Professor Bieber
English 115
24 November 2014
The “achievement gap” in education refers to the disparity in academic performance between groups of students. The achievement gap shows up in grades, standardized-test scores, course selection, dropout rates, and college-completion rates, among other success measures. It is most often used to describe the troubling performance gaps between African-American and Hispanic students and the similar academic disparity between students from low-income families and those who are better off. In the past decade, though, scholars and policymakers have begun to focus increasing attention on other achievement gaps, such as those based on sex, English-language proficiency and learning disabilities. Low student achievement is often caused by lack of resources, parental guidance, healthcare, and educational opportunities such as the universal preschool. These disparities have been demonstrated through films, books, magazines, and new articles to send a message that poverty has a huge impact on low-income students.
Strawberry Mansion High
School
Strawberry Mansion is one of the most dangerous high schools in America. At Strawberry Mansion High School, the student body makeup is 47 percent male and 53 percent female, and the total minority enrollment is 100 percent. Graduation rates are tremendously low and there has not been as much improvement of academic success at school for many years now. This school is unfortunately located in a minority or low-income area. Their lack of resources affects their lifestyle and it is also very hard to focus on school because they are focused on other priorities.
You’d think that a school
would be the safest place to bring your child, but think again. Every student
that enters would have to go through metal detector each morning. Most students
only go to school to get away from their everyday struggles. Malaysia, is an honor
student at Strawberry Mansion, her dad is supportive of her education and wants
her to do just as well as he did. However, she struggles and is afraid to go to
school due to bullying and hate crimes. The school and community cannot provide
a better life for their students due to insignificant funds. They cannot fund
for more experience teachers which can’t give students the chance to enroll in
more advanced and efficient classes to improve academic performance.
The school's bad reputation almost resulted with the school
getting shutdown. Luckily, it didn't and students were starting to make a
change and taking their education more seriously for their future. Due to those
changes they are getting the right amount of school hours and are feeling safer
amongst the student body. There are more students graduating and are on their
way to living the life they've always wanted.
Comic Strip
This illustration shows the
damaging effects of poverty and how it is becoming an issue that more and more
of our nation's children are coming face to face with. The price that children
of poverty must pay is unbelievably high. Each year, increasing numbers of
children are entering schools with needs from circumstances, such as poverty,
that schools are not prepared to meet. Poverty as a risk factor is crucial to a
student’s health and motivation for going to school. Health issues in
low-income cities are significantly higher than in high-income areas and
discourage anyone from attaining an education.
The sickly looking man
who is on his hands and feet represents education. He is lacking funds and
resources to support the health issues school are facing. Most health issues
are involved in low-income and urban areas. Most minority children are often at
higher risk to drop out than their counterparts from wealthier homes. The other
two men on the right discuss that if the government continues to bring no
attention towards the health issues in low-income areas, students won’t get the
opportunity to finish or get an education. It also means that higher levels of
juvenile delinquency, teenage pregnancies, etc., will occur among this group.
They will lack positive role models and often become mothers in their teens.
Illiteracy increases the chances of unemployment which in turn affects income
generation. Pointing out that this factor affects every other sector
negatively those who are illiterate have often been found to neglect basic
health issues and pay nonchalant attitude to their health matters.
‘Freedom Writers’
Released in 2007, ‘Freedom Writers’ is a story of hope,
inspiration, tolerance and courage. Based on the book, ‘The Freedom Writers
Diary’ by Erin Gruwell, it has been directed by Richard LaGravenese, an
Academy Award nominated screenwriter. ‘Freedom Writers’ is the true story of English teacher Erin Gruwell and her
first teaching assignment in Long Beach, California, working with students
other teachers deemed "unteachable." Gruwell quickly learned that her
students had more to worry about than homework; her students went home to
gunfire, gangs, drugs, and a host of other difficult situations. The students
were convinced that they had nothing to learn from a white woman who had never
experienced firsthand the violence, discrimination, and hatred that was part of
their everyday lives.
