculum anchored in social justice and inclusion, a teaching staff of subject matter experts, and a hands-on immersion experience, a master’s in teaching from NYU will equip you to ensure that every child has the opportunity to succeed.
The first step is to build your expertise. Learn more about how NYU’s MAT teacher residency program can empower you to make a positive impact. Attend an admissions event, request information, or start your application today.