The Impact of The Impact of PovertyPoverty

PovertyPoverty

An Urban Issue?

City versus SuburbsCity versus Suburbs

In 2001 and shortly thereafter, the growth of suburban poverty intersected that of urban, and since then, the poverty of the suburbs has risen

faster than that of the city!

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Issues In EducationIssues In Education

Teacher Evaluation Privatization

Teacher Education and Training Curriculum Development: Public versus Private

High Stakes Testing versus Genuine Assessments Reform: What’s New?

Funding:: What A Local Tax Base Means Poverty

Race and Inequality

The Impact of PovertyThe Impact of Poverty

Researchers at Columbia’s Teachers’ College (Rebell/Wolfe, 2011) tell us that “there is no general education crisis in American education but there is a crisis of poverty.”

Finland: Children in poverty=less than 5%USA: children in poverty=22% and rising!

What can we learn from “high performance education systems” elsewhere?

What do we know about the education systems of the “high performing nations”?

StatisticsStatistics

The Current State of Poverty in Baltimore

91,581 African-Americans or 23.4%41,000 under 18 years of age

Baltimore total-123,956 or 20.1% of total10.1% of those in poverty are employed66,441 of the over-25 population are in poverty and more than 75% of those are

high school grads or below“White” and “Asian” poverty levels are 13.4

and 13.1% of those total populations

Massachusetts PovertyMassachusetts Poverty

The 2011 rate was 11.6 per cent (based on threshold of $22,000 for a family of four)

This is up from 11.4 in 2010, and 9.9 in 2007.

Black population: 6% but 13% of poor; Asian population is also 6% but 16% of the poor. Whites are 83% of population but 64% of

poor.

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Lawrence?Lawrence?

The Situation in Lawrence, the “city of the damned”………

A 1999 report issued by Merrimack College, entitled The Community Context of Health in Lawrence, Massachusetts provided extensive statistical evidence of the impact of poverty, unemployment and decades old neglect on the city. What we learn from that, now, is that things have become significantly worse on virtually every indicator!Home values: down 18% in five years/25% of public school students below proficiency in English/34% live under poverty line/median income fell 20% over five years……………

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Facts About American Poverty Family of four=$21,834

“Basic Needs Budget”=$35,000 Poverty still equates in many ways to race School budgets are tied to property taxes

75% of the nation’s schools report the need for major repairs Most schools in bad shape are in 70%+ high poverty zones

High school grad rates are more than 15% lower in urban districts High school grad rates are much higher for whites

Children raised in poverty are six times more likely to drop out In 2008 17 of the nation’s top fifty cities had graduation rates

less than 50% (Detroit, Cleveland and Indianapolis all less than 35%)

Six Kinds of PovertySix Kinds of Poverty

Situational: created suddenly by crisis, natural disaster, sudden loss. Often temporary.

Generational: passed on through two or more generations Absolute: scarce resources in general, such as housing,

food/water, often also due to national or regional conditions Relative: failure to meet average national standards Urban: characterized by poor services, poor health, crime,

unemployment or underemployment, violence, overcrowding, noise

Rural: this has been roughly five percent higher in the U.S than urban poverty since records first kept in the 1960’s. Characterized by travel issues, lack of access to services, disabilities, poor housing, limited educational opportunities; is also generational

Urban-10-15% Rural-15-20% Nationally 18% and growing……..

Risks Related to PovertyRisks Related to PovertyPesticide agentsNeurotoxic agentsIncome below poverty line (and often unreliable)Inadequate schoolsNutritional deficitsTeen pregnancyDeficient Pre-Natal careTobacco/Drug use (maternal)Low parent educationUnsupportive home lifeIncarceratation

An Endless Cascade of An Endless Cascade of ConsequencesConsequences

40% of children in poverty experience two or more deficiencies in functioning by age three.

Children in poverty have less access to cultural resources (library, museum), spend more time watching television, have fewer books in the home, are less likely to be read to, more likely to rely on peers than adults for social and emotional support, and are much more likely to have single-parent homes.

Children in poverty have much more stress, fewer stable relationships, get less positive reinforcement, less homework help, and experience more emotional imbalance.

Nature Versus Nurture (Again!)Nature Versus Nurture (Again!)

We seem to be hardwired for sadness, joy, surprise, anger, disgust and fear. We are taught humility, forgiveness, empathy, optimism and compassion as well as compassion, sympathy, shame, patience and gratitude. In many cases, it is the school that teaches these behaviors!

