...models, or initiatives all claiming to be panacea to heal all the educational achievement woes that exist in society. With the nation’s situation being as it is there is a litany of issues on which to focus concerning academic achievement, or lack thereof. One area of academic achievement gaps in particular continues to plague American education that is the obvious disparity between Black students and White students. According to the National Assessment or Educational Progress (NAEP, 2010), “Achievement gaps occur when one group of students outperforms another group and the difference in average scores for the two groups is statistically significant.” The problem with achievement gaps is that they are subject to “The Matthew Effect.” The "Matthew Effect" is an expression made popular by Keith Stanovich. According to Stanovich (1999, p.247), a psychologist whose claim to fame is reading research, The "Matthew Effect" refers to the idea that in reading (as in other areas of life), the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. This is also true in other areas of academic achievement. If intense intervention strategies are not implemented early and consistently, those students who arrive to school in kindergarten already at a deficit will only fall further behind, thus “The Matthew Effect” meaning that the achievement gap becomes wider over time. What can leaders in education do to close the achievement gap between Black students and White students? The key is to “catch them before...
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...One of the major issues I have observed is the “achievement gap”. Most educators define the achievement gap as the difference in performance between low-income and minority students compared to that of their peers. Traditionally African-American students lag behind their white peers. In “The Black-White Achievement Gap, why closing it is the greatest civil rights”, former Education Secretary Rod Paige and his sister, Elaine Witty argue that education is the new civil rights. Instead of fighting for issues traditionally associated with civil rights, African American leaders should advocate for the children. Leaders can bring forth change by building public awareness and using their powers to bring necessary change. Rod Paige believes we can narrow the gap by a concerted effort of committed leadership and community involvement. Like leadership, environment also plays a significant role in narrowing the achievement gap. From 2001 – 2007 the Century Foundation tracked two sets of low-income students in Montgomery County Maryland: one group was assigned to higher-income schools and the other was not. Although the lower income students received more funding, the students assigned to the higher-income students were able to cut the achievement gap by almost a third in reading and half in math. The researcher of the study, Heather Schwartz, cited environmental reasons such as a stable set of teachers, less disruptions in the classroom, and more engaged students as reasons for the...
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...Education and Equity Student’s Name Institution Education and Equity In the case Education and Equity: Closing the Achievement Gap, the arguments presented include the need to offer equal chance for all students, despite of color and class, the apparent education achievement gap and possible solutions to closing the gap. Arguments A, B and C note that there is an apparent achievement gap in education. The gap is more noticeable in learners from multipart urban settings, where there are many minority inhabitants. The current education requirements, of ensuring students pass benchmark tests; fail to promote equity because they do not put into deliberation the desires of students that are not academically inclined. However, it appears that learners termed as not academically inclined are students of color; hence, the need to set a standard curriculum, which is both thorough and culturally relevant as suggested by speaker A (Case). Speaker A provides a better argument when compared to B and C. The speaker begins by noting that instructing students on how to excel in benchmark tests fails to prepare their participation in a global economy. The speaker also notes the lack of equity especially for students of color termed as not academically inclined. In conclusion, A provides a solution to closing the achievement gap by setting a rigorous and applicable curriculum. Though speaker B provides a solution, which involves setting the standard, the arguments do not seems to realize...
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...Critical Analysis of Article Education and Urban Society, Vol. 35 No. 2 (February 3003) The Achievement Gap: Issues of Competition, Class, and Race Retrieved from http://eus.sagepub.com/content/35/2/151.full.pdf+html One of the key arguments in the Education and Urban Society, Vol. 35 No. 2 article is that closing the achievement gap between racial minorities and the racial majority does not merely require more competition and choice, but requires more objectives for educational attainment that are clearly defined, practices that are adequately implemented, and evaluations that are based on long-term effectiveness instead of short-term gains. An example given was the fact that public schools face critical challenges when defining equitable access and equality of opportunity for racial minorities in today’s standardized system of education. Due to the fact that Neither African Americans nor Hispanics have been able to receive adequate and equal opportunities to excel, their performance on standardize testing has paled in comparison to the rest of the population in the United States (Heubert & Hauser, 1999; Irvine, 1990; Jencks & Phillips, 1998; McNeil, 2000; Miller, 1995; Viadero, 2000). However, ironically enough, standardize testing is what is being used to measure the level of proficiency of students- even though these students are not being given sufficient tools to be able to learn the material given. Because of this many have scrutinized this system and have...
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...Currently, The Achievement Gap between white students and African American and Hispanic students cannot be completely closed by schools because there are too many outside factors limiting student success. In the contrary, others believe that the achievement gap can be closed through curriculum based changes made by schools themselves. There are factors that both sides can argue but, through investigation, I found that it is not possible to close the gap between white students and African American and Hispanic students by the help of schools alone. The issues preventing schools from closing the achievement gap stem from factors outside of school. The issues start with racial bias rooted in the government and results in unequal funding being...
