Taking an international perspective, this volume explores numerous issues - gender, socio-economic and linguistic background, teachers' expectations, pedagogical approaches, parental support, educational policies (e.g. priority policies, multilingual policies, early start policies) - and their effects on equity in education.

1. Promoting Equity and Excellence in Education: An Overview Piet Van Avermaet, Mieke Van Houtte and Kris Van den Branden 2. Measuring Excellence and Equity in Education: Conceptual and Methodological Issues Marie Duru-Bellat and Alain Mingat 3. School Competition, Institutional Differentiation, and the Quality and Equity of Education Systems: Evidence from PISA 2006 Karin Zimmer, Miyako Ikeda and Elke Lüdemann 4. So Where's the Teacher in School Effects Research? The Impact of Teachers' Beliefs, Culture and Behaviour on Equity and Excellence in Education Mieke Van Houtte 5. A Feminist Analysis of Gender and Educational Achievement Becky Francis and Christine Skelton 6. Teachers' Adaptations to Ethnic Minority Students in Belgium and England Peter Stevens 7. Early Childhood Education and Care: Equity and Excellence in the Foundational Stage Michel Vandenbroeck 8. Bilingualism for Equity and Excellence in Minority Education: The United States Ofelia García and JoAnne Kleifgen 9. Finnish Basic Education: When Equity and Excellence Meet Pirjo Linnakylä, Jouni Välijärvi and Inga Arffman 10. Literacy for All Koen Jaspaert and Kris Van den Branden 11. Caring Mothers and Teachers, Not Acting White, and Religiosity: What Are the Success Factors of High Achieving DiaspoRicans and Moroccan Students in Belgium? René Antrop-González, William Vélez, Tomás Garrett and Dana Baldwin 12. Full Service and Extended Schools: The Path to Equity? Alan Dyson