Science Education in Low-Income Areas

About Me...

Hi! I'm Kailyn and I'm a Chemistry Secondary Education Major here at The College of New Jersey. I love science and found a passion for the field in high school because of my chemistry teacher. Through my experience in practicum and this course, I have noticed the disconnect between the science education I had in a primarily middle-class community and my placement in Trenton. This led to my curiosity about STEM education in low-income areas and the difference in quality and accessibility especially as a future science educator. This issue is important to me because of how impactful my science experience was and my belief that every kid should be allowed the same, so I hope this research opens your eyes and spreads awareness about how important STEM education is for our future generations.

My Topic: The Accessibility and Quality of Science Education in Low-Income Areas

The Issue

It is no secret that low-income areas are not given the same resources as their affluent counterparts. This research aims to focus on this divide of STEM education in lower-income areas and how its quality and accessibility could potentially even out the achievement gap.

Lack of opportunity

With the advancement of technology over the past decade, the workforce has started requiring STEM-based skills such as, " critical thinking, problem-solving and analytical skills " (Source 2), to accommodate future work expectations. Without STEM courses many low-income students will be at a disadvantage and unable to meet the jobs requirement.

Achievement gap

STEM education can close the achievement gap between affluent areas and low-income areas. However, for students that are not given proper STEM courses this only furthers the gap between. Additionally, "Students in high poverty schools have less experienced instructors, less access to high level science, math, and advanced placement courses, and lower levels of state and local spending on instructors and instructional materials." ( source 1).

Photo from: “Unequal Opportunities: Fewer Resources, Worse Outcomes for Students in Schools with Concentrated Poverty.” The Commonwealth Institute, 13 Apr. 2021, thecommonwealthinstitute.org/research/unequal-opportunities-fewer-resources-worse-outcomes-for-students-in-schools-with-concentrated-poverty/. (Source 1)

Benefits and opportunities

With STEM course in schools, there will be more scholarships and support for students seeking higher education.

Can Help many students get into Higher education

Within the STEM field, career opportunities are projected to increase by 8.8%. This means that students will be able to utilize the STEM skills they learned and have jobs available.

Fosters Creativity

With STEM related courses students will be taught to think outside of the box in way that typical required course does not. These courses will help students facilitate hypothesis, test experiments, and use active thinking to problem solve.

How I would apply this to my classroom?

From all of the information I have acquired, my future classroom will be hands-on and centered around a student-teacher collaborative curriculum. The curriculum will include a rigorous disposition while allowing students to choose different interactive learning techniques. Keeping in mind the students’ background and economic status I will be sure to keep lessons conscious and only build students up. If funds are not provided, I will search for local support and or fundraise so that way students can get involved in their education. Overall, I want my classroom to inspire my students and share my passion in a way that will motivate them, while also building their confidence so that they may choose to pursue a STEM future.

Source 1 breakdown

This source is an in-depth research study of 1,800 Virginia public schools. The study concluded that the lack of resources in high-poverty schools causes greater consequences for its students. In addition, students who have fewer resources outside of school are getting less out of class. This led to the discussion of high-poverty schools having a lack of experienced educators due to differences in pay from low-poverty schools. Leading to the discussion of contrasting test scores and students seeking higher education. Here are some Quote that I find summative of the content:

“Only one-third (34%) of high poverty schools in Virginia were fully accredited by the state in 2013-2014 compared to almost all (99%) of low poverty schools. This stark contrast shows the unequal outcomes on test performance that result from giving students with some of the greatest needs the fewest resources and supports. Meanwhile, the percentage of accredited high-poverty schools that also have high percentages of students of color was even lower — just 29 percent”

“The average teacher salary in high poverty schools was about $46,000 in the 2013-2014 school year compared to over $57,000 in low poverty schools.”

