The Access to Education Gap Grows

ADCI data reveal a consistent association between accesses to education and income:  access to education increases with income.  The troubling part of this finding is that low-income students are not receiving the education they need and desire.  While there will always be private schools that only the wealthy can afford, our society values a public education system where income is not a deciding factor as far as who gets to attend school and who does not.  Coming to the realization that such a system does not yet exist – despite the best efforts of America’s educators – can be disheartening.  Let’s take a closer look at this dilemma.

The finding that access to education increases/decreases with/without income is largely corroborated by a 2011 study by the US Department of Education.  The study states, among other things, that too many children in our country are denied the educational opportunities they need to succeed and that this is especially true for children from low-income families.  One interesting finding from the study noted that schools serving low-income students were significantly more likely to have teachers with less experience compared with those schools serving higher-income students.  Similarly, schools serving low-income children were significantly less likely to offer pre-kindergarten or other early learning programs compared with schools serving higher-income children.

In response to such findings, many politicians have reiterated the federal government’s critical role in ensuring equal education for all students.  Some lawmakers are calling for reform in the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act.  Ultimately, the solution to this problem will be intricate and challenging.  Despite missing the mark in terms of delivering equal educational access and opportunity to all, we as a society must keep striving to attain this critical component of the American Dream.  Our future as a nation depends on it!