This paper discusses the importance of equity and quality education in K-12 schools and how employing equity and quality strategies in classroom instructional practices and school culture can positively change children's lives. Educational achievement is a matter of the home, school, and community working in concert to build confidence in a child's life. Without this personal confidence, the child will not perform to her ability and slump down into a state of despair and hopelessness. Heckman (2008) makes a case for investing in children at risk. In a paper titled "The Case for Investing in Disadvantaged Young Children", he cites 15 points that reduce inequity and raise productivity in schools. This paper examines some of these points and offers additional evidence to broaden the points of reference. A secondary purpose of this paper is to examine select research findings of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report titled Equality and Quality in Education: Supporting Disadvantaged Students and Schools.