Educators examine link between poverty, academic success

Educators who connect with students from troubled backgrounds can make dramatic, life-changing differences in their future, the founder of a Virginia firm that advises school districts said Friday.

“The price of academic failure for impoverished children is death,” said John Hodge, who is president of the Urban Learning and Leadership Center in Hampton, Va.

“It can be a fast one or a slow one,” he added.

Hodge was the keynote speaker during the “2012 Poverty Summit” hosted by the Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana, a statewide teacher association with about 7,000 members that calls itself A+PEL.

The chief topic was the education of children from troubled financial and social backgrounds, which is a frequent topic in state education circles.

Suzanne Harris, executive director of A+PEL, said the idea for the gathering stemmed in part from the knowledge that teachers will start undergoing new job evaluations during the 2012-13 school year.

Half of the reviews will be linked to student achievement, and one in four children in Louisiana grew up in poverty.

Hodge said teachers make a major mistake when they lower the bar for some students and see them as “at risk.”

“If the term is coupled with lower expectations then that term is damaging,” Hodge said. “If you don’t think a kid can do it regardless of circumstances then they won’t.”

State Superintendent of Education John White told the group that poverty does not have to be eradicated in Louisiana or nationwide to improve public schools.

“The two are linked,” White said. “It is our job as educators to disrupt that linkage.”

Hodge’s group advises schools and school districts, including ways to narrow the achievement gap.

Hodge, 45, grew up in North Carolina.

He said that, in his close-knit circle of eight friends who grew up together, two became businessmen, one a doctor and one an educator.

Hodge said one died, one is serving 25 years to life in prison, one is serving a life sentence and one was paroled from prison.

All four that succeeded, he said, had the same fifth-grade teacher, Mrs. Dawson, while the other four did not.

“Isn’t that something?” he asked.

Hodge recalled the time that Mrs. Dawson shocked him and his friends by visiting his modest neighborhood on Pear Street.

“We need people like Mrs. Dawson who did not care that you lived on Pear Street,” he said. “In our neighborhood we were all at risk.”

Comments

1) Comment by Loki - 29/07/2012

Those with wealth have such virtuous minds. Bank accounts equal virtue. Don't you know?

2) Comment by redstickhornet - 29/07/2012

Great points ScotB and The Host. Too many people assume they must receive something from gov't. to succeed. That success seems to be defined in very narrow terms. This is an interesting discussion. I agree that the school is certainly a great place to try to break through many of the obstacles to children in poverty. I admit I have not lived in BR my whole life. I'm not sure what is meant by "decline of EBR school system". I do know that EBR schools were racially and economically segregated and divided for many years. Painful, but factual. I'm not trying to play a race card or accuse reformers of racial agendas. I am wondering, as a relative newcomer when this "golden age" of EBR schools was. I simply hope and pray that earlier comments re: decline in BR schools made by jeffsadow are not referring us back to those ugly, hate-filled years. I also notice that some statements are made over and over, like talking points. "Soft bigotry of low expectations?" No child should have his potential set by race or the amount of money at home. I am thankful we all agree that all children in our community can learn and should learn. Describing the relationship between poverty and scores is not surely setting a low expectation. The "the status quo?" These persons supposedly want everything in Baton Rouge schools to stay the same. I haven't met anyone yet in BR who thinks what we have is perfect. Having grown up in poverty myself, I can tell you all that the mindset of poverty does come from certain people, not from conservatives, not from liberals, not from republicans, and not from democrats. The solutions that helped me long ago were not "discovered" by some guy in Harlem or some research institute. It doesn't cost 20 grand a student. You don't have to set up a "competition" or a "race". The strategies are: 1) Get an education. Any education is better than nothing. Start somewhere and keep working on your diploma or degree no matter how long it takes. 2.) Do not have kids before you can take care of them. 3.) Don't use drugs. 4.) Live within the means that you have. 5.) Have a plan to look for a different career or job, if necessary. That's it.

