Equity and Quality in Education: Supporting Disadvantaged

Students and Schools

Investing in equity in education pays off

Education International, London, January 29, 2013

Beatriz Pont, OECD Sr. Analyst, Education Directorate

Improving equity and reducing school failure is a policy priority

Equity and Quality in Education: Supporting Disadvantaged Students and Schools, OECD (2012)

An OECD report to:

Provide a comparative overview of the high economic and social costs of inequity

Present responses for education systems to overcome their equity challenges

Contribute to reduce failure and drop out rates.

High education performers combine quality with equity

The challenge: that all students reach a minimum

Proportion of 15 year olds that do not reach a minimum level of reading skills, PISA 2009

The challenge: to reduce dropout rates

% of individuals who have not completed upper secondary education by age group

The challenge: to reduce the risk of low achievement due to personal circumstances (fairness)

Relative risk of scoring below level 2 depending on personal circumstances, PISA 2009

Low

risk

H

igh

risk

The reading gap between immigrant students and natives

Reading performance by immigrant status in PISA (2009)

Differences between and within schools

Reducing school failure pays off

It limits capacity of economies to grow and innovate

Damages social cohesion and mobility and is expensive:

Higher public health expendituresHigher welfare, increased criminality

.. and the current crisis has brought equity to the forefront

The public benefits of investing in upper secondary education outweigh the costs

Public cost and benefit for a man obtaining upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education

Policies to achieve more equitable education systems and reduce dropout

Avoid system level policies that hinder equity

Avoid system level policies that hinder equity

Manage school choice

Choice

Equity

Make funding more responsive to needs

Policies to achieve more equitable education systems and reduce dropout

Support low performing disadvantaged schools

Disadvantaged schools are confronted to multiple challenges

Impact of school’s socio-economic status on student achievement

Score point difference associated with a one-unit increase in the school-level PISA index of economic, social and cultural status, PISA 2009

(1) Examples of systemic support to schools

Strengthening school leaders

(3) Disadvantaged schools difficulties in attracting and retaining teachers

Quality teaching in disadvantaged schools: a key challengeRelationship between school average socio-economic background and teachersDisadvantaged schools tend to have higher

proportions of full-time teachers……But a fewer proportion of them have an

advanced university degree

Students attending

more advantaged

schools tend to enjoy a higher

proportion of high

quality, full-time

teachers

(3) Attract, support and retain high quality teachers

Japan: Induction centres

provide all new teachers

with in-service training; in

schools, teachers

regularly observe other

teachers and receive

feedback on their own

demonstration lessons.

New Zealand: All teachers receive 20% released time during their first two years teaching to participate in the Advice and Guidance

programme, in which an experienced teacher leads a peer support group of new teachers, and novices regularly observe other teachers.

Shanghai (China): All

new teachers participate

in workshops, mentoring,

peer observation; analyse

lessons in groups with

experienced teachers, join

teaching research groups

to discuss teaching

techniques, and can be

recognised for excellence.

North Carolina (US): a retention bonus ($1 800 US) in high-poverty and low-performing schools reduced teacher turnover by 17%.

Korea: Multiple

incentives are offered

to work in high need

schools, including

additional salary,

smaller class size, less

instructional time,

promotion to

administrative

positions, and

choosing the next

school.

(4) More effective classroom strategies for disadvantaged students

(5) Parental and community engagement

Participating countries and outputs

Participating countries• Austria • Canada (Québec, Ontario,

Yukon, Manitoba)• Czech Republic• France• Greece• Ireland• the Netherlands• Spain• Sweden

Outputs Comparative report:

Equity and quality in education: supporting disadvantaged students and schools

National background reports Working papers Country Spotlight Reports Website:

www.oecd.org/edu/equity

For more information

For further information at OECD Education: Beatriz Pont, beatriz.pont@oecd.org