EDUC 2301: Introduction to Special Populations Understanding the Achievement Gaps Chapter 13 A Changing Society

Explaining Achievement Gaps Cultural Deprivation Theory Cultural Difference Theory Oppositional Cultures Theory ©2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Ogbu’s Oppositional Cultures Theory According to Ogbu (1974), race alone does not explain minority student variability in school achievement. Ogbu developed a structural model of racial stratification to explain why subjugated minority groups achieve poorly in schools. His model begins with an articulation of minority student "type" as an outgrowth of the form of their initial terms of incorporation into U.S. society, be it voluntary or involuntary. ©2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Deculturalization Theory Similarly, Spring (2004) explained the negative effects of deculturalization on minority student development and achievement. Deculturalization is the educational process of destroying a people’s culture and replacing it with a new culture. ©2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Socio-economic Achievement Gaps Education Gap Grows Between Rich and Poor –Test Scores Gap between affluent and low- income students double the gap between blacks and whites –Imbalance between rich and poor children in college completion rate on/education-gap-grows-between-rich-and- poor-studies-show.html?_r=2 on/education-gap-grows-between-rich-and- poor-studies-show.html?_r=2

For Reflection and Discussion 1.How might the social deprivation theory abdicate the classroom teacher from the responsibility of promoting social justice? 2.How might the terms of initial incorporation into society affect a minority student’s approach to academic achievement? 3.How does “not learning” serve as an adaptive strategy? ©2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.