Sarah Callahan April 11, 2014

Confronting Poverty to Improve Student Success

Despite enormous investment in education reform, the achievement gap et!een poor children
and their higher"income peers persists, threatening the economic security of our nation#s most
vulnerale youth$ %his issue rief e&amines the !ays in !hich poverty and education are
ine&tricaly lin'ed and e&plores one approach to ("12 education that is creating ne!
opportunities for lo!"income youth$ Community schools confront poverty and education
together y !or'ing in partnership !ith the community to ring critical resources into the school
in an integrated educational e&perience$ )rom after"school to health clinics to parent education
programs, community schools provide lo!"income youth a level playing field and empo!er
them to ta'e the first steps to!ard a righter future$
*ducation and *conomics +o ,and in ,and
%he principle that educational achievement is the primary door to economic success in life is at
the foundation of our pulic education system$ ,o!ever, an alarming achievement gap e&ists
et!een children gro!ing up in poverty and their higher"in" come peers, effectively arring lo!"
income children from an adulthood that includes economic moility and financial security$
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-oreover, even after decades of efforts to reinvent the pulic education system, this gap not only
still e&ists ut is gro!ing. a comparison of test scores among lo!"income and higher"income
children over the last /0 years reveals that the disparity et!een these t!o groups has gro!n y
40 percent,
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leaving the poorest memers of our society trapped$
%he impact of this and other similarly soering statistics is profound and lifelong$ As these
children gro! up, the achievement gap turns into an opportunity gap, creating a star'ly stratified
society$ 0ith postsecondary education ecoming more important than ever to securing
employment in the 21st century,
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the vast ma2ority of today#s lo!"income children !ill ecome
tomorro!#s lo!"income adults, perpetuating our country#s seemingly unrea'ale cycle of
poverty$
Calls for school reform to address this achievement gap aound from almost every sector of
society, each armed !ith its o!n solution to the education prolem. etter funding, more
accountaility for teachers, or a longer school day$ Decades of vigorous efforts on these fronts
have not yet succeeded in opening the floodgates for lo!"income youth to succeed in education$
Some people are 3uic' to say that our education system and its lifelong societal impact is simply
unfi&ale$
,o!ever, a gro!ing ody of sta'eholders is 3uic' to respond !ith a resounding no and instead
loo's to a different understanding of education and its relationship to poverty$ Professor Sean )$
4eardon of Stanford 5niversity#s +raduate School of *ducation recently as'ed, 6So ho! can !e
move from a society in !hich educational success is not so strongly lin'ed to family
ac'ground78 ,is ans!er offers this ne! perspective on the future of education.
6)undamentally, 9!e should e: rethin'ing our still"persistent notion that educational prolems
should e solved y schools alone$8
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Community Schools
%he vision that these and many other leading thin'ers in the fields of education and economics
descrie can actually e found today in community schools$ %he term 6community school8 is
used to descrie an approach to ("12 education that rings the fragmented supports and services
found in the community into schools, creating cohesive partnerships that promote the overall
!ell"eing of children and their families in service of improving student learning$
Community schools are not a ne! phenomenon, and over the last decade in particular this
approach to pulic education has increasingly gained traction in lo!"income communities,
especially as more and more data revealing their po!erful impact emerges$ %oday, community
schools can e found across the country, and !hile there is no specific formula, they are all
founded on the understanding that poverty creates arriers to learning that schools cannot ignore
if all students are to have the same chance at success$ %herefore, all community schools !or'
to!ard the same goal. to 2oin the po!er of school and community resources into a unified
educational e&perience that eliminates these arriers, creating the greatest opportunity for every
child to succeed$
%o accomplish this goal, community schools develop partnerships that ring 'ey services into the
school. after"school and;or summer enrichment programs, physical and;or mental health care,
food programs, tutoring and mentoring, parent education and engagement programs, and much
more$ %hey also uild relationships !ith usinesses, higher education institutions and other
entities that can help ma'e student learning more engaged and connected to the !orld in !hich
students live$ %hese partnerships are more than 2ust a collection of services< community schools
integrate these resources into the very structure and function of the school, using 2oint leadership
and ongoing collaoration to create a comprehensive educational e&perience for oth students
and their families$
In order to truly transform the educational e&perience, the community school strategy must e
paired !ith teaching and learning of the highest 3uality, a reconceptuali=ation of the 'ey
ingredients of academic achievement to include !hat happens oth inside and outside the four
!alls of the classroom$ In this !ay, community schools have the po!er to e&pand opportunities
for lo!"income children to succeed in education and in doing so, start to crac' the cycle of
poverty !ide open$
%oo often, our country#s pervasive prolems !ith education and poverty are tac'led as t!o
separate issues, investigated y e&perts in different fields, addressed y different policies and
programs, and this approach has resulted in little progress on either front$ *ducational success is
critical to economic success,
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and yet children gro!ing up !ith minimal resources face
enormous ostacles to academic achievement, setting them up to follo! in their parents#
footsteps and raise the ne&t generation of children living in poverty$
%his issue rief e&amines the myriad of !ays that education and poverty are intert!ined and
e&plores ho!, y understanding poverty and education as deeply entangled prolems,
community schools offer a ne! opportunity to rea' poverty#s truly vicious cycle$
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%he Achievement +ap and Poverty
In the 21st century, high school graduation is !idely seen as a non"negotiale milestone, !ith
college attendance a necessary ne&t step for those !ho strive for economic staility and gro!th$
Indeed, high school graduation and higher education can mean the difference et!een a life
spent struggling from one paychec' to the ne&t and one filled !ith opportunities for economic
moility and financial security$ 4esearch demonstrates that for those !ho fail to reach those
milestones, opportunities to find steady employment, earn a sustainale income, and move up the
economic ladder are often fe! and far et!een$
$?
