Poverty Directly Effects Academic Acheivment
Poverty is a rapidly growing concern in the United States due to the number of Americans living in poverty and receiving a lagging education. As a result poverty directly affects academic achievement due to an underdeveloped curriculum, pedagogy that enforces compliance, and a lack of brain-based learning. In the United States, the gaps in education among urban schools and well maintained schools are shifting farther apart, because the pedagogy and curriculum within urban schools adversely affects students academic achievements.
In the article “ From Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work,” author Jean Anyon observed five public school, two of which were receiving an urban style education. During her observation Anyon concluded in her study: When receiving an impoverished education, school work is following a step of procedures. These procedures are mechanical, teaching compliancy rather then decision making. Teachers rarley explain why work is being assigned, how it might link to other assignments, and what is the main idea behind the work being taught. The rules regarding work are designations of what the children are to do; the rules are steps to follow. The steps are told to the children by the teacher, and are written on the board for the children to copy down as notes to study, but the teacher makes no attempt to explain the steps to the children or what is the purpose behind writing the steps down. In the Pedagogy style of teaching in urban schools work is often evaluated not according to whether the answer is right or wrong, but according to whether the children followed the steps the teacher gave. Anyon stresses the pedagogy of teaching in urban schools is preparing students for labor work rather then learning success because children are not encouraged to problem solve and make decision on thier own, but rather rely on the teacher to tell the students what rules to follow. As a...