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...teachers become aware of the incongruity between their commitment to ensure learning for all students and their lack of a coordinated strategy to respond when some students do not learn.” (DuFour, 2004) Identifying the Problem Desert View Elementary has a primarily white population of 67%. However, we also have one of the largest Hispanic populations in the district with 29%. Desert View is 56% male and 44% female. About half of the student population comes from low-income families. We serve 53% of the student’s free or reduced meals. There are 14% of students that attend Desert View that are on an IEP and 15% that are ELL. For years now Desert View has been a school within our district that is a choice school. There is a current achievement gap among Desert View and the rest of the school district. The decision of making this school a choice school was made because of the consistently low PAWS test scores. PAWS is our standardized test that students are required to take. Students in grades 3-8 take the test in reading and math each year. Fourth and eighth grades also take the science test. The 2014 scores show declines from last year especially in science and among students who reached the proficient and advanced levels. Collaboration In order to collaborate for student success, I would like to continue the implementation of the Professional...
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...Academic Journals Review The effects of poverty on academic achievement Misty Lacour1 and Laura D. Tissington2* 2 Southern Arkansas University, Magnolia, Arkansas, USA. th University of West Florida, 1732 N. 13 Avenue Pensacola, Florida 32503, USA. Accepted 12 May, 2011 Poverty, which forms a specific culture and way of life, is a growing issue in the United States. The number of Americans living in poverty is continually increasing. Poverty indicates the extent to which an individual does without resources. Resources can include financial, emotional, mental, spiritual, and physical resources as well as support systems, relationships, role models, and knowledge of hidden rules. Poverty directly affects academic achievement due to the lack of resources available for student success. Low achievement is closely correlated with lack of resources, and numerous studies have documented the correlation between low socioeconomic status and low achievement. Several strategies exist to assist teachers in closing the poverty achievement gap for students. Key words: Poverty, family income, achievement gap, academic gap. INTRODUCTION In the United States (US), the gaps in achievement among poor and advantaged students are substantial (Rowan et al., 2004). Through multiple studies, The U.S. Department of Education (2001: 8) has indicated results that “clearly demonstrated that student and school poverty adversely affected student achievement”. The U.S. Department of Education (2001) found the following...
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...Journals Review The effects of poverty on academic achievement Misty Lacour1 and Laura D. Tissington2* 2 Southern Arkansas University, Magnolia, Arkansas, USA. th University of West Florida, 1732 N. 13 Avenue Pensacola, Florida 32503, USA. Accepted 12 May, 2011 Poverty, which forms a specific culture and way of life, is a growing issue in the United States. The number of Americans living in poverty is continually increasing. Poverty indicates the extent to which an individual does without resources. Resources can include financial, emotional, mental, spiritual, and physical resources as well as support systems, relationships, role models, and knowledge of hidden rules. Poverty directly affects academic achievement due to the lack of resources available for student success. Low achievement is closely correlated with lack of resources, and numerous studies have documented the correlation between low socioeconomic status and low achievement. Several strategies exist to assist teachers in closing the poverty achievement gap for students. Key words: Poverty, family income, achievement gap, academic gap. INTRODUCTION In the United States (US), the gaps in achievement among poor and advantaged students are substantial (Rowan et al., 2004). Through multiple studies, The U.S. Department of Education (2001: 8) has indicated results that “clearly demonstrated that student and school poverty adversely affected student achievement”. The U.S. Department of Education (2001) found the...
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...schools have to follow a fair and open admission process. Charters are public schools, with similar operations as a regular public school does. Charters around the world are admitted on a first come first served basis. Some schools use a lottery pick when the applicants exceed available slots in the area. Charter schools operate in exchange for greater accountably. They operate on there basic principles, which are Accountability, Choice, and Autonomy. The schools are held accountable for how the students are educated in a responsible environment. They take pride in how well they meet the student achievement goals. Charter schools are given a few years to have food standers on academic performance. By changes children are not performing well, and their academic performance legs behind compared to public schools, then the charter is pulled. When carter schools produce low achievement they are forced to close and parents have to search for other schools for their children to attend. Charters schools are chosen by parents who want educate their children. Some parents maybe dissatisfied with the status of traditional education. When they make the decision to...
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...schools have to follow a fair and open admission process. Charters are public schools, with similar operations as a regular public school does. Charters around the world are admitted on a first come first served basis. Some schools use a lottery pick when the applicants exceed available slots in the area. Charter schools operate in exchange for greater accountably. They operate on there basic principles, which are Accountability, Choice, and Autonomy. The schools are held accountable for how the students are educated in a responsible environment. They take pride in how well they meet the student achievement goals. Charter schools are given a few years to have food standers on academic performance. By changes children are not performing well, and their academic performance legs behind compared to public schools, then the charter is pulled. When carter schools produce low achievement they are forced to close and parents have to search for other schools for their children to attend. Charters schools are chosen by parents who want educate their children. Some parents maybe dissatisfied with the status of traditional education. When they make the decision to...
