NYSUT, one of the leading voices in the discussion about the achievement gap and how poverty affects learning, continues to make that case as it advocates for resources and common-sense approaches to public education reform.
The following report from the Albany Times Union, derived from a study by the Buffalo Business Review - which will be released publicly later this week - makes the connection that students from wealthier school districts do better than their counterparts in poor districts.
From the Times Union report:
Many upstate cities have a doughnut-like wraparound of wealthier suburbs that surround an impoverished core. The list shows that those suburbs typically have better academic results, largely because dense concentrations of students in poverty tend to drag down results. Students who don't know where they are going to sleep at night typically struggle in school, said Billy Easton, executive director of the Alliance for Quality Education, a labor-funded advocacy group.
Easton said the ranking is no surprise because there is often a close correlation between poverty and educational opportunities. He said school districts with a lot of poor students have less money to spend on extras. "They tend to come to school much less prepared, having much less opportunity for early brain development and the things that prepare them for success," he said.
You can read the full article online at TimesUnion.com.