How does MERIT promote equity in early education?

MERIT promotes equity in early education by providing data that helps identify and address achievement gaps among different student populations. This focus on data allows educators and stakeholders to understand where disparities exist in student performance, which can be influenced by a variety of factors such as socio-economic status, language barriers, or developmental needs. By pinpointing these gaps, MERIT supports targeted interventions and resource allocation, ensuring that all children, regardless of their background, have access to the support they need to succeed.

This approach contrasts with the other choices, which either limit the scope of evaluation to only high-achieving students or disregard the importance of recognizing diverse backgrounds in educational assessments. Focusing solely on standardized testing or ignoring diverse student backgrounds would not provide a comprehensive view of student needs and might perpetuate existing inequities rather than address them.