Posted on 09/10/2014 1:26:39 PM PDT by Kaslin
My question may sound socialistic to some of my fellow conservatives; nonetheless it is a question that must be addressed. American high school graduation rates are at an all-time high, but the education gap between rich and poor continues to grow. Noble and expensive attempts to close this gap—including subsidized preschool and the controversial implementation of the Common Core State Standards—have largely failed. In the case of Common Core, where wealthy and middle class parents are hiring tutors to compensate for its weaknesses, the “reform” aimed at equalizing the playing field may actually be making the problem worse.
Why is it so difficult to elevate the academic performance of low income children? A growing body of research indicates that part of the answer may lie in the tremendous amount of brain development that takes place during the first three years of life. Babies are born to learn, and we now know many neural networks in the brain are significantly strengthened or weakened long before a child has entered formal schooling.
According to a 1995 University of Kansas study (Hart and Risley), children of educated parents hear 2,100 words an hour. In contrast, those with working class parents hear 1,200 words, and children whose parents are on public assistance hear only 600. The vocabulary and attentiveness of the primary caregiver—whether it is a parent, a nanny or a daycare worker—plays a central role in the cognitive skills children will demonstrate later in life.
Yet we know that some children from low income families are able to become highly successful adults. We read their stories—from Tyler Perry to Dr. Ben Carson—and we are inspired and provoked not only by what they have accomplished but also by what they have overcome. What almost all of these individuals have in common is an inward determination to overcome adversity, a quality psychologists call resilience.
Although much research indicates that the most important factor in developing resilience is the quality of the parent-child bond (again, developed largely in the first three years of life), a 2005 Time Magazine article, The Importance of Resilience, sought to discover if resilience could also be leaned:
Can kids learn particular skills to help them overcome adversity? The answer is a qualified yes. You can't teach resilience, but researchers have identified some skill—such as developing a sense of autonomy or being a good reader—that increase the chances that a child will become a productive member of society. Belief systems--whether something as straightforward as believing you have a future or as nuanced as practicing a religious faith--also play a critical role.
Can schools help students develop resilience in addition strengthening their cognitive reasoning skills? KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) Schools—public charters which serve low-income children—believe they can. They call it “grit,” and it is one of the primary qualities teachers monitor in students and work to help them improve. KIPP schools emphasize a “no-excuses,” high expectation approach to education, even though almost all their students have faced very challenging obstacles in their short lives.
Since 1994, KIPP schools have gone from serving 47 students in a single school to 58,000 in 162 schools across the country. Student who complete eighth grade in a KIPP school have a 93 percent high school graduation rate, and 82% go on to college. And although the character development component is sometimes criticized for being too harsh, it is hard to argue with its effectiveness.
The need for resilience is particularly important for low income children because of the number of obstacles they are likely to face on their path to success. Unfortunately, many interventions designed to help low-income students try to offer support without giving them the tools to overcome their challenges. But more privileged children, who are coddled through childhood, receiving trophies for mediocrity and never being allowed to skin their knees; face challenges adjusting to the real world as well. The difference is that they have a much broader support base; most can simply depend on their parents until they figure things out.
This statement should not be taken to imply that lower income parents do not care about their children or their education. The fact that charter schools like KIPP schools and Urban Prep in Chicago (which in 2014 boasted a 100 percent college acceptance rate for every senior class for five years in a row) always have extensive waiting lists is evidence to the contrary.
We must make sure all parents know how vital the first three years of their children’s lives are to their long term success. We must also take steps to ensure that all parents can send their children to the school of their choice.
So it seems like Public Assistance needs to be ended to give these kids a chance at school.
In the past, I've proposed the obvious solution to this problem: The Government Cooer Program (GCP).
Head Start and pre-kindergarten just aren't getting the job done, so I think a vast army of government cooer specialist should be hired to go around to all the homes where infants and toddlers do not receive sufficient parental attention. Their responsibility would be to coo at and play with the youngsters several hours per day to put them on a more even footing with children whose parents assume responsibility for their eduction.
It probably wouldn't be called The Government Cooer Program, but don't think someone won't propose something similar. It might already be in some proposed legislation stuck in a drawer somewhere in DC
Actually, that's exactly what they believe. So their goal is to take those resources and "spread the wealth." (while making sure their favored people take a cut)
The left will never accept that there is a “cognitive ability” and “family functioning” gap.
And because there can never be a cognitive ability gap, the reason for the gap must be make-believe liberal things like “privilege” and “racism.”
Which of course can only be addressed by more government programs. Lots and lots of government programs.
Have observed this with my grandchildren. Can't remember those early years with my own kids. Right now we're babysitting a couple grandkids in the 2-year-old range. Vocabulary increase is amazing, watching them go from simple phrases at 2 to compound sentences at 2-1/2. And substituting other words when responding to questions, that totally make sense. At 2, she might say "No" to a request to hand something to you. At 2-1/2, she'll say "Get your own because I'm using this one." Amazing how they first mimic us, and then build their intelligence to create sentences. Can't do it without interaction from parents and others helping them along.
Or that ambition is probably partly hereditary, whether by genes or family culture, so that the children of whoever was most successful in the previous generation will come out on top in this one. Or that those who did well last generation are spending part of those gains to help their kids do well. As long as they didn't steal the money, so what? Wasn't that the point? What is this obsession people have with leveling outcomes, even in areas where people may not have equal desire or ability?
Education begins at home. If the parents do not care the kids will never do well.
Does MF count as one or two words?
A MARIAN? OH NO
You are correct, that reading is critical, and it can make such a difference. I also found the point interesting in the article, about “resilience”, and perhaps if this element would receive more attention in their early lives, it would help to turn the tide.
Many rich, privileged kids get a lousy education.
The man who served me in the Dunkin’ Donuts graduated with a degree in sociology that he didn’t pay for (minority scholarship).
He got a job as a carpenter after graduation but got laid off.
But the libs miss the point. They can take the "resources" but they can't provide the type of interaction a set of "normal" "privileged" parents can provide to kids. Take the books, but someone has to sit with kid and read to them, nurturing questions and curiousity with appropriate responses. That is not done with many "underprivileged" kids.
“This statement should not be taken to imply that lower income parents do not care about their children or their education”
Gee,how kind.
As someone who grew up poor,surrounded by lots of poor or working class people, I find that statement very condescending. We all did very well.
.
That’s right; kids bred for welfare and other freebies don’t have parents going over their homework with them...
Worthless parents, provide worthless examples, so what can one expect? garbage in, garbage out.
You're right... but what is it that makes one culture value education and order and another culture value excuses and chaos...
There are benefits to having ambitious, educated and intelligent parents. They have more resources and money to spend on their children resulting in better outcomes. These are called GOOD Examples and role models. On the other hand there are detriments to having lazy, stupid parents with poor judgement. Their kids suffer for their stupidity. These folks serve as EXAMPLES of why its important not to be stupid and lazy. Its not privilege, its the result of the amount of work you put out and the choices you make. Equalizing the outcomes of the hard working and lazy is not fair and counterproductive.
Its very simple, really.
If you want your kids to succeed, if you want them to do well in school, stay out of jail, and end up better off than most, then follow the rules. Follow this time tested principle:
Get married. Have kids. Stay married.
I also grew up poor, as did my wife, and we did very well. My parents couldn't afford to buy us books (five of us kids). So we used the library for our reading. My dad did buy an encyclopedia set, which we heavily relied on for our learning. Back then there were few distractions, no gadgets. With the proliferation of gadgets today, I see that as problematic in improving kids reading skills.
I don’t pretend to know the answer, but if you give me a reasonable research grant, I’ll pretend to try to find it.
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