A recent editorial on jconline.com describes how some schools have overcome the achievement gap. I include an excerpt:
Chenoweth cites schools from coast to coast that have extricated themselves from what she calls the demography myth — the one that implies low-income means low-achieving.
High schools in Worcester, Mass., Elmont, N.Y., and elsewhere where poverty is an issue and most students are minorities are posting consistently high achievement scores, at times outscoring wealthier, less ethnically diverse counterparts across their states.
These students are graduating from high school at higher rates as well.
What is happening in these schools in which children are succeeding, regardless of their cultural background or income levels?
According to Chenoweth, teachers and administrators have placed high expectations on them, have worked hard to bring the kinds of learning experiences that will help them excel and created an environment where learning for learning’s sake is valued.
Teachers and administrators have examined students’ needs, adjusting teaching methods in a way that best fits them.
Finally, some good news! I often refer to education as the most important tool in the fight against hunger. Luckily, the schools above actually use it to give poor kids a quality education, thus stoping the poverty cycle. Unfortunately, those schools only represent a tiny minority of schools. Most schools still have a huge achievement gap, and as a result the economic gap between rich and poor also increases because poor kids never get a fair shot. With the same potential and motivation, a poor kid will live a life of under-education and poverty, whereas a wealthy kid would live a life of success.