Originally Posted by jillio

Actually, poverty does impact the academic achievement levels for all children, but there is a variable that is not being considered here. Most economically disadvantaged kids are hearing and they attend public school. The classrooms are overcrowded and there is not sufficient time to devote to single students. Additionally, an impoverished home is not likely to be one that accentuates a learning environment. Toys that help with development are not purchased, there are very few books or reading materials in the home, the parents are likely to be a high school drop out or barely graduated themselves and therefore, do not value or stress education, and do not encourage academic achievement in their children.

Of course this is not true for ALL economically challenged homes, but it is true for a majority of them.

When we use statistics to support a point, we have to use all of the variables that could have accounted for the findings and not just blame on thing. Don't look so much at the school as at everything in that child's environment. It all has an impact.