The Education System: Close The Achievement Gap

Andrew Simmons published his article for The Atlantic, “The Danger of Telling Poor Kids that College is the Key to Social Mobility” on January 16, 2014, which raises his concerns that higher education is only being promoted as an opportunity to increase their economic status, when it should be an opportunity to experience an education (Simmons). Through the use of students such as Isabella, Simmons disagrees with the way students now look at higher education and blames the educators through the students’ lives for this view. Instead, Simmons views education as an intellectual opportunity rather than a way to elevate ones economic class which is all people see when they see “higher education.” He believes that education, ambition and work ethic is how you have a satisfying life, not with how much you make. He makes the point that when economics becomes the main goal of education it’s all children begin to think about and they might not pursue something that they are truly passionate about or what they want to learn about, which then does not create an intellectually awakening experience (Simmons).

How should society handle the perceived differences between races when it comes to education? The goal of both researchers is to narrow the academic gap between white and black students. Both authors attribute the gap between the academic scores of black and white students from opposite sides of racial identity. As Dr. Beverly Daniels Tatum, President of Spelman College and clinical psychologist has written an article entitled “Why are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?” Her approach is from the perspective of the student and how they perceive their role and upper limits while maintaining their place in their peer group's expectations of their race. Dr. Diane Ravitch, a research professor of education at New York University, has written an article entitled "The Facts about the Achievement Gap.” Her approach is from the perspective of how schools and society implicitly or explicitly cast students into achievement tracks based on their race. Both approach the same idea about racial identity, but they have different solutions, such as peer groups, the school board, and who is right about the solution.

In “The Dangers of Telling Poor Kids That College Is the Key to Social Mobility”, Andrew Simmons, a high school teacher who teaches in a poor area of Los Angeles, argues that higher education’s educational opportunities should be the main promotion for students to attend college. The author’s purpose is to inform and persuade his readers to accept his view on what he sees as a problem of the education system. According to Simmons, teachers focus on the economic advantages that higher education could bring instead of the actual education these institutions offer. Because of this promotion, students in poorer areas focus on their potential wealth instead of their future education while students in wealthier areas focus on their future careers

The greatest country in the world still has problems evenly distributing education to its youth. The articles I have read for this unit have a common theme regarding our education system. The authors illustrate to the reader about the struggles in America concerning how we obtain and education. Oppression, politics, racism, and socioeconomic status are a few examples of what is wrong with our country and its means of delivering a fair education to all Americans.

There was a time when America’s education system was top-notch according to the culture and society. With time, a myriad of things has changed, but unfortunately what has not evolved is the American education system. The country is still following a system which was not designed for the current global economic climate. Equality, as positive as it sounds is not as sufficient when it comes to education. The system treats students equally yet expect a similar culmination and outcome. Every child has his individuality and distinct abilities; one cannot judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree. Conversely, a few of the prominent reasons why the education system is failing are overcrowded schools, the rise of technology, and following the same old school hours.

America’s education system is one of the most respectable, reputable and sought after commodities in our society, but it is also the most overcrowded, discriminatory, and controversial system ever established. Most people yearn for a higher education because it 's what 's expected in this society in order to get ahead. It means a better job, more money, power, prestige and a sense of entitlement. But this system has let down the children that are supposed to benefit from it. Education discriminates against minorities, and poorer class students are not expected nor encouraged to attain a higher education. The education system is set up to ensure that every child get a basic

According to Nielsen (2013), in the United States, the government has been working hard in the due process of providing education to the children in the country. Despite the efforts that have been initiated by the United States education department, there is a problem of equity in education access around the nation. There are a good number of students who do not have the same opportunities as others when it comes to the education sector. For instance, in most cases, the quality of education that a student will get depends with their social class in the community. Those with a weak living condition are less likely to have the same quality of education as those who belong to the wealthy families. Therefore, the importance of equity, issues with sameness and the strategies suggested by Natalie (2013) and the report by the equity and excellence commission will form the basis of discussion for this paper.

