Expanding educational equity: A Path to Increased Student Retention

Students in Miami-Dade Public Schools are facing a crisis most of them don't even know about. Littered throughout Public High schools in the Dade area there exists a silent but prevalent gap in the curriculums and programs offered by schools. With a vast amount of students whose exigent circumstances require them to attend their “home school”; students aren't made aware of the disparity that exists in their access to education with studies showing kids attending zoned schools, particularly in low-income areas are at increased risk of becoming a drop out. This is why it is important to expand access and broaden curriculum selections. On the opposite side of this drop-out coin exists a world where not only are students granted equal access to curricula and programs through a locally, state, or federally mandated and maintained standard, but are increasingly engaged in the classroom and face lower drop-out rates. A Study by the National Governors Association shows ELOs actually decrease drop-outs, increase graduation rates in public schools and even combat the effects of poverty on academic achievement by providing them with access to the same ELO programs that exist in other Choice schools. Expanding the curriculum students are able to choose classes from is proven to have a profound positive impact on students across the board. Giving students the resources to craft a course load that caters to their interests serves to boost their engagement, prepare them better for post-secondary endeavors, and curb dropout rates at the secondary level. It is imperative that policies that allow for an equitable transition to broadened curriculums across all programs in all schools. In Miami public schools there exists a gap in the courses offered to certain types of students based on program or school, a fact that has been a detriment to students in Dade-County. First-hand sources have detailed as such; an example being anthropology. In Coral Reef Senior High, a high school in Miami, conversations with students have revealed that if given the opportunity to take a course in anthropology they would have been interested and willing to do so, however, because of their program curriculum restrictions, they were not given this opportunity, and thus dealt with struggles in motivation and engagement and in some cases even dropped out. This is exactly the type of inequity that is deteriorating the quality of education available to students in the Dade-County area. A study by ERIC shows that in adding even one more period to the traditional 6 period class structure at the average high school, a result leading to lower drop out rates in high schools was observed. The counter perspective for educational equity is that an expansion of equity in public schools comes at the cost of academic standards. Critics contend that an expansion of equity lowers the ceiling for student achievement rather than raising the floor, arguing that curricula should focus on core, evidence backed skills rather than culturally responsive content, believing this content to be less academically rigorous or relevant. It is important to note that studies do not point to curriculum and equity expansion as the indicators of lowering student achievement and instead point to implementation and quality of instruction as the make or break factors. As Christopher Gabrielli a writer published by WETA puts it “Instead of narrowing the school curriculum to focus on reading and math, the new school day opens up the range of subjects students study and get exposure to… There’s good evidence that the new school day improves the overall school learning climate by raising attendance and by reducing disciplinary referrals”. Moreover, expansion of curriculum and learning opportunities also has a positive impact on economic growth. A journal for the University of Chicago by Aaron Benavot details that Cross-national studies show that educational expansion has a positive impact on economic growth at the secondary level. Qualitative features of national school systems such as the supplying of textbooks and the extent of teacher training also have notable economic effects. In short, Many of the issues plaguing students in Miami-Dade public schools such as Disillusionment, low engagement, drop out rates, and poor performance brought about by stress of exigent socioeconomic factors can be remedied through the expansion of educational equity and curricula. ELO opportunities and schedule expansion when implemented correctly and maintained through a legislative standard have been key in revitalizing students’ passion for education, providing them with the necessary tools and care to better equip them for post-secondary life and reducing drop out rates in schools. It is again important to note that the implementation of these programs are key as not to compromise academic rigor and student achievement as the opposition to educational equity and curriculum expansion argue it will. ELO opportunities and curriculum expansion have also been tied to economic benefits for the county, state, and country in which students reside.