“It’s largely Virginia’s Black and Hispanic students that are being deprived of the opportunity to pursue their goals and career ambitions. That’s because students of color are extremely over-represented in high-poverty schools. About one out of every six students of color (15 percent) in Virginia attended a high-poverty school in the 2013-2014 school year, as did more than one out of every five (22 percent) Black student — compared to just 3 percent of White students”

This source works to highlight the issues within these schools and what is not being addressed due to the generalization of poverty standards when in actuality the difference is night and day. Not to mention the number of students who are suffering and lacking education because of it

Source 2 breakdown

For this source the main idea centralizes on the issue of STEM classes being excluded from low-income school curricula, why it should be included, and how to utilize these ideas in teaching. The article breaks the key ideas into sections, Equalizing, Career Pathways, Promoting diversity, and Best Practices. Equalizing showcases the benefits of incorporating STEM classes through students' creativity development, opportunities, and equalizing of the achievement gap. Career Pathways talks about breaking cyclic poverty and the estimated growth of STEM-based careers. Promoting diversity mentions the lack of diversity within the field and how more exposure in lower-income areas will help facilitate creativity and new perspectives. Best Practices aims to use all of these insights to construct solutions through grants for STEM support, teacher training, STEM-based curriculum, project-based learning, after-school/ summer school programs, and mentor programs.

Source 3 breakdown

In this text, the main focus of the article is to bring rise to the difference in educational accessibility amongst schools of color with minority majority. A Study was conducted by the Department of Education in 2015-2016 exploring the disconnect between low-income area school STEM courses a mathematics. The study found that " only 55 percent of high schools with high Black and Latino enrollment — compared to 65 percent of all high schools — offered advanced mathematics. For calculus, only 38 percent of high schools with high Black and Latino student enrollment offered advanced math, compared to 50 percent of all schools" (source 3). With this in mind, the article goes on to explain how without STEM it is withholding its potential and the "lost Einstein" effect due to the lack of innovation and inventors surrounding low-income students.

Source 4 breakdown

The Harvard Gazette works through this article to emphasize the unequal opportunities within STEM. The main goal of this article is to provide ways to close this achievement gap that is discouraging many low-income/ minority students from pursuing a career in STEM fields. The articles then include teaching techniques and mention that the advancement of technology will progress more accessible resources to low-income communities and schools. The Dean of Harvard Graduate School of Education, Bridget Long, proceeded to say, “The importance of STEM education is about so much more than just jobs. STEM fields demand curious individuals eager to solve the world’s most pressing problems”

“It’s not surprising that these differences in educational opportunities lead to very large differences in what we see in the labor force. We are shutting students out of opportunity”.

Source 5 breakdown- A Solution

Brown, Holly K. M., et al. “Gains in the Education of Mathematics and Science: A Summer Program Designed to Address Systemic Inequities and Barriers to Stem Pathways.” Journal of STEM Outreach, Journal of STEM Outreach. PMB 0367, 230 Appleton Place, Nashville, TN 37203. e-mail: jstemoutreach@vanderbilt.edu; Web site: https://www.jstemoutreach.org/, 31 July 2020, eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1325593.

This source explores a summer program aimed at tackling inequities and barriers in STEM education. The study investigates the impact of the program on improving education in mathematics and science, with a focus on addressing disparities in STEM pathways. The authors presented findings related to the effectiveness of the program in overcoming educational challenges by fostering inclusivity in STEM education.

Source 1:

“Unequal Opportunities: Fewer Resources, Worse Outcomes for Students in Schools with Concentrated Poverty.” The Commonwealth Institute, 13 Apr. 2021, thecommonwealthinstitute.org/research/unequal-opportunities-fewer-resources-worse-outcomes-for-students-in-schools-with-concentrated-poverty/.

Source 2:

“The Importance of STEM Education for K-12 Students in Low-Income School Districts.” Nms, www.nms.org/Resources/Newsroom/Blog/2023/November/The-Importance-of-STEM-Education-for-K-12-Students.aspx. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023 .

Source 3:

Winston, Shianne. “Finding Hidden Genius: The Importance of STEM Education for Low-Income Students: Innovate Public Schools.” Innovate Public Schools | A World-Class Public School for Every Student, 18 Mar. 2019, innovateschools.org/research-and-data/finding-hidden-genius-the-importance-of-stem-education-for-low-income-students/#:~:text=Without%20access%20to%20these%20courses%2C%20low-income%20students%20are,are%20much%20more%20likely%20to%20become%20inventors%20themselves.

Source 4:

Parsons, Lian, and Brigid O’Rourke. “Increasing Access and Opportunity in Stem Crucial, Say Experts.” Harvard Gazette, 9 Nov. 2023, news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2021/11/increasing-access-and-opportunity-in-stem-crucial-say-experts/.

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