Executive Summary

To achieve the goals of standards-based educational reform, attention must be focused on all aspects of the educational system from financial resources to classroom instruction. Without this focus, setting a higher bar will only exacerbate an inequitable system of have’s and have-nots. If our goal is to have a higher standard and greater numbers of students meeting or exceeding these standards, the educational system must change as well as the content of the curriculum.

The National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity has identified ten essential system-building standards which are designed to help eliminate current inequities. Each standard has specific indicators to help educators and policy-makers examine and improve the total educational system. The system-building standards address variables in the areas of:

 

• The Educational Environment
• Issues of Governance and Policy
• Preservice and Inservice Education
• Teaching Practices
• Assessment Practices
• Evaluation of Personnel and Curricular Materials
• Individualized Educational Planning
• The Allocation of Financial Resources
• Data Collection and Accountability
• Partnership Building with Community/Business/Parents

The United States has prided itself on educating all citizens. Our public education system is a cornerstone that sets us apart from other countries. With the ever-growing diversity in America today, it is critical that we continue to focus on providing the best free public education possible. In order to accomplish this goal of quality education for all, we are affirming that equity is essential to the reform
process.

Read System Building Standards for Educational Reform: An Equity Perspective.