Social Class, Race and School Achievement Chapter 11 Social Class, Race and School Achievement Viewing recommendations for Windows: Use the Arial TrueType font and set your screen area to at least 800 by 600 pixels with Colors set to Hi Color (16 bit). Viewing recommendations for Macintosh: Use the Arial TrueType font and set your monitor resolution to at least 800 by 600 pixels with Color Depth set to thousands of colors

Elements of Socioeconomic Status Occupation Education Income Housing Value Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company

SES Differences in Home Environment Knowledge and Understandings Middle class children come to school with wider knowledge of the world. Cognitive and Verbal Skills Middle class children are more familiar with elaborated, formal language. Values and Attitudes Middle class families stress independence and self-directed thinking. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company

Heredity versus Environment Hereditarian View Intelligence and school success reflect inborn differences in ability. Environmentalist View Intelligence and school success depend on school and home environment. Synthesizers’ View Both heredity and environment contribute to intelligence and school success Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company

Classroom Obstacles for Low-Income Students Inappropriate curriculum and instruction Lack of previous success Too much low-level learning Conditions in working-class schools Teacher-student background differences Teacher perceptions of inadequacy Ineffective homogenous grouping Overloaded schools Big classes Teacher inexperience Negative peer pressure Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company

Do Schools Equalize Opportunity? Revisionist View Educational system is designed to provide unequal opportunities and continue current class structure Traditional View Educational system provides opportunities for working class students to achieve social mobility Intermediate View Although there are some opportunities for working-class students, more can be done. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company