“…the acute and chronic stress that children raised in poverty experience leaves a devastating imprint on their lives.”

Eric Jensen, Teaching With Poverty in Mind

StressStress

Stress impairs behavior in many ways:

Links to over 50% of absencesImpairs attention and concentration

Reduces cognition, memory, creativityImpairs social skills and judgment

Reduces motivation, determination and effortIncreases likelihood of depressionReduces growth of new brain cells

(Jensen-cited research studies)

StressActing out;Impatience;Impulsivity;Lack of “social graces”;Limited range of behavior responses;Inappropriate emotional reactions;Lack of empathy and/or sympathy

Diminished self-worthDifficulty in trusting othersMemory issuesMood swingsCan be more violentUncertainty about futureMore health issuesCoping measures limitedEnvironment is unfriendly

Brain ResearchBrain Research

Prefrontal/Executive: complex creativity Left perisylvian: the center for language skills Medial temporal: storage system (memory, emotional

processing, Hippocampus/amygdala) Parietal/spatial cognition system: organize, sequence, visualize Occipito-temporal/visual cognition system: recognize patterns,

visual mental imagery processes abstractions

Research suggests significant differences in systems between children in poverty and

those in better circumstances.

Brain Research (2)Brain Research (2)

Research conducted by Noble, Norman, Farah and published in Developmental Science over a three year

period (2005-07) suggests the following:

In categories such as language development, spatial cognition, visual cognition, working memory, storage memory and cognitive control, low-SES (socio-economic

status) children were significantly impeded in their development compared to high-SES children.

“The growing human brain desperately needs coherent, novel, challenging input, or

it will scale back its growth trajectory.” (Jensen)

Ideal Circumstances?Ideal Circumstances?

ToysReliability/ConsistencyPlay DatesArt, Music, DramaBooksConversationsNutritious FoodRegular medical/dental checksRole modelsCultural stimuliGreat educationHope, optimism, emotional security

But Utopia Is Not Real….But Utopia Is Not Real….

So we look elsewhere for the ways to supplement the lives of our children. One of the places we do that is in schools.

Despite the gloomy forecast implicit in the evidence we already have, it remains clear that intervention and enrichment can have a positive ameliorative impact on learning, brain development and

intelligence. Child development and child psychological research over the past ten years documents improvements, long-term, as a result of

improved educational environments.Enrichment=wraparound services+lowered

stress levels+creative and challenging curriculum+tutoring and “pull-out

services”+strong peer and adult mentoring relationships+physical exercise and healthy

routines (Definition of enrichment borrowed from Eric Jensen)

What Is To Be Done?What Is To Be Done?

Characteristics of High Achievement, High Poverty Schools

High expectations “No excuses” culture

Caring adults Emphasis on reading skills

Faculty collaboration Shared mission and goals

Teacher appreciation for the role they play in achievement

Data collection and use Good curriculum Teacher support

Culture/climate is right Structure

MentoringMentoring

Students are more likely to:

Attend school more regularly Be less prone to

troubles outside school

Improve academic

growthBetter peer

relations

+ -Maintain moderate vocal

levelsDo what you say you’ll doChange plans if need beSay “please” and “thank

you”Admit mistakes, make

amendsBe fair and consistentOffer support, alwaysReinforce what they do wellShow care for and about

Overdo the pep talks: “hot air” syndrome

Plan endlessly but not implement

Put kids first and forget about staff

Climate of fear?Measure improvement only by

test scoresTreat symptoms not causesUse excusesToo much, too soon? (reform)

What Works?What Works?

♥ Physical Exercise

Performing Arts

Discussion and Debate

Varied Class Activities (don’t tie them to seatwork!)

Collegial work among teachers models teamwork for students!

What Works (2)What Works (2)

♫ Build relationships Pre-assess Teach to mastery Summarize Create hope and optimism Give children a voice Plan lessons and prepare Change as needs arise Build skills, focus on critical thinking

The Role of CultureThe Role of Culture

“Cultural deficit ” is a convenient scapegoat for school failure, the failure to grip the imagination and the needs of students.

”A common perception among both educators and the public is that students {fail and} drop out of school because of personal deficiencies or cultural deprivation………This, in turn, implies that schools bear little responsibility for students dropping out and therefore can take few actions to reduce the number of dropouts.”

