[HOME] [teacher vistas] [online training] [FAQs] [forums] [resources] [links] [contact us] 10-01-2001 FEATURE ARTICLE Responding to Student Concerns about Fairness Ann B. Welch November/December 2000, Teaching Exceptional Children, 33, (2) 36-40. Copyright 2000 by the Council for Exceptional Children. Reprinted with permission. "It's not fair. Bobby gets stickers for finishing his work, and I always finish mine." "It's not fair. We have 20 words to define, and you only gave LaToya 10." General and special education teachers are expected to respond to diversity by providing differentiated instruction for students with cultural, linguistic, learning, and behavioral differences. At the same time, students often question the fairness of different expectations. Even teachers who believe in differentiated instruction find it difficult to respond to these questions in ways that satisfy students and protect confidentiality. General education teachers often resist recommended instructional, testing, and grading accommodations for students with disabilities because they perceive that accommodations are not fair to the rest of the students (Fulk & Smith, 1995; Polloway, Bursuck, Jayanthi, Epstein, & Nelson, 1996). Some teachers, in response to their own or student concerns, use the issue of fairness as an excuse to hold all students to the same standard, regardless of need. Failure to meet the standard is typically blamed on the student or family. It is not enough to know that this is inappropriate. Teachers also need alternative strategies appropriate to a range of developmental levels and cultural contexts. An understanding of different types of fairness is necessary to promote discussion and resolution of disagreements. The issue of fairness is frequently raised at teacher inservice sessions but rarely addressed in the research literature (Bursuck, Polloway, Plante, Epstein, Jayanthi, & McConegy, p. 316, 1996). This article presents three common definitions of fairness, a consideration of cultural differences, a brief review of the literature on students' perceptions, and practical suggestions grounded in both research and classroom experience. Three Kinds of Fairness Discussions of fairness are complicated by multiple meanings. Figure 1 illustrates three kinds of fairness, each of which is appropriate in some situations (Deutsch, 1975). Equality. There are times when it is fair to treat everyone the same way. Every citizen gets a vote. Every child gets a teacher. Schools would look very different if every child had supportive relationships, safe housing, nourishing food, and qualified teachers. Equity There are also times when it is fair to make rewards proportionate to input. In this case, we celebrate those who excel. If everyone has an equal opportunity to participate, those who perform well should be rewarded. This definition supports the proposition that the best qualified candidate should get the job, regardless of race, gender, or disability. We teach all children to write, but we recognize the gifted poet. Need. The third definition of fairness is need. Wheelchair ramps, free lunches, and special education are provided, not to everyone (equality) or to the best (equity), but to those who need them the most. Different definitions of fairness apply in different situations. Click here to view the rest of the article Archived Feature Articles 01-NOV-02 20 Ways To.... Work Effectively with Paraeducators in Inclusive Settings Cathryn G. Riggs 01-APR-02 Three Steps for Gaining Access to the General Education Curriculum for Learners with Disabilities Margaret E. King-Sears 01-DEC-01 Accessing the Curriculum Creating Instructional Rubrics for Inclusive Classrooms Catharine R. Whittaker ? Spencer J. Salend ? Devon Duhaney 01-OCT-01 Responding to Student Concerns about Fairness Ann B. Welch November/December 2000, Teaching Exceptional Children, 33, (2) 36-40. 01-SEP-01 What?s Good? Suggested Resources for Beginning Special Education Teachers By: Sharon A. Maroney 01-JUN-01 Bright Futures for Exceptional Learners: An Action Agenda to Achieve Quality Conditions for Teaching and Learning Reprinted with Permission from CEC Today Online by the Commission on the Conditions for Special Education Teaching and Learning 01-MAR-01 Vocabulary Development: A Collaborative Effort for Teaching Content Vocabulary SUSAN S. JOHNSTON, BETH L. TULBERT, JOAN P. SEBASTIAN, 01-FEB-01 Tips for Communicating Academic Progress DR. JANE B. PEMBERTON, Assistant Professor of Special Education 01-JAN-01 The Good Student Game: Behavior Management for Diverse Classrooms ALLISON E. BABYAK, GAYLE J. LUZE, AND DEBRA M. KAMPS 01-DEC-00 Cooperative Learning and Social Skills: What Skills to Teach and How to Teach Them By: Marilyn W. Goodwin 01-NOV-00 Strategies and Resources to Evaluate the Impact of Inclusion Programs on Students By: Spencer J. Salend, Associate Professor of Special Education 01-OCT-00 Planning High Quality Assignments in Diverse Classrooms By: Joyce A. Rademacher, Associate Professor of Special Education 01-SEP-00 Boldly Going Where Angels Fear to Tread By: KAREN D. HOWELLS 01-AUG-00 Myths and Misunderstandings about Professional Collaboration By Marilyn Friend  Back to this month's feature article
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