American International Journal of Social Science

Educational Inequality: A Case Study of Instructional Strategies and Student Engagement
Dr. Kimberly G. Williams, Dr. Karen S. DiBella

Abstract
The United States has long been dubbed, “the land of opportunity,” but is there equality within those opportunities and more importantly, are today’s students receiving fair and just services within our schools? For the past five decades, we have witnessed numerous educational reforms, which have targeted educational equality; however, equal and fair opportunities fail to exist and the achievement gap continues to widen. This case study examined data collected from a Title I school regarding teacher effectiveness and student learning. The ramifications of the findings suggest that the educational consequences include a lack of professional development, less teaching experience, lower teacher retention rates, low student achievement, and a lack of culturally responsive teaching. This is important because these factors play a critical role in the dropout rate, unemployment rate, and the rate of those living in poverty, all of which significantly impact our society.

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