STATISTICS

General The poverty level in a school taken from amount on free and reduced lunch mil children lived under poverty line A lot of the lack of achievement can come from other factors as well – Family characteristics – Selection bias Kindergarteners come to school with an achievement gap already There is a gap of 55% between high and low poverty levels in achievement (study among kindergarteners) – Gap will widen throughout the years – High school gap vs. kindergarten

General cont. Twice as likely to repeat a grade, be expelled, or suspended, or drop out 1.4 times more likely to be I.D. with a learning disability From 1999 to 2005 spending gap has widened between highest and lowest poverty areas We spend less and less on the highest poverty group

Effects on Education $1,000 increase in income = 2.1% increase in math and 3.6% in reading More likely to have poor verbal skills and more hostility in class Middle level – Kids in deep poverty points lower – Twice as likely to be placed in non-age appropriate classes Aren't expected to do as well, self-fulfilling prophecy?

Drop out Rates 1/3 drop out to support their families Twice as likely to slip into poverty within a single year Rates have fallen between 1973 and 1998 from 6.1% to 4.5% 1998, 14.5 among working poor, more than double those who have a diploma

Event dropout rates of 15- through 24-year-olds who dropped out of grades 10–12, by family income: October 1972–2001

Only 54% graduate for lowest income families

“Low-Quality” Teachers Highest- poverty= novice teachers – Twice as often as low poverty High minority = the same Don’t have strong backgrounds in the subject they teach – “out of field teachers Start in poor districts No requirements of demonstrating knowledge or achievement