Children living in poverty face numerous ostacles !hen it comes to educational success, and
the resulting achievement gap et!een lo!"income youth and their higher"income peers is !ell"
documented$ -odest gaps et!een children from lo!" income and higher"income families are
present even !hen these children first enter school, and the gap !idens as the children gro!$
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%his ine3uity in academic achievement can e traced all the !ay to high school graduation.
students in families !hose incomes are in the lo!est 3uintile of income distriution nation!ide
are si& times more li'ely to drop out of high school than students from the top 3uintile$
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A 2012
study summari=es this dismal reality in star' terms. 6Bverall, children !ho spend a year or more
in poverty account for 1@ percent of all children, ut they account for seven"tenths C?0 percentD
of all children !ho do not graduate from high school$ Poverty matters$8
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Eo!"income youth typically end up in schools !ith lo!er"3uality teaching and fe!er resources,
from out" dated te&t oo's to a lac' of educational technology to d!indling opportunities for
music, art and physical education$ %hese disadvantages alone are enough for many to e&plain our
country#s pervasive and e&panding achievement gap et!een lo!"income children and their
higher"income peers$ ,o!ever, a gro!ing ody of evidence also points to the profound impact
that disadvantages outside of the four !alls of the classroom have on academic achievement$
An e&amination of 2ust three 'ey out"of"school factors that impact student success " early
childhood preparation, physical health, and after"school;summer programs " reveal the alarming
impact that a life spent in poverty has on success in education$ )or e&ample, children#s early
e&posure to foundational academic s'ills is critically important to their future aility to thrive in
school$ Children living in poverty often miss out on that early preparation, putting them at a
disadvantage from the first day of school$
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Additionally, children living in poverty are more li'ely to lac' health insurance, and uninsured
children are seven times more li'ely to fail to receive medical care$
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Eac' of preventative care
or treatment for conditions such as asthma or diaetes often leads to fre3uent asence from
school, and chronic asenteeism, even early on in a child#s academic life, is one of the most
po!erful indicators of eventual failure to graduate high school and;or attend college$
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*nrichment in the hours after school and during the summer is also vitally important to academic
success$ After"school programs have een sho!n to improve students# grades, test scores,
engagement in learning, social and emotional development, and much more$
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)urthermore,
lo!"income youth lac' access to the summer e&periences that their higher"income peers
regularly en2oy$ %his single factor has een sho!n to contriute to as much as t!o"thirds of the
achievement gap y the Ath grade$
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0hile for many students activities li'e tutoring, music
lessons, and team sports are 2ust a part of daily life, children living in poverty lac' the financial
resources to access these educational opportunities$
%he Annie *$ Casey )oundation offers a poignant summary of these ostacles faced y children
living in poverty.
