This past week, the news broke of the infinitesimally small percentage of black and hispanic students who gained admittance in the upcoming school year to Stuyvesant, New York’s most selective and prestigious of the specialized public high schools. Stuyvesant and seven other schools are a part of a specific system wherein admission is solely determined by an entrance exam known as the SHSAT. Although only 4% of the test takers qualify for entrance to Stuyvesant, of the 895 admissions granted this year, only 7 of those students are black. This blatant disparity illuminates the issue of segregation that continues to plague New York City, and schools across the nation.
Month: March 2019
The practice of tracking is nearly omnipresent in the American education system as it is today. Tracking is the practice of separating students into different classes based on academic ability. While many schools may report that they do not use tracking, the majority of teachers admit that they group students within classrooms by ability, which is a milder version of tracking. The problem with tracking is that it exacerbates the achievement gap because minority students are disproportionately placed in lower tracks.
When you are hungry, nothing else seems to matter. It is our most basic instinct to eat, and young children cannot be expected to focus or function at a high level without proper nutrition. Low vitamin and nutrient intake has been linked to low performance in school settings. Children who skip breakfast have decreased cognitive performance in alertness, attention, processing complex visual and auditory messages. These children are often from low income homes. Food insecurity for young children is a real problem in schools and when it comes to academics, these students suffer disproportionately in the classroom. The problem lies in both the family life and the school. The school must promote healthy eating habits, that are reinforced and acted upon at home. The problem is not simply establishing healthy habits and education surrounding food. There is clear causal relation between children’s health and socio-economic standing. That being said, socio-economic status is not the only indicator of health for school children. Poor nutritional education from the parents also factors into the equation. Missing meals is bad, but eating unhealthy food is also an indicator for poorer academic performance.
Childhood obesity and food insecurity are also both salient factors when it comes to childhood achievement. One study found food insecure students to be more likely to have low cognitive and social-emotional skills in pre-k and kindergarten. Obese students, were linked to similar trends especially linked to low curiosity, effort, and cognitive skills.
One source talks about the reciprocal relationship between heath, education, and poverty. These three factors are causally linked and interconnect, influencing each-other’s outcome and creating a composite formula that can predict trends for educational achievement. Health, which is taken for granted by the wealthy, and not always available for the poor, seems to be a major indication of achievement through all levels of education. Even prenatal health of the parent is linked to the achievement of children. A study looking at parent obesity and health risks during pregnancy found unhealthier parents to produce lower achieving children. This study found that unhealthy parents had children who exhibited similar symptoms, minor and major birth defects, and deficits in academic skills.
While early intervention education is helpful, and incredibly important in the achievement of students, health is a variable which is oftentimes unaccounted for. The familial health fo both mother and child is the first concern and unfortunately, the least amendable. Pushing for initiatives that incentivize good health for parents, and making healthcare available for pregnant women can control much of the failures in academic achievement we see across the nation.
Parental involvement in education is a very important aspect for creating a safe and cooperative environment for the child to feel comfortable and succeed in. When a student knows that he or she is receiving support both inside and outside the school, the chances of that child becoming responsible for and active in their education are more likely. Continue reading
In recent years, the rise of technology in classrooms has lead to a change in the way teachers interact and teach students. Technology has been praised to help students prepare for the real world early on and place all kids on the same playing field because of the equal access. Continue reading
One effort to close the achievement gap has been the accountability movement. This reform heavily prioritizes testing performance and essentially uses scores as the sole indicator of a schools apparent success or failure.
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One major contributing factor, well understood amongst scholars, of the achievement gap is the socioeconomic disparities across student populations. The ways in which socioeconomic disparities are manifested and how different experiences of poverty affect students differently is a topic that deserve more scholarly attention. Proper nutrition is oftentimes discussed more when it comes to its relation to academic success, as studies have shown that adequate nutrition and consumption of specific nutrients and foods is associated with higher grades, among other facets of higher academic performance among students (CDC Health and Academic Achievement Report). However, one factor that should also be included in this discourse is the effect that homelessness has on academic achievement – especially because homelessness among students is rising. Homeless children and youth are defined as such by meeting a number of criteria. Namely, they do not have access to a fixed nighttime residence due to economic factors or situations of loss or abandonment. Because of this many of the youth who are defined as homeless sleep in friends houses, hotels and motels, trailer parks and campgrounds, cars and other public places. Continue reading
Tracking is a divisive practice within the world of education, with policy makers on both sides either heralding it as a practice that benefits everyone on all tracks by providing and individualized approach to teaching, and others saying it only benefits those in the higher tracks by providing these high tracks with the best quality of teachers, creating large gaps of knowledge. When lower and higher tracks drift farther apart from each other, this causes the achievement gap to increase between white students and black students. Continue reading
Extensive research shows the continued presence of the achievement gap in the United States, drawing links predominantly between the quality of schools and children’s poorer academic performance (see here and here). However, a growing body of research suggests several health factors are being neglected consistently, while disproportionately negatively impacting school-aged children, especially low-income, urban minority youth (see here). Continue reading
Everyone knows that mothers know best. What many people don’t know is that how much a mother knows can significantly affect a child’s educational achievement.
