Diversity in Education-July 28th

Why is class a predictor of student success?

Research indicates that students from a 'higher' SES are more likely to be successful in school then those with a lower SES. Clearly it isn't genetics, so what is it that makes SES a reliable predictor of student success?

There are a few things that in my opinion contribute to this.

a. Home Environment. It is likely that those students who come from a higher SES have parents who are educated, and able/willing to help them with their homework and projects. It is also likely that a student from a higher SES has a home environment that is more conducive to studying, for instance a quiet office space, a computer at home etc. It is also plausable that parents who are educated may value education more then parents who are not educated, and so parental expectations/encouragement may be higher. Higher SES students also likely have the money to purcase aids to their education, study guides, tutors, academic summer camps etc. all of which could potentially lead to those students excelling more in school.

b. School is about those with a higher SES. This is particularly apparent in social studies, but is true across the board. Generally, we don't teach/learn about the working class or the poor, unless it is shown as an exhibit of the other or the unfortunate. Those who are part of the uper class are usually those with the power, and so history, and school in general is about the upper class, and students who do not identify with that class may be disinclined to engage in study about a group in which they percieve themselves to be an outsider.

c. Teacher assumptions/sterotypes. It is probable that a teacher will see a student who appears to be poor, or lower class and assume that that student doesn't have the capabilities to pursue a rigourous academic schedule. Especially if the teacher is familiar with that family. Likewise, interaction with a parent, who is uneducated may lead a teacher to make assumptions about that parent's intelligence or capability, which then carries on to be applied to the student. Especially in high school, poorer or low class student may or may not have the resources to pay for college, and therefore might be encouraged to pursue a vocational training or no extra school, rather the look into scholarship and grants.

There is little that we, as teachers can do to address point a, except to be sensitive to it, and aware that it is a possibility. A student who's parent works nights might not have done their homework because they had to babysit their baby brother that night.

Points b and c are where we as teachers have the power to change things and provide equitable experiences. Adjusting curriculum so that it focuses on not only those with power n history and the other disciplines, but also the 'every man', the working class, the poor and disenfrancised. And of course we must constantly be challenging ourselves to acknowledge the assumptions that we are making and biases we have, examining them to see where they come from and what sort of evidence do we have to support those assumptions.