Equality, Equity, and Adequacy

Equality, Equity and Adequacy Reflection

Equality, Equity and Adequacy are three words that are used quite frequently in education. These words sometimes have different meanings to different people. Equality means that all students have equal access to classes and educational programs. The key word is ALL. Equity is having a system that is fair and responds to the needs of all individuals. This is the area that is heavily debated especially when dealing with funding. The Foundation School Program becomes the topic of debate when discussing equity. It seems the State has failed in this area. Wealthy districts receive less funding from the state than less wealthy districts when it comes to compensatory education. The term adequacy means that school districts receive a minimum level of funding to meet state accreditation standards. An example would be teacher salaries and cost of living standards.