Equity was an invisible issue in the recent reports calling for higher pre-college standards and increased Federal spending on education. Although usually mentioned, equity was part of the (political) rhetoric, not a concrete goal. In "A Nation at Risk," for example, minority and handicapped students are discussed, but with the implication that their different needs lead to different educational outcomes. The terms "gender,""sex," or "female" do not even appear in the report. In many reports, recommendations are not always based on economic and political realities, awareness of bias, or past history. Calls are made for greater government participation at a time when Federal interest in educational spending is declining. Curriculum suggestions fail to address the facts that courseware, for instance, should be bias-free, and that different students learn in different manners. Although the educational fate of minorities and females is often decided before high school, most reports focus solely on secondary education. In short, "equity" must be a key term in standard formulation; recommendations mean nothing without financial backing; and the educational system is in so complex a dilemma that easy solutions are impossible. (KH)