The Edutopia Poll
by Sara Ring
Is the crisis in boys' education just a myth? A new report by the American Association of University Women tries to dispel the notion that as girls continue to succeed, boys are falling behind. The report argues that the real disparity exists not between the genders but between the haves and have-nots.
In particular, African American and Hispanic students and students from low-income families are found to be less proficient in math and reading than their white and higher-income classmates, and they also score lower on standardized tests. In your experience, which has a greater impact on student achievement, gender or socioeconomic status? Tell us what you think!
Which impacts student performance the most?
Submitted by Jim kilkenny (not verified) on June 2, 2008 - 08:53.
Isn't it interesting that with learning we measure performance. It is as if the steller performers are either wealthy or of a particular gender. Well, learning may be impacted by wealth. The indoctrination of the school system impacts the genders, wealth and poverty exactly the same. It's called NCLB and its a whirrly gig of a set of tests, school placement and tests.
To say that it is hard to answer the question with any sense of honest thought boggles the mind.
Gender or Socioeconomics?
Submitted by Sheila (not verified) on June 1, 2008 - 14:04.
I believe it is more parent involvement and their educational expectations for the child than either of your choices. In saying this, however, it has been my experience that those in the lower socioeconomic category tend to have lower expectations - maybe because of their own lack of education or working long hours due to being a single parent...
Which impacts student performance the most?
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on May 30, 2008 - 20:36.
Hmmm... tough question. But look at our workforce -who has the top jobs? Low socioeconomics is hard to overcome. Few or no books in the home, may or may not have had dinner or breakfast, parents often working 2 jobs to make ends meet which usually means no help with school work for the child, very little conversation... Lots of factors...
Gender or Socioeconomic Status?
Submitted by Candy (not verified) on May 30, 2008 - 06:15.
I work in a school that has 90% of our students on free or reduced lunch. These students come from homes where education is not always seen as something valuable. Those of my students that have parents that take an interest in their education and want their children to do well are those that perform better academically.
Gender or Socioeconomic status?
Submitted by Pam (not verified) on June 1, 2008 - 13:56.
I have taught middle-school General Math through Algebra 1 in a predominately blue-collar community for over 12 years. As the year comes to an end, we (as a team of teachers) begin to look at those "high-flyers" in our classes who might be on the bubble for attending the traditional end-of-the-year field trip. I have a list of twelve students of whom only one is female. While some of these young men ARE in the lower socio-economic levels, that doesn't seem to be the common thread. What I DO see is varying levels of hormonal development beginning (lack of restraint). The other common thread is an absent father...not just physically, but emotionally as well. Many of these moms are involved and value education. But, it is a 2-parent job and young men suffer from the lack of a male-figure/father in their lives. If I had one dream AND the power to fix it, I would make sure each child had an intact family...SIGH...
Sex or Money
Submitted by Chuck Fellows (not verified) on May 29, 2008 - 15:34.
Cognitive studies demonstrate that there are differences in the way male and female brains perceive and process the context they sense.
Studies also show that our brains develop at different locations within the brain and at different rates.
Sex, er gender, has the greatest impact. The region of society that you emerge from has an impact that schools and their teachers can compensate for (the evidence is on the ground if you look, www.essemtialschools.org for example).
Family counts too - but it is not a total deal breaker.
Gender or Socioeconomic Status?
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on May 29, 2008 - 10:36.
I said socioeconomic status only because of the difficulty many of those parents have in assisting their children with educational sucess, either due to their own educational deficiencies or because of time constraints connected to their work schedules. But the bottom line as everyone is saying is PARENT INVOLVEMENT!
Which impacts student performance the most?
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on May 29, 2008 - 08:59.
Ultimately there are many variables that play into this question. The real question is: Over which of these factors do we have the most control? [As an aside, it's interesting that we educators are still stuck on "performance" and NOT actual learning.]
What a student believes attributes to h/h success is of primary importance to how h/s performs. It doesn't stop there. If there is any question in a student's mind as to how s/h will do on a particular task that is of true challenge, s/h looks to a significant adult. Usually this significant adult is a parent/teacher/mentor. The words and actions of this significant adult can have an either a positive/negative/no impact on this student. This is NOT about our intent; the assumption is that we all want the best for our children. It is about the perception of the student and what s/h views as high/low expectations (e.g., body language, wait/think time, kinds of questions we ask, feedback...) or lack of personal relationship with the adult. Because this student has self doubts, our doubts may be the tipping point... The fact that we must first be conscious of this before we can prove the premise right/wrong is critical.
Carol Dweck has done extensive research on motivation. Her studies in addition to case studies of teachers that I teach validates what I have outlined over and over again. So as to not overwhelm teachers, we ask them to focus on 1 student who is not meeting standard and to examine the strengths and circumstances under which she/he learns best. We then ask them to select strategies that we model in the course that they believe will best match this student. One of the 5 strategies they MUST do is attribution retraining. These case studies help teachers see the impact of their actions on their case study student (and, not coincidently , on others in the same classroom). The fact that these teacher have taken the time to do this case study and reflect on the impact helps them feel they have control. The teacher's tenacity, professionalism, and beliefs about learning and achievement all play a roll in this.
What impacts student performance?
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on May 29, 2008 - 08:45.
It's not as simple as economics. As the comments above state, it's parental involvement, and the culture which influences the degree of that involvement, that makes the difference. It's a telling fact that Asian students are successful, even when they come from financially challenged families. Their culture places great value on education and on excelling. If that was the case across the entire spectrum of cultures in the U.S., students would succeed regardless of economic status.
Which impacts student performance the most?
Submitted by Dan R (not verified) on May 29, 2008 - 06:16.
I have found over the last 35 years that the importance placed on education by the parents is more of a factor than either sex, race, or socioeconomic status. I have had the pleasure of teaching all levels of students and the parent's respect for education makes the greatest difference.
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