According to a recent article in the Washington Post, “A federal court recently dismissed a suit that challenged a new D.C. regulation that requires lead teachers in District child development centers to earn associate degrees and boosts education credentials for other teachers and caregivers.” The regulations were issued in 2016 and the new standards must be met by December 2019 Continue reading
Countless studies have shown the immense impacts, both short-term and long-term, that a preschool education has on children. The question is, though, why aren’t more children enrolled in preschool, and what is stopping us from achieving universal preschool? Continue reading
On March 8, 2019, The New York Times reported that “A federal judge has ruled Education Secretary Betsy DeVos illegally delayed an Obama-era rule that required states to address racial disparities in special education.” This rule was made at the very end of Obama’s presidency and required that each state must report a “risk ratio” that displayed how large the racial disparity in “special education services, …restrictive classrooms [and] discipline” is in the state.
Often student achievement is measured by performance on standardized tests. However, these tests, based on a narrowly prescribed curriculum and linked to specific grade levels, disregard diversity and are an unjustified way to judge student or teacher success. Students are unfairly expected to perform at a set of standards that are developed by an outside agency.
Literacy is one of the upmost important components at the start of your education. Therefore, the research about the 30-million-word gap between those of high socioeconomic status (high SES) compared to those of low socioeconomic status (low SES) continues to concern education researchers. Continue reading
U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez spoke this past weekend at an education town hall about the specialized high schools in New York City. Instead of speaking to the proposal to get rid of admission exams for these elite schools, she questioned why all schools weren’t achieving similar reputations. What is the current discussion around the lack of diversity at specialized high schools?
Many people say having a well qualified and well educated teacher is the basis for good learning. However this is not the only thing that determines a teacher being able to successfully teach students, and for students to best learn from teachers. Continue reading
While racial achievement gaps are in decline, income-based gaps remain the same or widen. Over the past fifteen years national studies show that hispanic-white, and black-white achievements have been in steady decline since 2003. The National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), recorded drops between 13-25% measuring fourth and eight graders over the last 15 years. While the decrease in racial disparities are encouraging, these studies also reveal troubling information about the importance of income as it pertains to achievement.
Much of the discourse surrounding the black/white achievement gap in public education is concerned with the forces that cause such disparities in academic achievement between racial groups. Major topics of discussion and research include school funding, teacher quality, curriculum rigor, family’s socioeconomic status, summer activities and extracurricular opportunities. Scholars, specifically sociologists Edward Morris and Brea Perry, have identified a key factor in the achievement gap equation that often gets neglected, which is the way in which schools carry out disciplinary actions. Continue reading
Whether one follows the news religiously or just occasionally indulges in a 5-minute binge-watch of CNN or Fox News, it’s no doubt that the decisions and proposals made by the Trump Administration consistently stir up talk – both positive and negative. In news that pertains to the Education Department, just a few days ago, the Trump Administration proposed a $7.1 billion funding cut to the Education Department, with a proposal that suggests eliminating 29 programs (ABC News, 2019). Continue reading
Abstract: Here we will explore the aspects of project-based learning, PBL, compared to traditional lecture-based courses to see how effective PBL is at retaining short and long term knowledge on a course.
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Overview
While many members of older generations brush it off, claiming that depression and anxiety aren’t real problems like broken bones and open wounds, mental health is effecting the academic achievement of students across the country, and is a problem that needs to be examined. Continue reading
If a child isn’t performing well in school, whose fault is it? The child’s? The school’s? The parent’s?