Cited in Why Culture Counts, Tileston, Darling, (2008), Solution Tree Press

Understanding Across CultureUnderstanding Across Culture

Grant Wiggins/Jay McTighe in Understanding By Design (2005) tell us that there are six guidelines for understanding.

In Why Culture Counts, the authors use that guide in the following skills advice: students are led to complex thinking by:

1.“The ability to explain the learning in the student’s own words

2.The ability to interpret the learning3.The ability to apply the learning in a context other than

the one in which it was learned4.The ability to see things in perspective5.The ability to empathize6.The ability to know ourselves and be honest about that

appraisal.”

Relevant InformationRelevant Information

■A study completed in 2005 by the Institute for Research on Poverty, showed that an increase in income can result in a clear

increase in math and reading scores ■A strong relationship with the community results in stronger

results and in better behavior ♠The United States ranks 20th in infant mortality amongst

industrialized “developed” countries ♠The U.S. has the worst single parent percentage (25%)

♠The U.S. is highest in income inequality (more than 35% of all wealth in the hands of 1% of the population)

♠The U.S. had the highest poverty rate for single parent households headed by female parent (5X the rate of married

couples) ►25% of those 17-24 years old were deemed unfit for military

service due to obesity! 20% of all our children now live in poverty (getting worse)

Relevant (2)Relevant (2)

♫A University of California-Berkeley study (2008) showed that prefrontal cortex functions were lower in high poverty children but

that this could be reversed with early “high intensity” interventions! ♫Art and Music programs add to the possibility of improving high

poverty student performance ♫High poverty children are exposed to 30 million less words, in total,

than middle class counterparts! ♫A Canadian study of poverty in 2007 (“Oh, Canada”) states that

“teachers can be critically important partners in improving student’s life chances”.

♫A Center for American Progress study of the use of “extended time” in schools found that there is no national guideline for longer school time, no national research on how longer school days have helped students, even though almost everyone agrees that “traditional school times” are insufficient! (longer school days risk teacher

burnout and there is no research on this where schools have longer days and annual calendars).

British ResearchBritish ResearchAn intriguing study conducted with grants from Save The Children

and The Joseph Rowntree Foundation and published in 2007 came to the following conclusions:

1.All costs associated with schools in high poverty areas should be underwritten by the state;

2.Children are disconnecting from school by age ten!

3.Boys and girls tell us that they are routinely shouted at in high poverty schools: this rarely happens in “advantaged” schools!

4.Teacher time is too often spent in crisis management. Schools in “disadvantaged areas” need social workers and case workers to deal with issues related to poverty, freeing teachers to plan and

manage lessons.

5.“It is clear that the possibility of a child experiencing an education that is likely to produce a fully rounded individual, developed to his or her full potential, is still dependent on

parental income”. Children in disadvantaged schools were much more likely to believe they were “not smart enough” to do well on

tests!

Why Teachers MatterWhy Teachers Matter

Role modelsSupportersBuild relationships that matter and lastSupport parentsStimulate motivationTeach accountabilityPrepare wellBelieve in student growthDemonstrate teamwork

Why Teachers FailWhy Teachers Fail

Lack of preparation/supportInability to maintain consistent behavioral

standardsDon’t motivateNot collegialDon’t believe in students’ abilityBias and prejudicePersonal inconsistency: lack of punctuality,

absenteeismWrong job!

Your Support Systems?Your Support Systems?

Get help from colleaguesPlan aheadAdmit to difficultiesDevelop one-on-one conferences with

students and parentsExpect success from studentsDon’t give up on them or yourself!Teamwork is powerfulMotivate through materials and methodsTeach what you want from students

SummarySummary

Children living in poverty: More likely to live in or near toxic waste sites

More likely to live in areas that do not meet Air Quality Standards (EPA)

Have had more exposure to pesticides Have greater exposure to lead

Have more exposure to cigarette smoke

Poor families move twice as often, and get evicted five times as often

Children in poverty face 50 percent more street crossings Poor children have much greater contact with aggressive

peers

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Facts………….Facts………….

Summary (2)

Poor communities experience more community violence Safety concerns lead to added stress which undermines

academic performance Stress levels anywhere form 35-50% higher

Food choices (diet, shopping availability) are affected by high cortisol levels (cortisol is a chemical associated with

high poverty and stress levels) Poverty demographics: suburbs reached similar levels in

2001, and have now surpassed urban populations!

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PovertyPoverty

Should we get used to this????

PovertyPoverty

….and this?????