Children !hose families live in poverty often lac' resources for decent housing, food, clothing,
and oo's, and they often do not have access to high"3uality child care and early education or to
health care$$$-any arrive at 'indergarten !ithout the language or social s'ills they need for
learning$ %hey miss school fre3uently ecause of health or family concerns$ %hey slip ehind in
the summer !ith little access to stimulating educational programs or even regular meals$
Conse3uently, the children in poor families are in doule 2eopardy. %hey are more li'ely to have
lo! reading test scores and, at any reading"s'ill level, they are less li'ely to graduate from high
school$
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Frea'ing the Cycle of Poverty
%he opportunities and supports provided in community schools have een sho!n to have a !ide
array of positive effects on student success$ Fy ringing these services together and integrating
them into the core educational strategy, the community school model harnesses an e&ponential
po!er to improve student success$
%he list elo! outlines 2ust a fe! of the specific services that many community schools ring
into the school setting and illustrates ho! each service impacts student achievement$
,ealth And -ental Services
Students# physical health is strongly lin'ed to their academic success, and programs that address
student health issues have een !idely sho!n to positively impact academic achievement$
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Fecause lo!"income youth suffer from a !ide range of health prolems at higher rates, e&perts
across fields agree that schools should play a role in improving student health as a strategy for
addressing our nation#s achievement gap$
1@,1A
Access to mental health services produces
improvements in standardi=ed test scores in reading and math< increases in student grade point
averages< increases in attendance< decreases in disciplinary actions< and higher graduation
rates$
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)amily *ngagement
0hen parents are engaged in students# educational e&perience, students achieve higher test
scores and earn higher grades, improve *nglish language development, attend school more
regularly, and are more li'ely to go on to postsecondary education$ 0hen parents tal' to their
children aout school, set e&pectations for academic achievement, and ensure that their children
participate in constructive out"of"school"activities, student learning improves$
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After"school Programs
Students !ho participate in after"school programs, !hich can range in activities from academic
tutoring to organi=ed sports to music lessons, e&perience a !ide array of enefits. improved
academic achievement, reduced asenteeism, reduced course failures, lo!er dropout rates, and
higher graduation rates$
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%hese are 2ust a fe! of the ingredients of community schools# recipe for improving student
achievement$ 0hile each service on its o!n has the po!er to improve student achievement, in
community schools they are rought together and integrated into a single, reframed educational
e&perience that has the po!er to clear the path to success for children in poverty$
Eong"%erm Impact
As community schools around the country mature, they have egun assessing their long"term
impact on students and positive indications are emerging$ )or e&ample, 11 years after the launch
of Cincinnati#s Community Eearning Centers, city!ide high school graduation rates have
s'yroc'eted from /1 percent to @0 percent$ )urthermore, the achievement gap et!een !hite and
African American students has shrun' from 14$/ percent to
4 percent$
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Eife at a Community School " ,illcrest *lementary
An e&amination of community schools# theoretical frame!or', asic structure, and 'ey
partnerships provides an important overvie! of this educational strategy and its impact$
,o!ever, to truly understand the po!er of community schools, it is e3ually important to
e&amine them at the ground level, e&ploring ho! they operate on a daily asis and !hat life is
li'e for administrators, teachers, students, and families$
,illcrest *lementary School is located in southeast San )rancisco, in et!een the !or'ing class
*&celsior and Portola Districts$ Among the school#s 4@0 students, A0G are enrolled in the federal
free and reduced price lunch program, >/G are *nglish language learners, and 1>G are
designated as special needs students$ ,illcrest#s 2ourney egan in 200> !ith funding from
California#s ,ealthy Start program, and over the past seven years, it has een transformed into a
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thriving community school$ %oday, ,illcrest has 1/ partners that include a family resource
center, a food an', and city social support agencies$ A ma2ority of students participate in its
roust after"school program, physical and mental health services are provided onsite, and parents
