The Role Of Poverty In Education

In the early 2000’s the US Congress passed a bill named ”No Child Left Behind Act” (NCLB), this act sets further parameters to evaluate education, making school systems to be accountable for educating at the same level to all subgroups in the population, including students coming from low socioeconomic backgrounds and minorities (Marter, 2009). According to the NCLB act, all students must be performing at a proficient level in mathematics, language, arts, and science which are the main subjects in the school system. In an educational system so strongly focused on standards based on accountability for students in all subgroups, systems must be aware of the problems presented when students grow up in low socioeconomic conditions, systems must

Children who live in low socioeconomic conditions often need additional resources from schools and teachers to overcome the special challenges they face (Pettigrew, 2009). It seems the schools that educate this subgroup are the schools receiving the least amount of funds, thus, they are at an economic disadvantage when in fact more resources are needed. Although the task may seem discouraging, there are practical ways to transform underperforming schools that teach children from low socioeconomic backgrounds. They have a problem that demands special attention, but the solution is not far-fetched.

For the most part, children are dependent beings. Children require assistance to live and prosper. Most children live with their parents or other family members and depend on them for their economic well-being and caring. Therefore, to understand childhood poverty, we need to understand the reasons for parents and caregivers living in poverty. Many persons continue to live in low socioeconomic conditions because of race, place of residence, and family

For this reason, educators and administrators must take into account how economic factors influence a student’s performance on standardized tests. Usually, economically disadvantaged students average lower scores on standardized examinations regardless of the subject matter. For reasons beyond their control, children from low socioeconomic levels face an increased risk of failing standardized tests. Such failure could have devastating effects for students, families, the school system, and society at large because eventually, the students may be dropping out of school. In a public system using standardized tests, it is imperative to acknowledge that socioeconomic status affects grades and take action to ensure the success of all students regardless of economic