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...Name Course Instructor Date of Submission The Great Divide Indigenous Health and Federal Government Policy Closing the Gap The ‘closing the gap’ is a strategy whose aims are to give a boost to the indigenous people life expectancy rates. This policy was made in reference to the sensitive areas of child mortality, life expectancy, early childhood education, achievements in education and the employment opportunities of the indigenous communities of Australia. It was endorsed by the Australian government in 2008 to close the formal gap between the indigenous communities of Australia and the ‘white’ communities and bring a sense of social justice to all communities in Australia; most especially boost the health system of the indigenous. The Council of Australian Governments (COAG), in the Closing the Gap initiative has set certain targets that seek to improve the healthcare system of the indigenous population. The targets of the ‘Closing the Gap’ initiative include: education, economic participation, early childhood, housing, health and remote service delivery. The subsequent achievement of this particular set system to cope with the problems facing the indigenous will hugely depend on an effective implementation of the set policy targets. This is because the set targets are as of today some of the common disadvantages that the indigenous people face (Ryan 2009). The government clearly understands the enormous task that faces...
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...relative to the society you live in. 2. Poverty occurs in all races and in all countries. 3. Generational and situational poverty are different. 4. For students to be successful they must understand the hidden rules of class; they must be taught the rules if they are to succeed. 5. Two things help individuals move out of poverty—education and relationships. Hidden Rules Payne describes hidden rules as ”unspoken cues and habits of a group. Distinct cueing systems exist among groups and economic classes. Generally, in America, that notion is recognized for racial and ethnic groups, but not particularly for economic groups. There are many hidden rules to examine. The ones examined are those that have the most impact on achievement in schools and success in the workplace...(41).” Payne’s analysis of poverty is the idea that there are “hidden rules” which...
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...system capacity, and increased productivity and effectiveness. The ARRA provides $4.35 billion for the Race to the Top Fund, a competitive grant program designed to encourage and reward States that are creating the conditions for education innovation and reform; achieving significant improvement in student outcomes, including making substantial gains in student achievement, closing achievement gaps, improving high school graduation rates, and ensuring student preparation for success in college and careers; and implementing ambitious plans in four core education reform areas: • Adopting standards and assessments that prepare students to succeed in college and the workplace and to compete in the global economy; • Building data systems that measure student growth and success, and inform teachers and principals about how they can improve instruction; • Recruiting, developing, rewarding, and retaining effective teachers and principals, especially where they are needed most; and • Turning around our lowest-achieving schools. Race to the Top will reward States that have demonstrated success in raising student achievement and have the best plans to accelerate their reforms in the future. These States will offer models for...
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...President George W. Bush. This law affects how students learn, the tests they take, and the way teachers are trained. It’s stated goal is to close the achievement gap between minority and non-minority students, between the disadvantaged and the advantaged, and between those living in poverty and those that are wealthy. After given a standardized test every year, the school is required to take different actions if their school does not improve each year such as directing a chunk of it’s funding to teacher development, giving students the option to transfer, changing it’s curriculum, or having the school shut down altogether. My claim is that we should adjust or amend the No Child Left Behind Act. No Child Left Behind’s attempt to narrow achievement gaps by ensuring that all children receive a quality education is admirable, but it is hardly realistic. Teachers would have to devote their entire time to teaching specifically just math and English. By doing that they block out any other subjects such as science, history, art, or any other important elective or subject. We should adjust the law by having less harsh punishments that way the students and teachers are not constantly stressing, and most importantly because we want to keep the students from doubting themselves academically. Some people may argue that 2 over time the achievement gap will close because we will have devoted enough time to math and English to prove that no child is getting left behind. I will address this concern...
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...------------------------ 1. There are multiple problems that were enlightened in the case study. First off the concern from critics who claims that there is to much focus on closing the gap between green and red zone student that the gifted or very talented students gets overlooked or doesn't get enough challenge and attention. Then there is the concern from parents who thinks there is to much standarized testing. The study also states that "viable alternative strategies to foster improvement in struggling school districts are difficult to develop". NOTES: How teachers use the information they recieve. Not all teachers like the IS. Three to four hours of weekly work. Even harder if your "against IT". - Many parents in Montgomery County have expressed concern that the new systems are an excessive and unnecessary expenditure. In the short term, President Obama’s stimulus plan provides increased funding to schools over the next two years. Projects like these are likely to become more popular as it becomes clearer that a data-driven approach yields quantifiable results. - In Montgomery County, one of the primary goals of the implementation of data-driven systems was to close the achievement gap between white and minority students in the lower grades. Teachers and administrators would use different types of information organized by the DSS to identify gifted students earlier and challenge them with a more appropriate course load of more advanced placement (AP) classes...
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