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Melissa Hansen

Mrs. Szetela

English 2010

11 February 2017

Equal Opportunity

Everybody wants equality. People have spent innumerable hours fighting for their own

equality in the world. Lack of education creates lower income, which is a major aspect of

inequality in society. Sometimes students are able to realize their potential by preparing for and

attending college. In other cases, students are unaware of the opportunities available and are left

without access to future opportunities in their lives.

Knowing Reid Saariss credentials, anyone would say he is incredibly intelligent. He

graduated from Stanford with a bachelors degree and earned a masters and MBA from

Harvard, and he was the only Social Innovation Fellowship at Stanford in 2010 (Mead).

Saaris says in a video published by SVPSeattle that because of the classes he was put into

during high school, he was ahead and ready for college when he graduated. He tells a story of his

friend who was right across the hall in the same high school he attended, but was placed in

classes that did not challenge him; he graduated with a D average. Years later, when Saaris was

teaching at a high school, he saw a black student who reminded him of his friend from high

school. The student was in the same types of classes that his friend had been in, following the

same path his counselors had set. Sarris took the student to the counselors office to enroll him in

more challenging classes. It was an experiment to see how he would perform. There were a few

risks involved, including that he might fail in the more challenging courses, or that it might
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negatively impact the other students in the advanced classes. The student succeeded, and Saaris

realized that there must be many other students in the same situation, who are overlooked and

never given the opportunity to prepare for college in this way (SVPSeattle).

After this experience, Reid Saaris founded Equal Opportunity Schools (EOS). This is an

organization that works with school districts to find missing students who would do well in

challenging Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate classes (Reid Saaris, 2010

Social Innovation Fellow). These missing students are those who are less informed about the

AP/IB program, its benefits, and how to register. Those particularly affected are first-generation

college goers, English language learners, and students whose parents and peers are unfamiliar

with AP/IB ("Reid Saaris, 2010 Social Innovation Fellow"). These students are not in

challenging classes not necessarily because they are not talented or could not handle the

schedule, but because their parents, peers, and they know little about the program.

The EOS organization focuses on these students who are capable of learning in

challenging classes, but you might be surprised by the size of the problem. Saaris says that there

are about two-thirds of a million (approximately 660,000) students who fall in this category

(Mead). This problem extends beyond high school. In Saariss Our Latest Generation: The Civic

Greatness of Young Americans, he argues that educational inequality is a factor in political

inequality ("Reid Saaris, 2010 Social Innovation Fellow"). One of the biggest challenges, Saaris

says, is to convince the administrators and teachers and especially the students that they can

succeed in high-level courses (Mead). The organization that Saaris founded works to solve this

inequality.
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As described in an article from Foundation Center, the process begins as the foundation

gets support from the high school. Then they look for students who would fit the description of

missing, someone who would succeed in college level classes but is never given the

opportunity. These students are found by analyzing deep data, student grades, and surveys of

students, parents, and staff in addition to test scores. (Foundation Center).

EOS is making progress. One third of the students helped by the organization graduate

college when they wouldnt have done so without the intervention (SVPSeattle). According to

Reid Saaris, 2010 Social Innovation Fellow, In South Carolina, EOS doubled the size of the

schools AP/IB program and tripled the number of African Americans in AP/IB in one year.

However, not only did the number of students enrolled increase, but the pass rate of AP or IB

tests increased by 20% (Reid Saaris, 2010 Social Innovation Fellow). And the aspirations

Saaris has for the future dont end there. His goal is that by 2020, all of the two-thirds million

missing students will be in AP or IB classes that prepare them for college (Mead). The

improvement in the students lives has been significant.

Despite the time and effort involved, the benefits outweigh the costs. After the

organizations achievement in South Carolina, someone mentioned that the effect was felt by all

students regardless of ethnicity and income level ("Reid Saaris, 2010 Social Innovation

Fellow"). In a video published by SVPSeattle, Reid Saaris explains that the program helps the

students achieve more than they would have without the help, but it can impact the lives of other

members of the community. With a higher education level and salary, the countrys gross

domestic product (GDP) increases, reflecting their contributions to society. It also affects the

government. When voting, they will be more like to make educated decisions in politics because
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of their formal education (SVPSeattle). The success of EOS benefits lives by promoting

educational equality.

Overall, Reid Saaris has committed to making the world a better place. His choice to

create the EOS organization has benefitted many lives and will continue to do so. This gives

students more equal access to quality education during high school and prepares them for

college. The students will be more likely to earn scholarships and perform well in college. It also

affects the lives in each students sphere of influence. After recognizing this issue, each person

can influence others in positive ways. School counselors and teachers should expect great things

from the students and avoid making assumptions based on race or income. There should be

meetings about college-level classes, so students and parents are more aware of the options

available. However, schools are not the only people responsible. Students should reach out to

learn about challenging courses from available resources. They should determine their career

goals and use high school as an opportunity to leap toward achieving them.
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Works Cited

Foundation Center. "$100 Million Initiative Launched to Break Down Barriers to AP Classes."

Philanthropy News Digest (PND). N.p., 29 Apr. 2015. Web. 9 Feb. 2017.

Mead, Sara. "Reid Saaris, Founder and Executive Director, Equal Opportunity Schools."

Education Week - Sara Mead's Policy Notebook. N.p., 22 May 2012. Web. 9 Feb. 2017.

"Reid Saaris, 2010 Social Innovation Fellow." Stanford Graduate School of Business. N.p., n.d.

Web. 9 Feb. 2017.

SVPSeattle. "Reid Saaris: How Close Are We to Real Solutions?" YouTube. YouTube, 03 June

2011. Web. 9 Feb. 2017.