TL;DR: Standardized tests measure the socioeconomic status of students. In this article, I take you on my journey to find the answer to this question and more. It all started trying to answer a question related to the LEARNS Act and Marvell-Elaine School District.
As you wrote, teachers intuitively know that poverty affects learning and test scores—probably more than anything else. Unfortunately, so few of the resources we are given actually help us battle that specific obstacle. I hope your shining another light on it with this research will get the attention of people who can, and will, do something to assist us rather than give us one more bandaid that does nothing but cover up the gaping hole. And cover it poorly.
One issue is that children who grow up in poverty start kindergarten already 1-3 years behind their peers. They are trying to play catch up for the rest of their academic careers. The added stresses that come with low income like concerns about whether they will have a roof over their head, food on the table, parents working multiple jobs, the increased incarceration rate of family members, more single-parent families, etc. those stresses add up. That does not include the reduced number of books read to a child in those early, formative years, fewer opportunities for outings like zoos and museums that expand a child's mind, and other similar things that children in poverty don't experience as much of. That is NOT an indictment on these parents who usually are doing the best they can. I'm just stating the realities of growing up poor.
There are things like free, universal early childhood education that can help. Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is a huge success at expanding access to books to children in poverty. While I don't have all the data to confirm it, Des Arc was an early participant in Dolly's program and despite the disadvantages of that community, they are bucking the trend and far exceeding baseline expectations based on the community's SES. They should likely be a C or maybe even D schools based on their SES, but all of their schools are A schools. I'm certain the Imagination Library had something to do with that. Arkansas committing to expand access to the Imagination Library throughout the state is one of the few bright spots from this year's legislative session.
Ok … let’s say it had gotten ‘worse’ under Republican control. If it did. Where did we move to under Democrats? 46? 45? 44? The goalposts did not move significantly did they?
Both have failed.
I stand by my comment. It’s odd… you guys are usually all about bold change. I guess it’s only if it’s your bold change.
I agree. Both have failed. Both have consistently enacted educational policies without consulting active educators. They like to listen to third-party education companies (textbooks, tests, test-prep, special interest groups, etc.) about their newest "cure" for the current problems in education. All of them have something to sell. All of them have multi-million dollar contracts up for grabs. Therein lies the problem in education.
Politicians write legislation written by those people with millions to gain. They seem to always forget to ask the people in the classrooms actually doing the teaching what works/doesn't work. Then the politicians and the public like to put the blame on the teachers who have absolutely zero control over those failed policies. The policies are in constant flux, changing every 2-4 years depending on who is in control.
Education has gotten worse under Republican control. I wrote a Twitter thread about it a while back and working on a blog post that elaborates on it. In the meantime, check out the thread where I show how test scores changed over time and correlated to who was in control of Arkansas politics. https://twitter.com/Mr_McGarrah/status/1629922487067635715?s=20
As you wrote, teachers intuitively know that poverty affects learning and test scores—probably more than anything else. Unfortunately, so few of the resources we are given actually help us battle that specific obstacle. I hope your shining another light on it with this research will get the attention of people who can, and will, do something to assist us rather than give us one more bandaid that does nothing but cover up the gaping hole. And cover it poorly.
One issue is that children who grow up in poverty start kindergarten already 1-3 years behind their peers. They are trying to play catch up for the rest of their academic careers. The added stresses that come with low income like concerns about whether they will have a roof over their head, food on the table, parents working multiple jobs, the increased incarceration rate of family members, more single-parent families, etc. those stresses add up. That does not include the reduced number of books read to a child in those early, formative years, fewer opportunities for outings like zoos and museums that expand a child's mind, and other similar things that children in poverty don't experience as much of. That is NOT an indictment on these parents who usually are doing the best they can. I'm just stating the realities of growing up poor.
There are things like free, universal early childhood education that can help. Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is a huge success at expanding access to books to children in poverty. While I don't have all the data to confirm it, Des Arc was an early participant in Dolly's program and despite the disadvantages of that community, they are bucking the trend and far exceeding baseline expectations based on the community's SES. They should likely be a C or maybe even D schools based on their SES, but all of their schools are A schools. I'm certain the Imagination Library had something to do with that. Arkansas committing to expand access to the Imagination Library throughout the state is one of the few bright spots from this year's legislative session.
Here is a news story that covers it:
https://arktimes.com/arkansas-blog/2023/03/15/lawmakers-clearing-the-way-for-dolly-parton-to-send-books-to-more-young-arkansas-readers
To learn more about the program in the state, visit this link: https://arkansasimaginationlibrary.org/
Ok … let’s say it had gotten ‘worse’ under Republican control. If it did. Where did we move to under Democrats? 46? 45? 44? The goalposts did not move significantly did they?
Both have failed.
I stand by my comment. It’s odd… you guys are usually all about bold change. I guess it’s only if it’s your bold change.
I agree. Both have failed. Both have consistently enacted educational policies without consulting active educators. They like to listen to third-party education companies (textbooks, tests, test-prep, special interest groups, etc.) about their newest "cure" for the current problems in education. All of them have something to sell. All of them have multi-million dollar contracts up for grabs. Therein lies the problem in education.
Politicians write legislation written by those people with millions to gain. They seem to always forget to ask the people in the classrooms actually doing the teaching what works/doesn't work. Then the politicians and the public like to put the blame on the teachers who have absolutely zero control over those failed policies. The policies are in constant flux, changing every 2-4 years depending on who is in control.
As far as the use of "bold change" goes though, you might want to check who are the ones making all of those claims. In Arkansas, it is Sarah Huckabee Sanders and her faithful followers. https://www.sarahforgovernor.com/2022/10/18/sanders-unveils-arkansas-learns/ and https://governor.arkansas.gov/news_post/wtas-statements-of-support-for-arkansas-learns/.
47th in education… under Democrat and GOP administrations.
Someone tries to change things up…
But because of who she is…
This….
Education has gotten worse under Republican control. I wrote a Twitter thread about it a while back and working on a blog post that elaborates on it. In the meantime, check out the thread where I show how test scores changed over time and correlated to who was in control of Arkansas politics. https://twitter.com/Mr_McGarrah/status/1629922487067635715?s=20