‘Freedom Writers’ is a journey. It is the story of how
broken yet tough kids affected by the riots begin to see hope in change. The
students that were portrayed in the movie were constantly involved in gangs. Children, who don’t even expect to live till 18, embark
on making their dreams come true. But more importantly, it is the story of Erin
Gruwell, who despite all odds, makes her students see that hope. It is nothing less than a miracle that all 150 of the
Freedom Writers graduated from high school and went on to college. It is likely that none of their achievements would have been possible without Gruwell's fierce
determination and perseverance.
60 Minutes
60 Minutes made a documentary about children who live in poverty and parents are struggling to provide the proper support for their children. These families were living in cars and were constantly moving to protect their children from any danger. The video shows the need for active parent participation, the strong interaction between parents and the school, is well recognized. By living like this, they could have their children be taken away from them just because they cannot provide for them. It is hard to get out of poverty and education seemed to be the only way out. The parents only want what’s best for their children. Sharing this story will bring awareness to other families and communities about this issue to prevent other children to be taken away from their parents so that they can provide support and opportunites to give them a better life. A mother in the video discussed why she resorted to living in the car and mentions, “The longevity of poverty continues to rise and people are starting to run out of resources.” Exposure to this lifestyle at a young age concerned the parents and are giving hope which isn't showing positive example for their children. Some communities that were mentioned in the video are taking notice and are giving those children homes and a happier life. The children are starting to go to school and get the education they need to pursue their dreams of becoming someone they always wanted to be. Its hard for a parent to let go of their child especially when they can't do anything about it but if it means they are able to live the life they never could give them then that's all they could ever ask for.
Universal Preschools
In
the article, “DC may have universal access to preschool, but low-income
kids need more than access,” by Natalie Wexler, who is a board member at DC Scholars Public Charter School,
discusses the importance of providing educational resources and opportunities
for low-income children in order to improve academic success. Wexler wants the government
to be aware that these children already lack the basic motor skills and
literacy compared to the higher-income children already by saying “So if kids at all income levels are going to start
kindergarten on an equal footing, preschools serving poor children need to also
provide the vocabulary and background knowledge that wealthier ones get at home.”
An early start for education will make them more eager to learn. Considering
their minority background, there is limit support at home so preschools would
improve their behaviors and learning performances. Wexler uses statistics and
shares studies of how effective a good preschool program teaches all children
the social and emotional skills that will help ensure their future success in
school. She says that low-income students were showing improvement by
saying, “Studies have concluded that Tools has positive effects on children's
behavior and social skills, but it's less clear that it's giving poor kids the
leg up they need in other areas.”
It is important to reach the
disadvantaged before preschool. And more specifically it is important to reach
and help parents embrace the cultural value of education and commit to
providing their children with what they may never have received. It's uncomfortable but it's true. Closing the gap means
pouring a lot of resources into these neighborhoods and schools to provide
wraparound services to kids and their families. I think support for the
families is the critical but most difficult piece of the puzzle and it has to
be sustained way beyond preschool. It is hard enough to get social investment
in innocent poor kids, not sure how to get it for minority adults that are unequipped
to help their kids break the cycle of poverty and low educational attainment.
Work
Cited
Freedom Writers. Dir. Richard LaGravenese. Perf. Hilary Swank,
Patrick Dempsey and Imelda
Staunton. Paramount Pictures, 2007. DVD.
Nguyen, Nath. I’m Shocked That Graduates Cannot Fill Forms.
2009. Web. Medium. 24 Nov.
2014.
Pelley, Scott. “Hard Times
Generation: Families living in cars.” 60 Minutes. CBS. WCBS, New York.
27 Nov. 2011. Television.
Sawyer, Diane. “At Strawberry
Mansion There’s Fear, Hope.” ABC News. ABC.
31 May 2014. Web. 24 Nov. 2014.
Wexler, Natalie. “DC may have
universal access to preschool, but low-income kids need more than access.”
Greater Greater Education Organization. 21
April 2014. Web. 24 Nov.
2014.