3) Comment by ScotB - 29/07/2012

Poverty is huge obstacle to success, but desire & attitude beat poverty every time. A child from an impoverished family that has the desire and motivation from their parents can get a good education. They can move ahead. They have to want it and work a little harder for it than a privileged child. What are the obstacles? Nutrition is important to brain development and function. While most people do not go hungry anymore, the quality of food in poor homes is often not good. Participation in extra curricular activities is facilitated by transportation. Riding your bike is harder and in some neighborhoods, possibly dangerous. Peer pressure from other poor kids who have accepted their lot in life is to be poor and they resent an achiever thinking they are better than they are. Often, poor kids get little help with homework from parents, for three different reasons; 1- the parents do not have the educational capacity to help, 2- they work two or more jobs and don't have the time/energy to help, 3- they don't care (drugs/mental usually). Finally, poor neighborhood schools have on average the least desireable teachers. That's not to say there are not some very good, dedicated educators (like Ms. Dawson) in those schools, but the odds are not good. If you were an excellent teacher in high demand anywhere you wanted to go, would you teach there? So, it really is harder to get well educated if you are poor. But, if you have the desire, you can have it all even if you start out disadvantaged. You have to want it more. The truth is, the kids don't want it. The peer pressure and poor community culture have won out. You know, when I grew up, pretty much everybody smoked cigarettes. Culture & what society finds cool and acceptable can change. In this case, it's a matter of life and death.

4) Comment by The_Host - 29/07/2012

Why not stop giving the farm away to people just because they are poor. In case no one is noticing giving people things for nothing doesn't make them improve their lives. I'm 3 generations from when my family lived on a bed of oysters in Empire. My great grandfather wanted his kids to go to school. SO HE MADE IT HAPPEN. Since then all of his children's kids went to college and so have their kids. All without the government imagine that. We have the fattest, most pampered "poor people" on the face of the earth in the USA. Other countries only wish they could be so poor as our poor. There is no connection between wealth and common decency or the will to improve. There seems to be a direct link between someone being dependent on government and not being able to improve their own place in life.

5) Comment by Iamhopeful2 - 28/07/2012

John White doesn't have a clue what it's like to live in poverty. ALL statistics show that poverty is linked directly to low test scores - another of many reasons why high stakes standardized testing should be banned. It measure the wrong thing. John White and his crew would remove the poverty factor from value-added if they thought they could get away with it. Former Supt. Pastorek had Dr. George Noell try to slip that in when he was in charge of the value-added model. Fact is - it's poverty stupid - and denying that it is a factor or saying that it is an "excuse" by lazy teachers is the stupid part. Read this NY Times article and then the excerpts posted here. Then remind yourselves that in Bobby Jindal's World there are no mental health clinics or school psychologists - the budget doesn't allow for them. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/28/opinion/nocera-addressing-poverty-in-schools.html?_r=1&smid=fb-share “If children are under stress, the ways they respond are remarkably similar,” she says. “They get sad, distracted, aggressive, and tune out.” That is what she saw in the high-poverty schools she visited. Chaos reigned. The most disruptive children dominated the schools. Teachers didn’t have control of their classrooms — in part because nothing in their training had taught them how to deal with traumatized children. Too many students had no model of what school was supposed to mean. “These were schools that were not ready to be schools,” she said. . . ". . . The third is a social worker who helps train the school social workers to help with the psychological and emotional needs of children in poverty, while identifying the most troubled students, the ones who can drive the entire school. Instead of suspending them, or expelling them, though, Turnaround contracts with mental health organizations to provide them with services. That sends an important signal to the other students."

