Educational Equity for All Youth: Access, Inclusion, Belonging and Opportunity

Dear Colleagues,

According to Sorensen and Hallinan (1977), for students to learn, there needs to be the ability, effort, and opportunity to learn. When there are differences in access to or experiences within those opportunities for learning, there are differences in the educational outcomes for those students. We can see this in a variety of contexts, including student course taking, the teachers that students have, school leaders, extracurricular activities, and more. Thus, this Special Issue of Youth focuses on education equity in access, inclusion, belonging, and opportunity for all youth in order to gain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms that lead to different experiences and outcomes for students.

More specifically, this issue will focus on differences in accessibility and experiences regarding instructional opportunities. In other words, how is the curriculum designed, accessed, implemented, and experienced? For example, interested authors may focus on differentiated instructional methods to meet students’ needs, such as Universal Design for Learning, school climate, culturally sustaining pedagogy, student belongingness, non-academic barriers/opportunities, etc. The topics addressed in this Special Issue align with the work that is currently being done in sociology of education, special education, as well as by other education scholars. As we continue to see opportunity gaps in education, it is essential that we understand why these gaps exist and work to create and implement solutions so that all students can benefit from high-quality opportunities for learning, with positive and supportive school cultures. The papers for this Special Issue should carefully consider the implications for students, schools, districts, and other learning organizations.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Reference

Sørenson, A. B., & Hallinan, M. T. (1977). A reconceptualization of school effects. Sociology of Education, 50(4), 273–289. https://doi.org/10.2307/2112500.

Dr. Elizabeth Covay Minor
Dr. Shannon S. Hammond
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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• opportunities for learning
• sociology of education
• special education
• belongingness
• cumulative disadvantage
• practical application