Creating Equitable Classrooms Through Action Research

Creating Equitable Classrooms Through Action Research looks at the issue of educational equity and illustrates how action research can be used schoolwide or districtwide to address this challenge. The editors have been involved in a highly successful and much studied action research that is used districtwide with a focus on the particular demographics and challenges of their district. The results of the action research study have created a deep knowledge base and capacity. The text provides an overview of the key conceptual and structural features for implementing a schoolwide or districtwide action research program and includes ten studies on narrowing the achievement gap between racial and ethnic groups. The findings of the action research study are connected to the broader body of knowledge on equity in schools. The action research studies illustrate varied approaches to help educators planning an action research project or currently working on an action research project. Real stories and studies from classroom teachers serve as examples of authentic professional development and as springboards for discussion and reflection on the process of inquiry and the issues of equity. The book includes: - 10 action research studies that focus on equity, race, and the achievement gap - how to implement a school-wide or district wide action research program that will promote equity and help close the achievement gap This is an ideal resource for school district leaders, teachers, and preservice teachers, and is also suited for professional development schools.

Table of Contents:
Foreword - Elizabeth Burmaster Preface Acknowledgments About the Editors About the Contributors Part I. How Action Research Can Promote Equity 1. Classroom Action Research With a Focus on Equity - Cathy Caro-Bruce, Mary Klehr 2. Implementing a School District Action Research Program - Cathy Caro-Bruce, Mary Klehr Part II. Action Research Studies 3. Been There Done That: Student Inquiry About High School Dropouts - Erik J. Shager 4. What Strategies Can I Incorporate So That the English Language Learners in My Classroom Will Better Understand Oral Directions? - Shannon K. Richards 5. Understanding High School Black Male Students' Achievement and School Experience - Quynh T. Nguyen 6. What Teacher Behaviors Encourage One At-Risk African-American Boy to be a Productive Member of Our Classroom Community? - Barbara Williams 7. But Then It Got Real - Jane Hammatt Kavaloski 8. We Want to Work With Our Friends - Diane Coccari 9. Ribbons, Racism, and a Placenta: The Challenges and Surprises of Culturally Relevant Teaching - Kate Lyman 10. Conclusions on Using a Constructivist Approach in a Heterogeneous Classroom - Van E. Valaskey 11. Using African American Students' Preference for Working in Self-Selected Partnerships to Promote Math Achievement - Julie A. Melton 12. Crossing Bridges of Culture, Color, and Language - Denise Hanson Part III. Conclusion 13. Tying It All Together: Implications for Classrooms, Schools, and Districts - Ryan Flessner, Ken Zeichner, and Kalani J. Eggington Index

Review :
"Recognizing the importance of race, class, gender, culture, and ability, the authors provide a window into the difficulties that professional educators grapple with as they face the challenge of teaching all children. This text is both authentic and practical, and it demystifies issues of equity that pervade today's classrooms." "Action research of this caliber on the subject of equity is critically needed for all children to have access to the same level of rigor and high standards. This is a must-read for districts who really want to turn action research into action that affects student learning." "Provides teachers, principals, district administrators, and professional development specialists with compelling insight into the workings of a successful action research program, and offers ten excellent sample action research projects focused on increasing student achievement in diverse school settings." "Both the individual studies presented and the example of a school district investing in its teachers to create new solu-tions to enduring problems of schooling will provide the basis for dialogue and stimulate the creation of other opportunities for teachers to engage in action research in school districts across the country."