Student mobility is a major issue in the nation’s public schools and is intricately tied to the residential mobility of a family. Presently, little has been done to confront this major issue. Student mobility occurs when a student changes schools in the middle of an academic year and can occur for a variety of reasons. Sometimes the reasons for a move are by choice, such as when a student or family moves for better job or school opportunities. However, the reasons for movement are frequently due to an inability to pay rent, a period of homelessness, or expulsion (see here).
Author: Julia Manning
Access to basic and quality healthcare is often limited for families from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Throughout the country, many students come to school from unhealthy living environments, unable to learn and perform to their full potential. Educator, Charles Basch, states simply, “If a health problem is the cause of an educational disparity, the health problem must be statistically and temporally associated with the unfavorable educational outcomes” (see here). Linking education and healthcare may be a key in closing the academic achievement gap.
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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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
The Lower Merion School District is a public school district located outside of Philadelphia for grades K-12. LMSD is a fairly affluent, primarily white, and extremely well funded school district. Continue reading