Students Socioeconomic Status In Early Education

Many kids in the United States have been affected by poverty at some point in their lives. In fact, one in five children have been affected by poverty. A survey was done within the last year by the Scholastic company that interviewed a group of the State Teachers of the Year and asked them what they thought were some of the effects of poverty. Some popular answers were that it affects the way you perform in school greatly and that we need more anti-poverty programs to help out with these children. Poverty affects the success of students in many ways. These include not having the academic achievement that more advantaged kids did, not having experiences other kids did, and not having the early development they needed.

Unlike other countries such as China, socio-economic background in the US directly impacts the quality of education students receive. Therefore, students living urban poverty not only demonstrate minimal academic progress but also less participation and motivation towards education compared to advantaged students. According to the US Census Bureau, over 22% of students live in poverty and many

In this time and age the United States contains a high number of students in the public schools who are under the poverty line. Poverty is defined as the state of being really poor financially. Poverty in the United States has become a complicated problem that causes a variety of diverse challenges for children and their families. Although the economy of the United States is showing great signs of improvement, poverty remains a serious issue. While examining poverty and children education in several articles all authors seem to agree with the fact that poverty does have an affect in the academic development of a child. However, there are several disagreements in other areas. The authors that this essay will be

Lack of money, health insurance, and other poverty related issues have also led to lower academic performance among children in poverty. In David Berliner’s Letter to The President, he explains how “medical problems are harming student learning in our schools” (252). Since poor children may not have health insurance, or their families may not have the funds to see a doctor, poorer children miss more school due to illness. Also, more children in poverty come from single parent homes, which leaves numerous children on their own after school. In fact, “three fourths of all single mothers are in the labor force” which means there happens to be usually nobody at home to assist poor children with their homework, or help them study for tests

Second, poverty also has an effect on students. There are more than half of public school students living in poverty and most students who live in poverty drop out of school and do not graduate or go to college (Kasperkevic). Some children actually think it is their fault that their families are homeless (60 Minutes). Also, poverty can affect students

Poverty within neighborhoods throughout the United States has increased immensely throughout the past 50 years. In 2011, nearly 46.2 million Americans were living in poverty compared to the 353,000 Americans who lived in poverty in 1959. (Dosomething 1) Poverty is hardly just defined as a lack of financial resources, it is defined as a condition that results in an absence of the freedom to choose arising from a lack of the capability to function effectively in society. (Poverty and Education 1)  For a person to be impoverished or to be living in a state of poverty is to live where they do not have the economic means to provide a healthy lifestyle for themselves and their family.  A majority of public school students across the country are considered “low-income”, according to a new study by the Southern Education Foundation.  Areas of concentrated impoverishment are often characterised by crime, unemployment, and lack of resources.  Children represent 24 percent of the population, but they comprise 34 percent of all people in poverty.  The shift to a majority-poor student population implies that a growing range of students who attend public schools are less likely to possess support at home, are less often exposed to enriching activities outside of school, and are more likely to drop out and never attend higher education.  Children living in poverty have a higher number of absenteeism or leave school altogether because they are likely to have to work or care for family

Many high school students in the U.S. are affected by poverty. In fact, 22% of kids under the age of 18 are living in poverty. This trend is unfair for students because a child living in poverty is more likely to drop out of school. People in poverty are less likely to earn a college degree which makes it more difficult to find a high-paying job that they qualify for.

The population increase across the United States has also significantly impacted the socioeconomic status of the student population. The low income and poverty level of students has been increasing. In 2013 approximately 21 percent of school aged children were living among poverty. ( ) This is a vast amount of students within the population that are affected. Living in poverty can have a significant impact on the education of the student. An educator needs to be aware of the challenges and obstacles this may have on the students’education.

These authors from Southern Arkansas University and University of West Florida examined the gaps in achievement between underprivileged and privileged students in the United States. They evaluated various studies relating to poverty negatively impacting student achievement. This article illustrates how poverty develops a specific culture and standard of living and is a growing concern in America. Lacour & Tissington address academic success of underprivileged students and how it directly affects their performance caused by the lack of resources available for student achievement. Poverty signifies the extent to which a person forgoes resources. These resources may include financial, mental, physical and emotional support. Accordingly, Lacour

In 2013, 23.3% of the United States population consisted of children ages 0 to 17, 20% of those children lived in poverty and about 15.8 million children lived in households that were classified as food insecure (America’s Children: Key National Indicators Of Well-being, 2015). Perceptions of students with low socioeconomic status (SES) combined with other circumstances certainly play a role in their development and achievements. SES is conditional, imposed on people, used for comparisons, and based on economics, opportunity, and influence. When considering SES, individuals’ incomes, occupations, education, neighborhood, and political power are took into consideration. A school’s SES is determined by the neighborhood where it is located and by the SES of the children and families in attendance at that school (Socioeconomic Status, 2009).

There are several primary educational disparities that arise when race and income are considered. These gaps are due to the notion that the majority of minorities live in low-income areas that have underfunded public schools. Schools in impoverished areas tend to have fewer educational resources such as supplies, funding, amenities, and college preparatory classes. However, “students living in poverty require more intensive resources..., and many schools in poor neighborhoods lack the...resources to break the nexus between student background characteristics and student achievement” (Nielsen, 2013). Since race has already been found to be a significant factor in college readiness, poor racial minorities face a more complex disadvantage than their higher income or white counterparts. Concentrated poverty further prevents minorities from rising in economic status. With such a large population of minority children attending underfunded schools, they are learning in environment that hinders their ability to complete higher education.

    Academic achievement  is unbalanced within school systems due to student circumstances of poverty.  Millions of children live in poverty.   Poverty stricken students also face unsettling circumstances that make it difficult for them to attain educational success. Poverty is the state of not having enough money to pay for the basic needs of food clothing and shelter. The federal poverty line only takes into consideration a minimal diet and low cost food to calculate but does not take into consideration basic standards of living.  Doing so puts the people that get federal assistance of not having enough, and the people that have too much income to get assistance in the same position of not having enough and keeps people in poverty instead of curing the circumstances of poverty.

Chapter three on Social Class and Education discusses how socioeconomic status and family background can affect the learning outcomes of many children in school. Lois Weis points out that the students who are from low-income families are suffering educationally because they have no choice but to attend schools that are in poor areas and they tend receive a lower level of instruction (Weis, 2016). Students who fall under a category of middle to upper class can attend schools that are in better areas and they receive a more advanced level of instruction. Past studies have suggested that children do poorly in school because the school is unable to provide good resources to their students. The Coleman Report disputed this idea and emphasized

“One of the first lessons I learned as a teacher was that social class, race, ethnicity, and gender have a powerful effect on the process of education. I found to be blunt, that even in the schools of nation that prides itself on equality of opportunity, some students are more equal than others” (Newman, 2006, p.269). Minority children and those living in poverty are at disadvantage in our education system. Several studies make this clear. A study by Sean Rearden that looked at test scores over a 55-year period found that the achievement gap between students in the 90th percentile and the 10th percentile for income

Low Income Equals Low Academic Achievement Some may not want to believe that the world revolves around money, but it does. Goals in life cannot be taken anywhere without money. Money is the most important thing when it comes to quality education. The children from low income families academic performance is highly affected. Low income families struggle with educating their children. Income and wealth can affect educational outcomes in a number of ways. Income has a direct impact on the affordability and accessibility of those educational services which charge fees or if transport and other costs are significant.Low-income students as a group have performed than high-income students on most measures of academic success (Jensen). Family income level affects academic performance.