Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Soapbox Moment: What is the Opportunity Gap?

http://awesome.good.is/transparency/web/1105/opportunitygap/flat.html
Basically, low-income students of color in America lack the same access to opportunity as compared to their white peers.  Combined with the educational disparities these demographics also face, known as the achievement gap, this is a deleterious abhorrence.  It is in everyone's best interest to seek ways to enhance equal opportunity and achievement for all.

I am a sucker for a cool infographic and I also like Good magazine.
Posted by bsmithhill at 10:36 AM
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2 comments:

  1. Bryan CaskeyMay 15, 2014 at 11:21 AM

    "It is in everyone's best interest to seek ways to enhance equal opportunity and achievement for all."

    I agree that it's in everyone's best interest to seek ways to enhance equal opportunity. Achievement is a totally different thing. Everyone can't have the same level of achievement.

    Everyone should have equal opportunity. It's up to them to do with it what they will. You can't control achievement levels, nor should you try.

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  2. bsmithhillMay 15, 2014 at 11:38 AM

    Totally agree. As a former special education teacher, I definitely get that not everyone can attain the same level of achievement. My point about the achievement gap is that we have perfectly capable children in our country falling behind, (most times before they even reach 1st grade), due in large part to lack of affordable and quality early childhood education. Another piece of the achievement gap lies in the fact that many parents do not know how to effectively teach and stimulate their child's development and learning during the critical period (0-3 years).
    We're helping tackle that issue at St. Lawrence Place through parenting classes and family engagement interventions. The cycle of poverty however, feeds directly into the achievement gap, and my (poorly worded) point in the statement you quoted was that enhancing opportunity and learning for all is in everyone's best interest. Thanks for engaging in the conversation with me!

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