Success is attainable by all students except when circumstances of one’s environment prevent forward movement. If access to graduation is equitable and attainable, students will be prepared to enroll and persist in college thereby increasing their opportunities for success and high qualities of life. Swanson (2009) reiterates a focus of the Obama campaign on graduate rates as most important because the diploma is not only a source of economic benefit but of preparation for global competitiveness. Increased graduations rates stand to serve an increase in national economy while lifting students most at risk from poverty. The impact of education on poverty is found through increasing access to graduation. Swanson (2009) suggests that attainment of higher levels of education is not enough, the

Society holds a beneficial belief that education is a very prominent source that is necessary to engage in life’s successes. Education gives one the endurance to gain knowledge and the will power to accomplish goals and reach high standards. It allows individuals to know and understand the skills of life and the values it hold. Education has a history that has been around for hundreds of years that continuously develops as education improves, but the history of equal opportunity in education must continuously improve as well. Although education is known for its good deeds, inequality still plays a significant role in education today. There are opportunities that students must receive to relinquish some inequalities that are still present

“Achievement Gap.” These are two of the most powerful and controversial words in the educational field today. Professionals use the term achievement gap to refer to the differences in performance, whether it be test scores, attendance, drop-out rates, graduation rates, etc., amongst the various student populations in education. There have been many educational policies and reforms in an attempt to narrow the achievement gap amongst the various ethnic groups namely, “No Child Left Behind” (NCLB), whose goal is the acquisition of English for all students (Spring, 2013). While this may indeed be important, one cannot simply dismiss the cultures represented by the plethora of students enrolled in public schools. Only through teacher education of different cultures and the adoption of other forms of language education can steps be taken to reduce the achievement gap in American Education.

In most studies and reports, achievement gaps are addressed in terms of economic differences and little or no connection made to race. In the UC (University of California) data, it shows the intersectionality of race and income reveals important subtleties about racial achievement gaps. First, at every income level Black and Brown students are outperformed by White students. Black students are predictably the lowest performing group at every level. Second, the data shows us the astonishing achievement disparity existing between Black and White students who are equally poor. Third, poorer White students actually outperform middle-income Black and Brown students. This statement shocked me. How can White poorer students outperform middle-income

“Families from low-Socioeconomic status communities are less likely to have the financial resources or time availability to provide children with academic support” (National Center for Education Statistics, 2008).This quote difinitively provides the necessary information regarding attending post-secondary education. Even though this quote also seems very logical, it proves to be a breaking point for Americans in their decision to attend a post-secondary education college or technical school. Important matters regarding post-secondary education are very simplistic, such as raising Americans economic status, and bettering one’s stereotypical educational outlook. Another main facet of attending post-secondary education leads to better opportunities to the finely tuned occupations in America. The last archetype of attending post-secondary education contains the equalizers of job placement and betterment, including the socio-economic status of that individual. In the United States there is a belief that post-secondary education raises the socioeconomic status of that scholar.

The education systems are radically changing due to the fact that "previous material and techniques believed to be successful were no longer effective. The importance of education in modern society led to a sense of depression about the need to provide a good education. This need is supported by Reisner, Petry, & Armigage (1990),who regarded tutoring and mentoring as highly relevant methods of intervention that addressed national, state, and local priorities" (Lloyd 50). The age of the computer is an example of this. You can no longer do just about anything without a computer. If school districts don't have access to computers then their students are left behind.

So how can we as a society overcome the inequalities that seem to be compounding between the school systems in the wealthy and the impoverished communities across the country? One way to address inequality in the education system in our country is to increase federal funding and expand educational programs that make the opportunity for a higher education more accessible. There are 4,706 colleges or universities in the U. S. This number includes 2,968 four year institutions and 1,738 two year colleges. Some 2 year colleges are private, but most are publically funded community colleges that serve a local area and have low tuition. (U. S. Dept. of Education National Center for Education Statistics 2013) To make grants and loans more readily available

In today’s world people need to compete globally for jobs and one of the most important factors in getting a good paying job is education. However, even the best schools cannot overcome some of the obstacles placed in front of the students that walk through their doors. Poverty, chaotic home environments, discrepancies in exposure to technology, and lack of funding for schools all negatively impact the effort to educate children.