What is the achievement gap?

“Big structural differences between the average achievements of groups that really
should be performing at about the same level”
- Dr. Susanna Loeb
Stanford University

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=6&v=z1W5NjmiMp8
Class Size & the Achievement Gap:
● Statistics:
○ Average class size grades K-6 in California: 22 to 27 students
○ Class size penalties: (Laws)
■ Kindergarten cannot exceed 33 students
■ Grades 1-3: no larger than 33 students
■ Grades 4-8: no larger than 30 students
Class Size & the Achievement Gap:
How does class size link to the achievement gap?

School Funding:
● Less funding means fewer educational opportunities & lower quality resources
○ Staffing, books, extracurricular activities, poor working/learning conditions
● Efficiency Tradeoffs:
○ Larger class size and non-competitive teacher salary
○ Quality of the staff depends on compensation
○ Wages and workforce affect the quality of teachers who enter and stay in the
profession
○ Higher salaries lead to better qualified applicants, and increased student
outcomes
Behavior/Behavior Management & the
Achievement Gap:
How does behavior and behavior management link to the
achievement gap?
Teacher’s Perceptions:
● “Disruptive student behavior”
Classroom Management:
● Poor classroom management that become normal
● Unorganized, poor curriculum design, doesn’t incorporate all learning styles
● Poor classroom management “wastes class time, reduces task time, and
detracts from the quality of the learning environment.”

When the teacher can keep students engaged, much of the disciplinary problems
can be avoided.
 Adverse Childhood Experiences
ACEs take many forms

• Abuse (physical, emotional, or sexual)

• Mental illness of a household member
• Problematic drinking or alcoholism of a household member
• Illegal drug use by a household member
• Parental divorce or separation
• Domestic violence present in the household
• Incarceration of a household member
• homelessness

The higher the ACE score, the more at risk

the child is to become.
Homelessness
● 7.4 % of Students in Humboldt County (2016)
Up from 5.9% (2014)

● 3 % higher than State average (4.4%)

Potential effects of homelessness or being highly mobile
• Anxiety
• Low self-esteem *Over 20% of Children
• Anger in California live in
• Embarrassment poverty
• Depression
• Poor or inappropriate social interaction
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Without basics needs met, children are not able to achieve
their full potential. This includes academic success and
success within the classroom.
● Behavioral issues
● Difficulty concentrating
● Language development
● Memory
● Attendance
● Problem solve
● Conflict resolution
● Delay social development
How to Help
RECOGNIZE & ACKNOWLEDGE GET TO KNOW YOUR STUDENTS
● Become aware of your ● Establish and maintain
perceptions and biases communication with parents
● Be familiar with warning ● Establish a caring relationship
signs ○ This can be done on a varying
● You, and your classroom scale depending on your comfort
may be the most stable and level. But somehow, your students
dependable aspect of a must know that you genuinely
student’s life. care for them and about their
● Effects of ACEs are often future. (Maslow’s hierarchy of
mistaken for behavioral needs)
disorders, such as ADHD ● Seek out and identify strengths
and assets
 KNOW YOUR LOCAL RESOURCES
Mckinney-Vento Education of Homeless Children and Youth Assistance
Act 1987
● Federally funded program requiring states to:
● Ensure homeless children immediate enrollment and educational
stability
● Provides funding for district programs that provide services for
homeless students

Humboldt County Office of Education

● https://hcoe.org/foster-homeless-youth-services/
In the Classroom ~ MOTIVATION
● Growth Mindset
● Mindfulness
● Exercise
● Healthy Snacks
● Know and implement student’s interests
● Be Genuine: Build relationships, establish trust
● Setting and working towards reachable goals
○ Realistic pathways

Develop and put together your “bag of tricks”

Do your due diligence: teachers are not given through training on how to
deal with these types of issues. Do you your own digging and learn different
tricks and methods that will help you and your students
SocioEconomic Status

Socioeconomic Status is the social standing or class of an individual or

group. It is often measured as a combination of education, income and
occupation.
● Inequities in access to resources, issues related
to privilege, power and control.
What areas of Education could SES
impact?
● Education may be affected by SES through language development
● Maternal education may be the biggest factor from SES that
influences children's language.
● IQ, Vocabulary, verbal and written language working and semantic
memory
● Innateness hypothesis proposes that children have an innate
capacity to differentiate phonemes, extract words from the
language stream, and are able to process grammar.
● Language Acquisition Device(LAD)-Hypothetical hardwiring in the
brains of children that drives them to acquire language.
Why does SES have this impact?

Culture of Poverty-idea that poor people share predictable beliefs, values,

and behaviors.

The culture of classism- expecting less from students who are low SES and
defining students for their needs.

Deficit theory- An assumption that some students are meant to succeed

and some are not. Suggesting that children from lower socioeconomic
environments enter school without the linguistic resources needed for
success.
 “ 1 in 5 U.S adults lacks the math

What can We do?

competency of middle school”

● Equity- dont define/label students as their needs/behaviors

● Providing multiple ways of learning in the classroom
● Number sense- building number sense and making friends with numbers
● Stop trying to “fix” poor students, start addressing how schools perpetuate
classism
● Acknowledge that SES is not a disability
● Advocate for our students demand basic human rights and better
resources for healthcare.
● Address personal biases
Conclusion: