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Module 8: Socio-Economic Status and Educational Equality
How does social class impact access to education?
Understand how social class impacts educational equality
Examine the existence of educational inequality in the U.S.
Identify problems and solutions regarding social and educational inequality in the U.S.
As the video clip above demonstrates, schools differ in the amount of resources available and in the faculty that is employed. This means that students' access to education can be dependent upon their zip code. In this module, we will discuss social class and its impact on access to education. The schools students attend often directly relate to their socio-economic background. If we look, for example, at the island of O'ahu, how might the schools and resources on the Leeward Coast differ from those on the Windward Coast or in Central O'ahu? How might resources at Nanakuli High School differ from those at Mililani High?
In addition to resources, the issue of teacher certification or lack thereof is of greater concern in schools attended by lower income students than in schools attended by middle-class students. Often schools in poverty areas employ a higher rate of non-certified teachers. Schools in lower socio-economic areas also tend to have higher teacher turnovers.
1. View Film: The Lottery (Click below and film will open in new link) and consider these questions:
What are the socio-economic backgrounds of the students and families in this documentary?
Why do you suppose these families want to apply for a charter school in Harlem?
Do believe these charter schools are a good idea? Why or why not?
2. Read Article: What Will Decrease Educational Inequality? and consider these questions:
What does the author say about closing the achievement gap among students from lower SES?
What are some suggestions for decreasing inequality in education?
3. Read the article below and consider these questions:
What this article say about supporting students from lower SES?
What are some strategies shared?
Whatʻs Due this Module:
Read Aloud Lesson Plan
What does this week's material say about equality in education in relation to socio-economic status? Does it still exists in the U.S.? Does it exist here in Hawai'i? As teachers you will be charged with the tremendous responsibility of educating your students with the limited resources you have available. The amount of resources and facilities available to you will differ depending on where you are placed to teach. When thinking about resources and curriculum materials we need to look at the needs of individual students and school communities and work towards providing more equity to these groups. What will you do to ensure that all of your students(regardless of socio-economic background, ethnicity, linguistic background or gender) have access to the same education?
Leeward CC - Online Learning Resources
Leeward CC- Writing Center
Leeward CC- Learning Resource Center
Social Economic Status and Educational Equality in Hawai'i
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