What can be done to level the playing field?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are public schools where there are significant achievement gaps between students from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Yet some schools thrive despite having great economic differences among the student body - these schools show no significant achievement differences in math, science, social science, and language arts. What are the schools that have no gap doing right? Do these schools provide after-school tutoring, supplemental weekend and summer enrichment? Do these schools provide parents with the resources to supplement their kids or are systemic issues permanent barriers in schools that cannot overcome the gaps (such as parents not having sufficient time because they work in the evenings and nights and needs to sleep during the day)?

Except for Asians, I'd love to know which schools/school districts you are referring to.

+1
Most Asian Americans seem to do well despite the Low HHI. Mainly because only the E of SES is low for them. They are educated, culturally value education and are clued in to pathways to succcess by emulating others in their community. They mostly also have intact households.

But otherwise I would not know what schools or schools districts have bridged the achievement gap. A low performing school will bring down even the high performing Asian American kid if they are not being given the resources. and of all the groups , Asian Americans are not given resources by the school. Parents supplement their education.

[Anonymous]

Fostering.

Give low performing kids to parents whose kids do very well. Let them parent the low achieving kid and teach them study skills.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are public schools where there are significant achievement gaps between students from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Yet some schools thrive despite having great economic differences among the student body - these schools show no significant achievement differences in math, science, social science, and language arts. What are the schools that have no gap doing right? Do these schools provide after-school tutoring, supplemental weekend and summer enrichment? Do these schools provide parents with the resources to supplement their kids or are systemic issues permanent barriers in schools that cannot overcome the gaps (such as parents not having sufficient time because they work in the evenings and nights and needs to sleep during the day)?

Seton schools have strong academic performance across SES.

Maybe it’s the parent involvement, sense of community, uniforms, time tested curricula (not experimental or Uber progressive), high expectations and discipline.?.

Or maybe because there's an application process and they can exclude anyone they want.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fostering.

Give low performing kids to parents whose kids do very well. Let them parent the low achieving kid and teach them study skills.

I worked as a social worker in the foster system and this is the dumbest thing I've read recently on DCUM. The system is completely overwhelmed with kids who have been seriously abused. And now what? We are just going to put kids in the system whose parents don't value education?

[Anonymous]

Wrong metaphor, let's talk about "Strengthening the Ladders" instead of "leveling the playing field". Saying "leveling" makes sense when talking about removing institutional racism, but for economic mobility, no.

Everyone doesn't have equal brains or ambition, so there's no way to level outcomes. But we can build ladders to help those who can help themselves, climb up the SES.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Make it much harder to become a teacher, and pay teachers more.

Its not that simple.

You need a good curriculum and several different teaching styles to meet each kids needs. In ES, especially you need multiple (at least 1-2 per grade) ESOL, reading specialists, speech pathologists, OT to provide services and extra help to kids struggling. You need more psychologists to do evaluations of all kids struggling in any area. And, social workers and therapists (as some parents cannot access resources due to finances and other parents are just too busy and don't care). The same goes for MS and HS but at different levels. Early intervention and catching things early makes a huge difference and the key to success.

Poor immigrant kids rose up the socio-economic ladder way before we had any of this in the school system. What we did have in previous decades were higher expectations for participation in school and classes that focused specifically on learning English. People were also motivated by the fact that they needed to support themselves, rather than relying on government programs.

[Anonymous]

I don’t see what’s really wrong with closing the achievement gap from the top down.

Virtually all the people at the top benefited from unearned privilege.

[Anonymous]

No school out there is erasing this gap. Those who say they have this goal are being disingenuous. But children can grow and can outperform their families of origin, and we should try.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:90% of budget K-5. By middle school track like crazy the way the Europeans do it. Find issues early and tutor like crazy. Soup to nuts). Very minimal for middle and high school. All sports budgets should be funded outside school budget.

I can hear the banshees wailing now!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t see what’s really wrong with closing the achievement gap from the top down.

Virtually all the people at the top benefited from unearned privilege.

So, where do your kids go to school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are public schools where there are significant achievement gaps between students from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Yet some schools thrive despite having great economic differences among the student body - these schools show no significant achievement differences in math, science, social science, and language arts. What are the schools that have no gap doing right? Do these schools provide after-school tutoring, supplemental weekend and summer enrichment? Do these schools provide parents with the resources to supplement their kids or are systemic issues permanent barriers in schools that cannot overcome the gaps (such as parents not having sufficient time because they work in the evenings and nights and needs to sleep during the day)?

Seton schools have strong academic performance across SES.

Maybe it’s the parent involvement, sense of community, uniforms, time tested curricula (not experimental or Uber progressive), high expectations and discipline.?.

Aren't they private? They can choose who to accept and who to ask to leave. That alone will account for a huge portion of the difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are public schools where there are significant achievement gaps between students from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Yet some schools thrive despite having great economic differences among the student body - these schools show no significant achievement differences in math, science, social science, and language arts. What are the schools that have no gap doing right? Do these schools provide after-school tutoring, supplemental weekend and summer enrichment? Do these schools provide parents with the resources to supplement their kids or are systemic issues permanent barriers in schools that cannot overcome the gaps (such as parents not having sufficient time because they work in the evenings and nights and needs to sleep during the day)?

Seton schools have strong academic performance across SES.

Maybe it’s the parent involvement, sense of community, uniforms, time tested curricula (not experimental or Uber progressive), high expectations and discipline.?.

Aren't they private? They can choose who to accept and who to ask to leave. That alone will account for a huge portion of the difference.

Also, the parents who don’t prioritize educating their children won’t bother sending them to a private school.

[Anonymous]

Dc prep and kipp get results from lower ses kids

It's mainly drill and kill which is needed when folks are so far behind

The end goal is foolish you are advocating for communism ina capitalistic society

[Anonymous]

Provide stronger academics and supports. Use school time for academics and not pet projects.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Provide stronger academics and supports. Use school time for academics and not pet projects.

Sounds nice until you try to get into the details. Nothing has really worked except for phonics and free and reduced meals. Doesn’t help that in some of these schools half the class barely even shows up.