An equitable classroom reflects the overall school environment and is characterized by:

1. An inclusive climate and visual environment
2. Multicultural curricula and materials
3. A wide variety of instructional strategies to meet differing learning styles and backgrounds
4. Utilization of outside resources to provide resources and role models
5. Availability of extracurricular activities to enrich the curriculum and provide multicultural experiences
6. Active outreach to and substantive involvement of parents from all groups in varied aspects of the educational program, both planning and instructional
7. Recognition of multiple intelligences and student strengths through academic opportunities, honors, leadership roles, and creative options

Below are checklists for measuring the equitableness of your classroom environment:

CRITERIA/QUESTIONS	Yes	No	Needs Improving
1. Does the teacher use flexible and heterogeneous grouping to provide enrichment and higher order skills for all students in differing subjects and activities?
2. Are students re-assessed regularly for appropriate academic placement and content?
3. Does the teacher assign classroom seating patterns, projects, and other structured group activities to integrate students by race, gender, disability, and/or ethnic group?
4. Are educational decisions based upon student profiles that include parent, student, and teacher recommendation as well as classroom tests and grades, interest inventories, and standardized tests?

CRITERIA/QUESTIONS	Yes	No	Needs Improving
1. Does the teacher structure classroom activities in order to promote the development and exercise of leadership skills among a variety of students?
2. Does the teacher encourage parents and other community members of diverse backgrounds to act as role models and help students to develop their abilities and obtain needed resources?
3. Does the teacher facilitate diverse student representation in curricular, extracurricular, and co-curricular activities?
4. Does the teacher nurture student self-esteem through the study of student backgrounds and cultures?
5. Are there established areas of recognition and processes for conveying honors which acknowledge a wide range of contributions, achievements, and services?
6. Are there opportunities to enable diverse students to develop leadership skills in problem solving and intergroup communication?

CRITERIA/QUESTIONS	Yes	No	Needs Improving
1. Are expectations for girls and boys and students from different racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic status equitable?
2. Are all classroom procedures and patterns, including seating, lines, and activity areas, as well as academic and athletic groupings integrated and equitable?
3. Are the instructional materials multicultural and nonbiased regarding gender, race, national origin, age, socioeconomic status, and disability?
4. Are classroom tasks distributed equitably without regard to gender, race, national origin, or disability?
5. Do the bulletin boards! illustrations and other visual materials depict females and males of varied racial, ethnic, age, and disability groups in a variety of roles'?
6. Is there an effort made to use nonbiased verbal and nonverbal language in the classroom?
7. Does the teacher provide an invitational environment where commonalities are appreciated and differences are understood and valued?

CRITERIA/QUESTIONS	Yes	No	Needs Improving
1. Does the teacher provide the same amount of teaching attention to all students based on individual needs and learning preferences?
2. Does the teacher inform students in advance of acceptable and unacceptable behavior and the consequences of their behavior?
3. Does the teacher reprimand and praise all students equitably?
4. Does the teacher praise students for the intellectual quality of their work, irrespective of the students race, gender, national origin, or disability, from a set of criteria xvhich has been announced to the students?
5. Does the teacher promote cooperation and integration of students through activities which help students to work together more effectively?
6. Does the teacher use alternative instructional strategies, such as cooperative learning, to accommodate varied learning styles and backgrounds?
7. Does the teacher develop appropriate activities for limited English proficient students?
8. Does the teacher communicate high expectations and respect for all students including equitable praise. questioning, wait time, feedback, and rewards?
9. Does the teacher direct the classroom discussion to enable all students to participate?
10. Does the teacher analyze his or her interactions with students to determine any differential patterns, and take actions to counteract and balance differences?

Source: Elements of Equity: Criteria for Equitable Schools
Developed by Jill Moss Greenberg and Susan Shaffer, The Mid-Atlantic Equity Consortium, 1991.