Equitable Access and Opportunity

Equitable Access and Opportunity

Despite decades of efforts to reduce segregation and unequal resources in schools, educational opportunity and achievement gaps based on race, national origin, and socioeconomic class have endured. Inclusive, high-quality schools that ensure all children have opportunities to learn and thrive are necessary to overcome these historical and contemporary social and educational inequities.

Research-informed policies and practices that support access and opportunity for all students include the following:

financial and other school resources that are adequate and equitably distributed
teachers who are fully prepared and supported throughout their careers
school leaders who are also fully prepared to address the academic and social-emotional needs of students and teachers
college- and career-ready curriculum focused on deeper learning that is high quality and available to all students
learning resources and instructional materials that enable students to succeed in the 21st century, including computers and other modern technology
support services that ensure students’ health and well-being

Education as a Civil Right

White Paper Series

Brown at 70: Reflections and The Road Forward

In the 70 years since Brown v. Board of Education, the pursuit of educational equity has seen major strides forward and significant setbacks. What progress has been made, what can be learned from setbacks, and what can be done to ensure all students to have the opportunity to learn?

Read more

Featured Resources

A teacher and students seated in a circle with hands outstretched toward the center.

Strategies to Foster Integration in Early Childhood Education

Middle school student having a friendly discussion with classmates.

School Funding Effectiveness: Evidence From California’s Local Control Funding Formula

Further Reading

Equitable School Finance
- Understanding the Cost of Universal School Vouchers: An Analysis of Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account Program (
  report
  )
- Investing for Student Success: Lessons From State School Finance Reforms (
  report and brief
  )
- An Unparalleled Investment in U.S. Public Education: Analysis of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (
  blog
  )
- Money and Freedom: The Impact of California's School Finance Reform (
  brief and related materials
  )
- Investing in Community Schools: How States and Districts Can Use Federal Recovery Funds Strategically (
  fact sheet
  )
School Integration
- Strategies to Foster Integration in Early Childhood Education (
  report
  )
- Protecting Education as a Civil Right: Remedying Racial Discrimination and Ensuring a High-Quality Education (
  report
  )
- Advancing Integration and Equity Through Magnet Schools (
  report and brief
  )
- Brown at 67: Segregation, Resegregation, and the Promise of Federal Policy (
  blog
  )
- The Federal Role and School Integration: Brown’s Promise and Present Challenges (
  report and related materials
  )
- Education and the Path to Equity (
  blog series
  )
- Education and the Path to One Nation, Indivisible (
  brief
  )
The Education of Marginalized Students
- California’s English Learners and Their Long-Term Learning Outcomes (
  report and brief
  )
- The Civil Rights Road to Deeper Learning (
  book, Teachers College Press
  )
- Building School Communities for Students Living in Deep Poverty (
  report
  )
- Federal and State Resources for Students Experiencing Homelessness (
  report
  )
- Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness: District Approaches to Supports and Funding (
  report and brief
  )
- Adequate and Equitable Education in High-Poverty Schools: Barriers and Opportunities in North Carolina (
  brief
  )
- Students Experiencing Homelessness: The Conditions and Outcomes of Homelessness Among California Students (
  report
  )
- A World of Hardship: Deep Poverty and the Struggle for Educational Equity (
  blog
  )
- Inequitable Opportunity to Learn: Access to Advanced Mathematics and Science Courses (
  report
  )
- Lost Opportunities: How Disparate School Discipline Continues to Drive Differences in the Opportunity to Learn (
  report
  )
- Inequitable Opportunity to Learn: Student Access to Certified and Experienced Teachers (
  report
  )

Related Projects

New Mexico skyline

Improving Education in New Mexico

North Carolina skyline

Improving Education in North Carolina

View a complete list of LPI's publications, blogs, and events on the topic of equitable access and opportunity. View all