The Achievement Of Disadvantaged Children

When relating poverty to the achievement gap, one can see the correlation. The achievement gap is the discrepancy in academic performance between groups of students, it is more often used to describe the troubling performance gaps between African-American and Hispanic students at the lower end of the performance scale. Many students who are living in poverty fall within these backgrounds and it is understandable why their grades and school performances are suffering. Abraham Maslow’s pyramid of hierarchy needs show that before a child is able to learn or perform any kind of activity, the basic needs must be met, food, shelter, and water (Shaffer, 2014, pp 158).

Getting an education is considered a blessing too many, in America many of us believe that everybody should get equality when it comes down to education, but is that really the case? I believe that education is something that many of us take advantage of, especially when you are a kid and you think your education is free and you dread waking up early in the morning for school. Though, when you grow older we are glad that we have received an education and we can contribute to new technology, or we have the opportunity to create a top selling novel, learn about the history of the world, or just knowing why the sky is blue. We all know, and if you don’t you

According to Bynner and Joshi (1999) class differences have persisted since the late 1950’s. It can be seen that all studies carried out by various theorist came to the same conclusion that middle class pupils tend to do a lot better than working class in terms of educational achievement. Pupils from middle class backgrounds tend to pass more exams, stay on at school for longer and are five times more likely to go to university. This gap in achievement widens with age as right from nursery school to university, processes like labelling or the self fulfilling prophecy take

This document says that teachers should equip learners with knowledge, skills and values, regardless of their differences so that they can achieve self-fulfilment and for meaningful participation in society as citizens of a free country. Learners should be provided with access to higher education but I believe that this is not possible for all learners because some learners can’t afford to go to school due to no funds being available for them where as some learners are privileged enough to go to school to get an

is through socioeconomic status. According to Sean Reardon, a main outcome of the widening income gap for families has been a widening gap in achievement among children, which he refers to as the income achievement gap (Reardon, 2011). Therefore, the children of the poor remain at an educational disadvantage when their parents’ income becomes as much of a predictor of their educational achievements, as their parents’ educational obtainment. To emphasize the results of the income achievement gap, Reardon states, “As the children of the rich do better in school, and those who do better in school are more likely to become rich, we risk producing an even more unequal and economically polarized society” (Reardon, 2011, p. 111). For example, as standardized testing shifted towards standardized achievement testing to determine a student’s academic achievement, parental investment in their children’s cognitive development began to increase. Educational disparities occur when affluent families can very easily afford tutoring outside of the classroom for their children to perform highly, while children being raised in impoverished homes are at a disadvantage, and at a lower chance of doing well on these exams. This becomes problematic when SAT reading, math, and writing scores increase with income as exemplified by the disproportionately small amount of minority students in higher education (Brand lecture,

According to the National Center for Children in Poverty, over 16 million children (22%) in the United States live below the federal poverty level, which is $23,550 per year for a family of four. Research has shown that a family requires an income of about twice that amount just to cover basic needs and expenses. Using these statistics, 45% of children in the US live in low-income households. Most parents of low-income children are employed, but unsteady employment accompanied with low wages leave families struggling to make ends meet. The effects of poverty on children are numerous and long lasting, such as impaired learning ability as well as social, behavioral, and emotional difficulties. Childhood poverty can also contribute to poor physical and mental health. Research has shown that poverty is the greatest threat to s child’s well-being, but public policies can make a difference when they are implemented effectively.

Fifty years after the declaration of war on poverty, an increasing number of children still grow up in poverty in this country. Poverty is now more determinative than race as a predictor of student educational success (Reardon, 2013). The achievement gap between the poor and the more economically advantaged child has actually widened over the last three decades (Reardon, 2013). If we are to provide all children with equal and excellent educational opportunities, it is imperative that we utilize the most effective strategies and enhancements to overcome the educational disadvantages that poor children experience.

Educational Researcher by Gloria Ladson-Billings looked into the ratio between education and achievement and what the gap was between them and how to fix it. According to an interview with strict economist Professor Emeritus Robert Haveman of the University of Wisconsin’s Department of Economics he makes it clear by stating that “ In order to reduce the debt or gap in one being achievement you must then close the gap of the other being education” Ladson-Billings also goes on to recognize the parallel between not only your economic status when it comes to education but how well your parents did before you among many other things including your health along with your overall well being playing a factor into your education ( Ladson-Billings, Oct 2006, P 5). Additionally the first teachers of a student are their parents whom in the home are responsible for teaching their children the basic fundamentals they must adhere to within society in order to navigate throughout life.Thus giving them many opportunities to experience cultural and life development (Wilburn, Smith & Hill-Carter, 2013, P 242). This research ties into chapter three of our book where education is discussed and one such topic that Michael’s remarks upon would be annual family incomes and how depending on what is made shows what the students of the

A democratic government should respond to the achievement gap issue by not only addressing educational inequality, but also structural injustices that often affect minorities. As a result

Throughout the history of the American public education, lots of problems have emerged but with some effort from enlightened men and the federal government they were successfully solved. However, one of those problems that proved to be intractable over the years despite the many solutions proposed for it was and still is the income achievement gap. Professor Sean R. Reardon, a Professor of Education and Sociology at Stanford University, showed the inevitable relationship between parental income and the academic achievement of students. The income achievement gap as he defined it is “… the academic performance difference due to … income difference between a child from a family at the 90th

One of the first pieces of education-related legislation goes back as far as 1870, when Free State education was introduced. Although school attendance wasn’t compulsory, it did offer children from less privileged backgrounds the opportunity to attend school for free. This is clearly an education policy reducing social class inequality, as it is allowing those having no money being allowed to attend school without having to pay.

The Scottish Funding Council has aspirations to increase attainment levels amongst students within Higher and Further Education. Aligned with this is their desire for institutions to “improve access for people from the widest range of backgrounds” (http://www.sfc.ac.uk/web/FILES/Funding_Outcome_Agreements_2014-15/Higher_Education_Outcome_Agreements_Achievements_and_Ambitions_2014-15.pdf) the desired output of this result in improved life chances for all (the Scottish Government Raising Attainment).

Income inequality plays a major role in the education disparity present in communities such as West Chelsea. The economic hardship several families experience affects the way a child grows up and the certain education they receive. As seen in Class Divide, more privileged children can attend schools such as The Avenues where they are given opportunities to grow and learn, while less privileged students are

or her best, so it is important to me to find out if racism is the

Kenway (2013) aims to illustrate in her article how there is a socio-educational advantage (SEA) and disadvantage within the education system. In doing this, she writes how the social segregation between schools on the top and bottom manifests to create issues of inequality. Socioeconomic status is defined broadly in terms of social, cultural and economic resources, the extent to which individuals and groups’ have access to these resources and the relative value held by different individuals and groups. Kenway’s line of argument is in regards to the inequality portrayed within the Report, and shows throughout the article that the Gonski Report does not focus on the effect the socioeconomic status has on the advantage and disadvantage of the educational system.