6) Comment by Jack_Cause - 28/07/2012

You may want to use another example, jeffsadow. Geoffrey Canada’s Harlem Children’s zone actually proves Noel Hammatt’s point that poverty and resources matter. If you would take the time to listen to Mr. Hammett’s reform suggestions you would find they parallel many of the broad array of medical and social services offered to HCZ children and families, such as health programs, preschool, after-school tutoring, and parenting classes. It’s charter schools are better funded that nearby public schools. Its high school classes have fewer that 15 students with two licensed teachers. It also has and endowment of $200 million. Even with ample resources, large percentages of HCZ students did not meet the state standards for proficiency in reading. When Canada recruited students for his charter middle schools they came in with low scores. After three years when their scores remained low, he kicked out the entire class. Public schools can’t do that. Don’t get me wrong; I think Canada gets it. Not the part about kicking out students, but the part about early childhood education, health programs, parent training and a $200 million endowment. If we want to make real progress we can’t ignore the facts presented by Mr. Hammatt. If we are counting on Mrs. Dawson's of the world to overcome the non-school factors that impact student achievement, WITHOUT programs such as the ones in place at the HZC and suggested by reformers like Noel Hammett, we might as well be waiting on Superman.

7) Comment by Noel Hammatt - 28/07/2012

Almost forgot.... the "competition" that is going to make everything ok. Private and parochial schools, along with charter schools, show no particular advantages over regular public schools. What the other schools are VERY, VERY good at, is selecting their students for success! Why do you think the very schools clamoring for students and public dollars fought so hard to NOT have any of the accountability of the public schools, and demand the right to turn away and not offer services to special needs students. JS... go do a bit of research the next time you want to take on a subject clearly outside of your areas of expertise.

8) Comment by Noel Hammatt - 28/07/2012

Now, I am not sure where JS gets the idea that I am either claiming that nothing can be done, or that we need lots of new money to get things done. I am guessing he gets it from his "reformer's handbook of talking points" since anyone reading my comments over the years would know I have never said ANYTHING like JS claims. I have never "thrown up my hands" and I don't actually know how to "bleat," although perhaps JS can entertain us with his bleating. I actually presented on exactly what things we should be doing to improve education in this state, at a conference held by the state just last week. None of the "reformers" ever show up at such sessions, for they don't really want to be faced with facts and research that might cause them to question their "beliefs." For that matter, I have always said, in public and openly, that the income of the parents does not, in fact, determine the intelligence of ability of any child.... but you would have to be a total idiot to ignore the data suggesting that poverty has a huge, and negative effect on student achievement because it is so closely related to things that researchers tell us matter, and matter greatly! Books in the home, early literacy experiences, travel, television viewing.... on and on. Plenty of research and evidence here of the effects of poverty. And of course, how to explain the incredibly high correlations between poverty and school performance scores? So... what do so-called "reformer ideologues" do when confronted with overwhelming evidence? Go to the anecdotes! Of course! Does JS care to explain why, with over 1300 schools in the state, not one school has made the High Poverty High Performing list every year? And, what an interesting example he provides.... the "Miracle School" of Harlem Success Academy! Wow... with incredible turnover of students, and with spending exceeding that of any Louisiana Schools, 3rd graders achieved incredible success. ONly to drop well below the City and state averages by the 5th grade... FOR THE SAME COHORT. Trust me JS... youi don't want to get into an argument with me about so-called "Miracle Schools." You might want to google my name along with Harvard's Nieman Center to read about why you will be out of your league here... or just google my name and the New York Times.

9) Comment by Noel Hammatt - 28/07/2012

Thank you Jeff Sadow, for again reminding all of us how ideology trumps research and data, and how ideologues use anecdotes (incorrectly here) to try and overcome the overwhelming body of evidence that denies the veracity of their ideology. And of course, let us not discount the value of argumentum ad hominem when you no longer have facts and truth on your side. Let us take his illegitimate arguments to task. First, putting aside the fact that EBR actually increased its scores and was nationally recognized by researchers, who actually look at data, for improving our scores and graduation rates for subgroups at a pace far greater than the increases he claims for the Recovery School District, and ignoring the fact that this was done in spite of losing the highest performing areas of our school system, and the fact that we passed every tax but one to build new schools and improve the quality of the facilities and student supports in our system (with ever increasing margins in spite of the anti-tax crowds), even Jeff Sadow, certain ideologue that he is, can understand that there were hundreds of families begging the State Superintendent to NOT take over their schools, and in fact, every single school (with the exception of a school that is STILL under investigation by the state) has had scores GO DOWN, not improve. There are many reasons that people choose to leave a school or school system, and many of those are not talked about honestly and openly. Even Sadow should know that! Let me send this on... then go on to the next ***** from Sadow.

