Chapter 13 extends the discussion of social and educational inequality in Chapter 12 to examine some of what we know about meeting the challenges of diversity and equity in today's schools. Whereas Chapter 12 might be described as a "language of critique" in its description of social and educational inequality, Chapter 13 presents a "language of possibility." It is possible to understand teaching and learning differently and to teach in ways that include more children in successful learning experiences.

        How teachers understand the complex relationships between the school and the child plays a major role in how they respond to the learning needs of their students. This chapter explores several different theoretical approaches to understanding why different social groups perform differently in school. These approaches include genetic deficit theory, cultural deficit theory, and critical theory. The last theory incorporates cultural difference theory, cultural subordination theory, and resistance theory in trying to explain educational inequality in the United States.

        Finally, the chapter turns to a variety of pedagogical (teaching) approaches to supporting success for all students. These approaches include multiculturalism, culturally responsive pedagogy, bilingual and ESL instruction, and gender-sensitive teaching, among others. The first Primary Source Reading reminds us that good teachers are not enough in themselves for low-income students to succeed academically: the research cited here shows that schools must be organized in several specific ways to support student success. Second, we turn to a reading on the basics of bilingual education that every teacher should know.