Within school districts, economically disadvantaged students are identified by their qualification for free and reduced lunch. A 2015 Washington Post report stated that 51% of U.S. students met the requirements for free and reduced lunch for the 2012-13 school year, the highest measurement in 50 years. In Wisconsin alone, 39.5% of students were economically disadvantaged in the 2015-16 school year, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Now, if their socioeconomic level had nothing to do with their learning, there would be little here to concern educators.
However, studies and test data clearly show that students from economically disadvantaged homes perform lower in school, especially in the core areas of reading and math, producing what researchers and educators call achievement gaps. From birth on up, students from low income families often don’t receive the same educational support or needed resources as those from middle and upper income families. Considering this, and the fact that on average, roughly half our students are disadvantaged, it is imperative that we recognize the importance of reaching these students. After all, they are the future adult members of our society, with great potential to contribute to our communities . . . or not. As educators, we must take the lead for these students, providing them with the resources they may be lacking at home.
If we consider a top-down approach to meeting EDL student’s needs in the classroom, ideally we require better federal and state funding for public schools, including increased funding per pupil, as well as support for programs designed to close the performance gaps. Evidence of this need can be seen in The Washington Post’s report that, of the twenty-seven states with the most low-income students, twenty-two spend under the national average per student.
In the classroom itself, teachers are key in identifying students who require additional testing to identify learning deficiencies and disabilities, so they may receive appropriate interventions. We must also set quality expectations. If we lower our standards to their levels, economically disadvantaged students merely achieve a false sense of success. What they need is to discover their internal motivations. It does them no good to go through life blaming all inadequacies on external factors. Let them know that yes, the bar is high, but with goals in mind, they can learn. And we will help them gain the needed background knowledge and skills to close achievement gaps and reach their potentials.
But there is more to it than simply providing the needed lessons, sending a child to reading recovery, or referring special education services. Teachers must build positive relationships with all students, but this is especially important for those from low-income backgrounds. Children need the guidance of caring adults, which many of these students may lack in their home lives. We’ve all heard the statement, “Children don’t care how much you know (or can teach them) until they know how much you care.” Share with them who you are; get to know their interests, fears, dreams; praise and cheer their achievements. Once your students trust that you have their best interests at heart, they can relax enough to learn, to follow your lead, and accept the help you can provide. Besides teaching the content through differentiated instruction designed to meet our many students’ needs, it is equally important that we provide EDL students with much-needed soft skills. They will need to learn how to effectively function as positive members of society. For some, school is the only place they will experience a model of positive, respectful communication and behavior.
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