OPPapers.com

An Economically Diverse Educational System

Socioeconomic Stratification of Public Schools
There have been many educational changes and reforms during America's 350 year old education system. Although America's educational system has climbed mountains since its inception in 1635, there are still many peaks to overcome. Why? The world around us is constantly changing. Faux pas of yesterday are the norms today and vise-versa. In order to keep up with society and the quality of education it demands there has to be constant reforms. The area of our educational system that needs the most change lies in our inner city schools.
Inner city schools consistently score lower on standardized tests then the rest of America. Low-income inner city schools are less likely to perform well because individual low income students have less access to healthcare, qualified teachers, adequate nutrition, and a quiet place to do homework. So why not provide the same educational experience to the inner-city students as the suburban students? To do this, there must be a centralized school that contains both inner-city and suburban students. According to a study conducted by Douglas Harris of Florida State University, mixed income schools are 22 times as likely to be consistently high performing as high poverty schools (Coleman). Mixed income schools have shown to be the best way to raise inner city students performance without hindering upon the middle-class, suburban students education.
The idea of bringing together students from different socioeconomic backgrounds isn't anything new. In fact, the legendary Coleman Report of the 1960's found that after the influence of the family, the socioeconomic status of a school is the single most important determinant of a student's academic success (Kahlenber). Students that have a low socioeconomic status are less likely to have parents that are actively involved in their education. Many parents simply don't have to time to meet with teachers to see how their child is doing...