Reply to The Promise of Socio-Economically Integrated Schools in DC

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[quote=Anonymous]Not sure what the 'magic number' is for low SES in a school, I can say having worked in education for nearly 20 years (DC and MoCo) that is certainly makes a difference.  However, what many people are commenting on is the need to have more higher SES students, when its a combination of middle and higher SES mixed with lower income students.

There are numerous reasons for achievement gaps, especially in DC.  Economics is certainly one of them.  There have been study after study on the differences that exist within the same economic groups and within schools.    These range from the misguided belief that simply moving to a 'good school' will increase a child's achievement.  As previous posters have stated- there's no magic happening in JKLM schools other than resources (which do matter).  Move many of those same teachers and administrators to some schools in SE and they'd never make it.  There's a difference in preparation.  There's a difference in exposure.  (There's a difference between studying art by looking in a book and studying art by going to Paris and seeing the Mona Lisa, or visit the Met in NY or even a Smithsonian museum) There's a difference in support.  If my mom's an engineer I have help at home in math.  If my parents are both hardworking civil servants who lack a college degree, I may not.  In many cases there's a difference in expectation.  (See earlier statement about placing a child in a 'good school').  If my parents both have to work to afford a house or rent in a certain neighborhood, and one may even work weekends and my classmate has a stay at home parent (or some paid person) who's home providing support when I get there, making me do homework, able to read me a story before I go to bed, I have an advantage.  If my parents are third, fourth, fifth generation college grads, theres a difference in knowing how to be successful in school.  I've seen all these things first hand as a student, as an educator and as a parent.

These are things schools have to figure out when working to close the achievement gap.  Yes, its economics, but its not that simple.  [/quote]

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