are highly involved$
Integration and alignment are at the core of ,illcrest#s approach to education$ As ,illcrest
Community School Coordinator Stefanie *ldred descries, it is essential that 6everyone is on the
same page$8 ,illcrest accomplishes this formidale tas' !ith a comination of inclusive
leadership structures and a thoroughly emraced culture of collaoration$ )or e&ample, at
,illcrest#s monthly Partner Collaorative meeting, community partners meet !ith school
administrators to set priorities, tac'le challenges, and assess the impact of the school#s strategies$
In her role as Community Schools Coordinator, -s$ *ldred !or's on a daily asis to further
align programming from e&ternal service providers !ith that of the school, as !ell as to cultivate
and facilitate ne! partnerships< assess oth student and family needs< and evaluate the impact of
services provided$
,illcrest#s after"school program offers further evidence of its commitment to integration and
alignment at every level$ Students have a seamless learning e&perience from the start of the
official school day through the end of its four hour after"school program that offers sports and
e&ercise, home!or' help, and enrichment activities$ Classroom teachers and after"school staff
participate in 2oint professional development activities, and after"school staff memers meet !ith
grade"level teachers on a monthly asis so they can mirror the themes eing taught in the
classroom$ As -s$ *ldred oserves, 6*veryone spea's the same language$8
At ,illcrest, sustantial time and resources are devoted to e3uipping teachers !ith the s'ills and
'no!ledge they need to help children living in poverty to successfully learn$ 0hen ,illcrest#s
students undergo crises, ranging from a parent eing deported to not having any food to eat that
morning, teachers are ale to respond and prevent learning from eing derailed$ 0hen students
need help that is eyond a teacher#s capacity, assistance is fully availale from the school#s
numerous partners$ As one teacher descries, 6I feel that I can 2ust turn and there#s a resource at
the school I can refer a family to$8
At heart, ,illcrest#s teaching strategy is 3uite simple, as -s$ *ldred articulates. 60e really really
'no! our 'ids and their families$8 4egardless of !here and ho! students# prolems are
addressed, at ,illcrest the solution al!ays egins !ith deeply caring relationships et!een
students and adults$ )rom 2010 to 2012, ,illcrest sa! an 11G increase in California
Standardi=ed %est CCS%D scores across all grades, as !ell as an @G rise in the Academic
Performance Inde&$ In the 2012"2011 school year, ,illcrest#s students reached another
significant milestone !hen their CS% scores surpassed San )rancisco 5nified School District
averages$ In the school#s most recent assessment, every one of the school#s staff memers
reported that they chec' in !ith at least t!o students each !ee' aout personal matters, and
almost half of them chec' in !ith eight or more students on a !ee'ly asis$ Parent engagement
has also risen sharply$ In 200/, there !as only a /0G attendance rate at parent;teacher
conferences< in 2011, that rate rose to A0G$
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0ith the passionate dedication of everyone involved in ,illcrest *lementary School, along !ith
the ongoing refinement of the school#s strategies and programs, opportunities for ,illcrest
students to move to!ard a life eyond poverty can only continue to gro!$
Creating a Fetter )uture
It is clear that community schools have a profound impact on children and families living in
poverty$ %he source of the impact doesn#t directly stem from enrichment provided y after"
school programs, or health care services strengthening children#s odies and minds$ 0hile these
and the many other opportunities and supports provided y community schools are potent
resources, the real po!er of community schools does not come from tac'ing on an array of
services to the school day$ %he real po!er comes from operating !ith an understanding of the
tangled relationship et!een education and poverty and the resulting 2oint effort of schools and
communities to create a diverse array of opportunities for students to succeed$
0ith achievement and opportunity gaps in our country gro!ing every year, leading to ever !ider
gaps in 3uality of life, !e can no longer afford to treat poverty and education as separate issues$
Improvements in school financing and the 3uality of teaching and learning in lo!"income
communities are e&tremely important and must continue$ ,o!ever, they can only have limited
success !hen students# lives outside of school continue to e ignored$ Similarly, support systems
that address the challenges of poverty !ill only result in limited change if schools do not also
provide effective teaching and learning$ It is only !hen these efforts are comined that real
transformations egin to emerge$
)rom ig"picture policy to on"the"ground programs, lo!"income children !ill only get a fair
chance at success if the intert!ined nature of education and poverty is fully grasped and used as