10) Comment by jeffsadow - 28/07/2012

If this commenter "Noel Hammatt" is the same one that served on the EBR Parish School Board, with his comments he illustrates perfectly why his tenure helped perpetuate the decline of those schools to the point families want to secede. The last refuge of the status quo that has failed LA's children is to throw up their hands and bleat there's nothing they can do to improve educational quality because of the poverty-stricken households involved, unless they're given a ton of more money. Thus, it is in their interests to try to obscure the facts if not try to shift the argument away from the fundamental explanation of why schools with high poverty rates of the families involved do poorly in performance. They try to assert there is an unassailable connection between lack of material wealth in a household and children's performance, as if the lack of resources causes the performance. That is incorrect. It is a set of attitudes, principally a fixation of living for the present, that impacts performance and is highly related to poverty. Having a present orientation, rather than a future orientation that emphasizes thrift, trading future gains for present consumption, and acting with future goals in mind, is what causes poverty through poor life choices and gets socialized into children which then they bring with them. Hodge is perfectly correct when he argues you have to break the link by changing the beliefs and attitudes of the children and even the families, and that the most important institution to do so is the schools themselves. And its done in places without the Hammatt's of the world and their tolerance of mediocrity or worse to suit their political agendas. One of the granddaddies of the proof you can change the culture through the schools, Harlem Success Academy (the original one) in the latest data with its 64 percent poverty rate of students' families ranked as one of the better New York City schools. You'll always get a thousand excuses from the likes of Hammatt about how the administrators, schools, and teachers are not responsible for poor performances because they don't have enough money, while in fact LA ranks 21st of the states in per capita spending with a lot lower-spending states having student do much better (of course, as we can see by the comments, he doesn't believe in one of the major components that demonstrates the poor quality of LA education, testing, so perhaps the status quo can sleep better at night able to convince themselves they really aren't doing a bad job at all). Hodges is absolutely right -- increased rigor, fewer teachers who are incapable, i.e. incompetent in subject area material (they need to be tested for that as about half of all states do), and a commitment by more of them and administrators to work harder and to shed the soft bigotry of low expectations is what will spearhead that cultural change necessary. And a little competition from charter and private schools won't hurt, either.

11) Comment by Noel Hammatt - 28/07/2012

Jack_Cause.... I have been suitably chastised.... :) I wish I had known about Ms. Dawson, I would have changed my entire presentation around... it is NOT all the early childhood experiences.... it is having Ms. Dawson that matters! Thanks timesright!

12) Comment by Jack_Cause - 28/07/2012

Here you go again with the facts, data and research, Noel Hammatt. You just don’t get it. People don’t want to face the facts. It’s too hard to face the facts. It would mean we would have to do things like providing adequate prenatal care for pregnant mothers, stronger birth to five early childhood programs, health services, extended school days, after school tutoring, summer school programs, parental education programs, community support for public schools and teachers... It’s easier to believe that all you have to do to solve the problems is put all the kids who might die or commit a crime in Mrs. Dawson’s class, get rid of the teachers who care about the neighborhoods their students come from, and get more teachers who know how to disrupt the linkage between poverty and achievement. We just need more people like Ms. Dawson.

13) Comment by timesright - 28/07/2012

Thanks, Noel, for pointing out the facts on the consultant and his experience. All good to know!

