Wurtenberg 1 Bobby Wurtenberg Dr.

Gayle English 701 19 September 2013 The Affects of Economic Status on Academic Success In an ideal world, every child would be given the same educational opportunities. Sadly, this is not the case. Historically, our country has struggled and fought for equal opportunity in the classroom. Although great strides have been made throughout the decades, it is still a highly controversial topic. Researchers have been studying this issue intensely for years and it appears that their conclusions are what most people have already assumed. Less wealthy students deserve the same educational opportunities as wealthy students. With these opportunities comes more widespread success throughout life. These important yet unsurprising findings have left our leaders searching for answers. How can our society offer and ensure equal educational opportunities across socioeconomic backgrounds? This is undeniably a significant and welldocumented topic worthy of discussion. In recent years, technology has become such an integral part of learning in our schools. If you walked into an affluent, suburban school, you would probably find brand new Apple computers, Smart boards, and iPads. Students in these schools are exposed to state-of-the-art technology, making learning more fun and interesting. Unfortunately, all schools are not capable of offering such new and exciting learning tools. Students in less wealthy schools are sometimes

Wurtenberg 2 using old, worn textbooks and chalkboards. Access to the Internet and printers is limited, which is unfortunate due to the fact that many of these students don t have these luxuries at home. According to Pandolfo, The Bronzeville Scholastic Institute ninth-graders were working on writing assignments in the schools homework lab, whose 24 computers are shared by nearly a thousand students from the three schools that occupy DuSable High Schools campus on the South Side. The ratio of computers to students is absurd (Pandolfo 2012). Similar to technology, the facilities at a wealthy school are typically far more superior to the facilities at a school in a poorer area. Sadly, some students in less fortunate areas are forced to attend school in old, dilapidated buildings. Conditions in these buildings are sometimes even unsafe. The safety of the student also plays a huge factor in academic performance. Aside from less than ideal classroom settings, poorer schools dont have the sprawling football fields, swimming pools, and tennis courts that many wealthy schools have. Athletes are forced to practice with out-of- date equipment and on less than desirable fields. Looking at the big picture, greater educational opportunities equal greater future success. Well-off high school students are more likely to receive scholarships and money to further their education in college. They boast impressive resumes that include competitive grades and extra-curricular activities. College is a financial burden to most, particularly students from lower income families. Less educational resources and opportunities mean that they are less likely to be awarded money to attend college. As the job market has

Wurtenberg 3 recently proven, securing a job is no easy feat. Education is key to a successful future. There are several other factors that affect an individuals future success. Perhaps one of the most important of these factors is parental involvement. Wealthy parents are more likely to be involved in their childs life. They are also more likely to provide the necessary, and sometimes unnecessary, resources needed to get ahead. Less wealthy families usually consist of two working parents trying to make ends meet. Bills are more important than private lessons and tutors. Sadly, research has shown that less wealthy parents are less educated than wealthier parents, leading to a lack of interest and involvement in their childs academics. Mellnik in The Price of Hope states, Administrators and teachers must educate some of the regions most disadvantaged students, children whose home and community environments often dont have the ability to support them in pursuit of a rigorous education (Mellnik). Students whose parents bring in a larger combined income are more likely to exceed on their SAT scores, which in many cases is your golden ticket into college. In Class In America, Mantsios references a very interesting study conducted by Richard De Lone, which examined the test scores of over a half a million students who took the College Board Exams (SATs). His findings were consistent with earlier studies that showed a relationship between class and scores on standardized tests. His conclusion was the higher the students social status, the higher the probability that he or she will get higher grades (Mantsios 2009). Fifteen years after the release of the Carnegie report, College Board

Wurtenberg 4 surveys reveal data that are no different: test scores still correlate strongly with family income. In Class In America, a chart depicts these results. SAT scores were measured on a scale from 440 to 1600. The median SAT score of a student whose parents combined income was over $100,000 was 1130. As annual household income decreases, so does the median SAT score. Parents earning $80,000 to $100,000 per year had a child who achieved the median score of 1082. At the bottom of the scale, families earning $10,000 to $20,000 annually showed to perform the poorest on the SAT with a median score of 907. This is just one of many studies that have explored this issue. Mantsios further concluded that, Class can accurately predict for both survival and success (Mantsios 2009). That is a huge part of academic success. When a family is wealthy they are at such an advantage for success academically as opposed to families that are in poor areas. It is tough times out in the world for people to have high paying jobs or a job at all. It is unfair to the children who go to school in poor neighborhoods to have to suffer because of this. In conclusion, more research and discussion is needed on this important topic to ensure that everyone is awarded the same educational opportunities. According to Mantsios, People do not choose to be poor or working class; instead they are limited and confined by the opportunities afforded or denied them by a social and economic system (Mantsios 2009). Therefore, the socioeconomic situation that a person is born into should not affect ones chances for academic success. Enough measures are still being taken to fix this.

Wurtenberg 5 A solution to bridge the gap may take time, but with continued efforts an answer may be on the horizon.

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Works Cited
Mantsios, Gregory. "Class in America" 09 2003. 09 2013 <http://engl106spring2009.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/mantsios__class_in_america_2006.pdf>. Jacobs, Joanne . 03 2012. 09 2013 <http://www.joannejacobs.com/2012/03/why-richkids-do-better-in-school-than-poor-kids/>. Schoff, Renee. "Rich Poor Spending Gap on Kids" 02 2013. 09 2013 <http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/02/19/183590/rich-poor-spending-gap-onschools.html#.UjoTlhYTHzI>. "Children Living in Low- Income Neighborhoods Less Likely to Graduate High School" 10 2011. 09 2013 <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/04/children-low-incomeneighborhoods-high-school_n_994580.html>. Cody, Anthony. "Rich Schools/Poor Schools: The Gap Grows" 09 2009. 09 2013 <http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/living-indialogue/2009/09/rich_schoolspoor_schools_the_g.html>. Millnik, Ted. http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/reports/article/102253/The-Prince-OfHope-Inverstigating-Disparities-Among-Rich-And-Poor-Schools-aspx04 1999, 09 2013 Pandolfo, Nick. As some schools plunge into technology, poor schools are left behind. 01 2012. 09 2013. http://hetchingreport.org/content/as-some-schools-plunge-intotechnology-poor-schools-are-left-behind 7463/>.