ABSTRACT
Equity examines the ways in which educational policy can increase equity. Ultimately issues of equity relate to issues of power and oppression. Theories of power observe the benefits ascribed by those who have power in keeping others from having more, whether explicitly or implicitly. US courts shape educational policy, and particularly related to equity. The most common way in which the United States historically has discussed equity is the role of race in the demographic composition of schools. In the 1970s, a wave of court cases at the state and federal level focused on remedying social class inequity through school finance reform. Community schools consist of ways that schools partner with organizations such as city government, social service agencies, health organizations, and the judicial system in an attempt to harness their wide range of resources to improve opportunities for young people. In European nations, student voice has been reinforced by formal policies and national educational structures.
