Examining equity and opportunity within Advanced Placement programs using the lens of social justice

Using the social justice lens, this study aimed to provide clarity on the impact of leadership on college readiness in an urban school environment. This researcher investigated what leadership characteristics, accountability practices and what teachers and leaders within an urban school in Chicago are doing to increase college readiness for their minority population. Also, the researcher examined the impact that leadership has on college readiness programs including the Advanced Placement program within the school. While the findings were inconsistent, the tenets of social justice premediated the ethos of this setting and established that equity can occur with vision and fortitude. The implications for practice for all high schools are important.