Article Review -How does Low -Income Students education success measure to middle and high class Students

Lavin-Loucks , D (2006 . The academic achievement gap . Research Brief Retrieved on

January 18 , 2008 , from http /www .thewilliamsinstitute .org /Portals /10 /Education Academic 20Achievement 20Gap .pdf

Article Review : The Academic Achievement Gap

The article centered on the issue of the academic achievement gap between Caucasians and other cultural groups as a growing concern in the country . The author presented evidences of the discrepancies of the academic success among the various ethnic groups based on the results of various standardized test scores such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress

(NAEP ) and the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT According to the data gathered , African Americans and Hispanics are the most affected by the academic achievement gap

The author then presented a number of reasons that could explain the reason for this wide academic achievement gap , centering on how the socio-economic status of the student could affect the ability of the student to succeed academically

The author stated that most African American and Hispanic families are living in poverty . The socio-economic status of these two cultural groups provided the foundation for other factors that could inhibit a student coming from these two cultural groups from achieving academic success

One such inhibition is that since these families are financially constrained , they are unable to enroll their children in center-based preschool programs , which provide children the skills that they would need to succeed academically once they begin formal education . Thus the author concluded that children coming from families who are able to enroll them in these center-based preschool programs gain an upper hand and causing the academic achievement gap to be present even before formal education begins

Another factor associated to the socio-economic status of the student 's family is the neighborhood where the student is raised . Children living in low-income districts attain their education in schools have limited resources and the classes are facilitated by unqualified teachers as compared to their middle and upper class counterparts who have access to the expertise and knowledge of seasoned professionals and have access to vast amounts of learning resources . This causes children living in this socio-economic class to be unprepared for college life in the event that they are able to complete their high school education

In addition , the author had also stated that parental support and encouragement is also vital to instill in the minds of the students in for them to succeed academically . However , since parents from low-income districts would need to work longer hours than their more affluent counterparts , they are unable to provide the needed support and encouragement that their children need to understand the value and importance of succeeding in the academic world

While the article does have merit , I am skeptical about the claims that just because a student comes from a low-income family , it follows that the student would not be able to achieve academically . History has noted a number of men and women from impoverished families who have gone and succeed not just academically , but also in their chosen career paths . While it is true that the socio-economic status of a student inhibits them from a number of resources that could have been available to them if the socio-economic status of their families is different this is not the primary reason for the academic achievement gap between low-income students and their more affluent peers . Other factors such as the character of the student themselves , particularly their determination , learning incapacities as a result of genetics or illness self-esteem , peer pressure , and the like may cause students from low-income families to succeed academically or otherwise

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