14) Comment by Noel Hammatt - 28/07/2012

A final comment (maybe?) about the "one in four children in Louisiana grew up in poverty." In the schools in Louisiana receiving the letter grade of "F" in a state "accountability system" that assigns grades to schools that bear NO RELATIONSHIP AT ALL to the quality of the schools or of the teaching and leadership within those schools, the average percent of students qualifying for free meals is just under 90%. 9 our of 10 students in those schools, on average, are from the lowest income segments of our state. One in four? For PUBLIC SCHOOLS, the number is much different!

15) Comment by Noel Hammatt - 28/07/2012

I just have to note, that when I saw this article, and read it without looking at who wrote it, I knew it was by Will Sentell. As always, a totally uncritical look at news from the standpoint of the "reformers." You would think that even Will could have looked to see the relationship between the speaker and the Department. I never did see the State Superintendent, at the 6th Annual Educator Excellence Symposium and Celebration, (where I presented one of four break-out sessions showing the truth about poverty and out of school factors, and the need for focusing on what happens in the home, as well as what happens in schools!) but the article in The Advocate made it appear that he was at the Cecil Picard Educator Excellence event. It appears that Will is always ready to parrot the press releases. It is a shame he won't take it the next step, to actually research just a little bit about the topics he parrots about.

16) Comment by Noel Hammatt - 28/07/2012

The story gets better! John Hodge is a consultant for the Louisiana Department of Education! His group, that he put together and uses to raise lots of money, has the High Poverty High Performing Schools link on his website's Home Page! His school that he highlights as proving that we can overcome poverty... well, for the first time since it began as a MAGNET SCHOOL it finally reached the 20th percentile out of all the schools in Virginia. Up until this year, it had never cracked above the bottom 10th percentile. Not putting the school, the teachers, or the students down, but how in the heck does being in the bottom 10th percentile historically "prove" your methods? By the way, in over 25 years of education research, I have NEVER come across any peer-reviewed articles by this author. And yes... an anecdote about a fifth grade teachers becomes proof of anything? By the way, nearly EVERY school in Louisiana's "High Poverty High Performing" school list is either a magnet, or does not meet their own criteria for being on the list. NOT ONE SCHOOL, out of over 1300 in the state, has been on the list every year. NOT ONE. Does this say anything? And, there is a huge difference between "making a difference in a child's life" and getting your students to pass a test that bears little to no relationship to life, or what students need to be successful in life. Finally, the relationship between poverty and school performance scores.... even though neither the Advocate nor the "reformers" will every be honest about it... is nearly perfect. As poverty in a school increases... the scores go down. Exceptions... sure... Magnet schools... gifted programs... and little tricks that schools can use to boost scores... I used to tell my students at LSU... "An anecdote is NOT the antidote to the ignorance about the patterns that exist around us." The patterns are ignored by those who make money off of the anecdotes.

17) Comment by spqr - 28/07/2012

Has Hodge actually been in the inner city classroom to implement his ideas? Or, is the speaking circuit more lucrative? So many "experts". They mean well and the message sounds great, but unless you are routinely cursed, breaking up fights, dealing with gangs and drugs and disconnected phone numbers...

18) Comment by lovemykids - 28/07/2012

Not to take anything away from Mrs. Dawson, but is that the only thing these people had in common? Maybe the families of the achieving children gave them more support, encouragement, and rules than others. A positive outcome in education is not only the result of a single teacher or school. A family is the first and most important educator in early childhood.

19) Comment by Traveler - 28/07/2012

"Educators who connect with students from troubled backgrounds can make dramatic, life-changing differences in their future," said John Hodge. Gosh, who ever would have thought that?! It must have been a slow news day, or else Will Sentell was assigned to cover a very sophomoric conference and this was the most salient comment that came out of the gathering. Professional educators have always known that they have the potential to make a huge difference in the lives of children from poverty. Since the conference was sponsored by APEL (Associated PROFESSIONAL Educators of Louisiana), I assume that the heroine of Mr. Hodge's story----Mrs. Dawson----was a certified and dedicated teacher with at least a bachelor's degree in education and not some drift-in Teach for America type.

20) Comment by vicwill - 28/07/2012

More of the same.