This is one of the questions those that study the achievement gap have been facing. Unfortunately, it is usually a mix of all those listed factors, among others. This begs the question: whose problem is the achievement gap to solve? Continue reading
For many children, having a TV in their bedroom would be a dream come true. A TV of their own that they could watch whenever and whatever they wanted. Continue reading
It is well known that the achievement gap exists, particularly among young children’s reading skills. Summer reading loss occurs when students return to school after summer vacation at a lower reading level than when they left for break. Continue reading
Research shows that “environmental exposures may contribute to the etiology of the achievement gap”. Connections have been found between childhood lead exposure and increased cognitive disadvantages, such as decreased performance on standardized intelligence quotient (IQ) tests and cognitive functioning tests, worse end-of-grade (EOG) test scores, and increased neurobehavioural, behavioural, and attention deficits (see here). Continue reading
Tracking, also referred to as ability grouping, has become a widespread practice in the United States. From as early as kindergarten, students are frequently placed into small groups determined by their apparent “skill level.” This grouping continues throughout a student’s schooling, and is a major contributor to the pervasive achievement gap. Continue reading
It has long been known that black students, especially male students, have been negatively targeted for suspensions and discipline as a result of teachers’ implicit biases. Implicit bias refers to the attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner. Continue reading
Think back to high school. Did a teacher ever tell you that you weren’t strong enough academically to attend a 4-year college? Did your teachers care if you did well? Did they expect you to excel? Continue reading
Salopia, Massachusetts recently voted to rebuild Bradley Early Childhood Center, which currently houses the half-day kindergarten and some of the first grade classrooms for the town. Bradley’s building needs major repair and the town’s school age population is growing, so Bradley is moving to a new location that will allow for a bigger school. Continue reading
There are many changes that need to be made to help close the achievement gap, but what is the most important? Some will argue that the problem is teacher quality, parent involvement or the reading skills that students from low income families lose when they leave school for summer vacation. Although those problems may be true, universal preschool learning is the biggest adjustment that needs to be made to help close this gap. Continue reading
It is a well-established fact that teacher quality is the biggest school-level factor related to the success or failure of students and thus, the achievement gap between students. A 2006 study in Los Angeles, CA found that when students were taught by the top 25% of the most effective teachers, the students advanced approximately five percentile points each year compared with their peers. Those taught by teachers in the bottom quartile of effectiveness, lose, on average, five percentile points, compared with their peers. However, having access to quality teachers would not be possible without a skilled and dedicated principal. Continue reading
In 2016, EdBuild, a non-partisan organization dedicated to education reform, found that predominantly non-white school districts received $23 billion less in funding than predominantly white school districts. Why do this inequalities persist? What solutions are being explored?
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The achievement gap as we know it starts off from a very young age. The gap then continues to increase due to the lack of outside of the school resources, as well as support systems. One prominent aid to the achievement gap is the loss of learning, or the halt of learning over the long summer break, also called summer learning loss. Continue reading
According to Niche.com, a ranking and reviews site, the Acton-Boxborough school district is the 15th best school district in Massachusetts. The towns of Acton and Boxborough are beautifully historical towns located about 25 miles northwest of Boston. Continue reading
Lake Region School District is located in rural Maine and is well-known for consistently producing underachieving students. In 2010, the state publicized and circulated this information throughout local media outlets labeling Lake Region High School (LRHS) as “one of the 10 persistently lowest-performing schools in the state.” Continue reading
Georgia has the nation’s third largest rural school population, but these rural schools are often underfunded, understaffed, and under-performing. Many rural schools are taking great strides to improve their outcomes, but are these improvements equal across disadvantaged groups?
Long Island is 118 miles long and 23 miles wide. It is home to 127 districts, some of which rank at the top in both New York and in the country. The districts that are not at the top, however, seem to be at the very bottom. The report Long Island Education: Costs and Outcomes has revealed that the difference between schools in wealthier areas has been growing tremendously. Continue reading
Initial Findings
After comparing the ELA MCAS scores in 2018 between 7th graders from my local elementary school (Milford) to the state of Massachusetts, I have determined that the local public elementary school as a whole is performing just as well if not better than the state of Massachusetts. Continue reading
Observations
After observing the ELA test scores from 2018 between 3rd graders from my (Justin) local public school and the state of Massachusetts, we have come to the conclusion that the local elementary school, overall, is performing better than the state as a whole. Both groups of students that we observed, economically advantaged and economically disadvantaged, that attended the Page School performed better than their counterparts on the state level.
Since the release of the Coleman Report in the 1970s, the achievement gap in the United States has been a central topic of discussion. Education policymakers and people in the education sphere have been examining the primary causes for the disparities among certain students, as well as the most effective solutions to resolve these vast inequities. The following post will take a closer look at Alma Del Mar Charter School in New Bedford, Massachusetts. It will look at the culture-changing charter school model and the active efforts made within Alma Del Mar to address inequities, as well as analyze test score data from the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS). Continue reading
Growing up in San Francisco I did not attend public school, but I was always aware of the constant battle to diminish the achievement gap through the newspaper articles, news reports, and hearing about it from my teachers. The achievement gap between black and white students in the city of San Francisco is among the worst in the US because students of color are constantly undereducated, not something people would expect from a city that is extremely progressive and liberal.