a launching point for change$ Fy simultaneously and 2ointly confronting the challenges of
education and poverty, community schools create opportunities for lo!"income youth to rea'
free of the cycle of poverty and create a etter life, oth for themselves and for generations to
come$
*ndnotes
1$ Haco, F$, I Eud!ig, H$ C2011D$ Improving educational outcomes for poor children. 0or'ing
paper 14//0$ Jational Fureau of *ducation 4esearch$
2$ 4eardon, S$ )$ C2011, April 2?D$ Jo rich child left ehind$ %he Je! Kor' %imes$ 4etrieved
Hune 20, 2011, from http.;;opinionator$logs$nytimes$com;2011;04;2?;no"rich"child"left"
ehind;$
1$ Carnevale, A$ P$, Smith, J$, I Strohl, H$ C2010D$ ,elp !anted. Pro2ections of 2os and
education re3uirements through 201@$ +eorgeto!n 5niversity, Center on *ducation and the
0or'force$
4$ 4eardon, S$)$ C2011, April 2?D$ Jo rich child left ehind$ %he Je! Kor' %imes$
Callahan 7
/$ 4othstein, 4$ C2011D$ 0hy children from lo!er socioeconomic classes, on average, have lo!er
academic achievement than middle class children$ In Carter, P$ E, I 0elner, ($ +$ C*dsD,
Closing the opportunity gap. 0hat America must do to give every child an even chance Cpp$
>1"?4D$ Je! Kor', JK. B&ford 5niversityPress$
>$ Carnevale, A$ P$, Smith, J$, I Strohl, H$ C2010D$ ,elp !anted. Pro2ections of 2os and
education re3uirements through 201@$ +eorgeto!n 5niversity, Center on *ducation and the
0or'force$
?$ Iid$
@$ -agnuson, ($, I Lotrua"Dr=al, *$ C200AD$ *nduring influences of childhood poverty$ In
Cancian, -$ I Dan=iger, S$ C*ds$D, Changing poverty Cpp$ 12"1?D$ Je!Kor', JK. 4ussell
Sage )oundation$
A$ -c(eon, D$ C200>D$ 4esearch tal'ing points on dropout statistics$ 4etrieved Hune 20, 2011,
from http.;;!!!$nea$org;home;11/?A$htm$
10$ ,ernande=, D$ H$ C2012D$ Doule 2eopardy. ,o! third"grade reading s'ills and poverty
influence high school graduation$ Faltimore, -D. %he Annie *$ Casey )oundation$
11$ 4eed, D$ C200/D$ *ducational resources and outcomes in California, y race and ethnicity$
California Counts. Population %rends and Profiles >C1D, 1"21$
12$ Flan', -$ H$, -elaville, A$, I Shah, F$ P$ C2001D$ -a'ing the difference. 4esearch and
practice in community schools$ 0ashington, DC. Coalition for Community Schools$
11$ Falfan=, 4$, I Fyrnes, L$ C2012D$ Chronic asenteeism. Summari=ing !hat !e 'no! from
nationally availale data$ Faltimore, -D. Hohns ,op'ins 5niversity Center for Social
Brgani=ation of Schools$
14$ Jational Institute on But"of"School %ime at the 0ellesley Centers for 0omen at 0ellesley
College C200AD$ -a'ing the case. A 200A fact sheet on children and
youth in out"of"school time$
1/$ Ale&ander, ($ E$, *nt!isle, D$ 4$, I Blson, E$ S$ C200?D$ Summer learning and its
implications. Insights from the Feginning School Study$ Je! Directions for
Kouth Development, 200?. 11M12$ doi. 10$1002;yd$210$
1>$ ,ernande=, D$ H$ C2012D$ Doule 2eopardy. ,o! third"grade reading s'ills and poverty
influence high school graduation$ Faltimore, -D. %he Annie *$ Casey )oundation$
1?$ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, %he case for coordinated school health$
4etrieved Hune 20, 2011 from http.;;!!!$cdc$gov;healthyyouth;cshp;case$htm$
Callahan 8
1@$ Fasch, C$ *$ C2010, -archD$ ,ealthier students are etter learners. A missing lin' in school
reforms to close the achievement gap$ *3uity -atters, 4esearch 4evie!, >$
1A$ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, %he case for coordinated school health$
4etrieved Hune 20, 2011 from http.;;!!!$cdc$gov;healthyyouth;cshp;case$htm$
20$ Center for School -ental ,ealth, 5niversity of -aryland, Faltimore$ %he impact of school
mental health. *ducational, emotional, and ehavioral outcomes$
21$ ,enderson, A$ %$, I -app, ($ E$ C2002D$ A ne! !ave of evidence. %he impact of school,
family, and community connections on student achievement, annual synthesis 2002$ Austin,
%N. Jational Center for )amily I Community Connections !ith Schools, South!est
*ducational Development Eaoratory$
22$ 0estrich, E$, I Stroel, ($ C2011D$ A study of family engagement in 4ed!ood City
community schools$ Stanford, CA. Hohn 0$ +ardner Center for Kouth and %heir
Communities$
21$ +eorge, 4$, Cusic', +$ 4$, 0asserman, -$, I +ladden, 4$ -$ C200?, HanuaryD$ Afterschool
Programs and Academic Impact. A study of Chicago#s After School -atters$ Issue Frief O112$
Chapin ,all Center for Children$2/ Coalition for Community Schools I Institute for
*ducational Eeadership C2011D$ Community school results$ 4etrieved Hune 2?, 2011, from
http.;;!!!$communityschools$org;assets;1;Asset-anager;CommunityG20School
G204esultsG202011$pdf$
24$ Coalition for Community Schools I Institute for *ducational Eeadership C2011D$ Community
school results$ 4etrieved Hune 2?, 2011, from http.;;!!!$com"
munityschools$org;assets;1;Asset-anager;CommunityG20SchoolG204esultsG202011$pdf$
2/$ Coalition for Community Schools, retrieved Huly /, 2011 from
http.;;!!!$communityschools$org;aoutschools;a!ardsP2011$asp&$
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