I picked up Kathleen M. Budge and William H. Parrett's new book, Disrupting Poverty: Five Powerful Classroom Practices because I am trying to figure out how to best reach the kids I am working with, many of whom are in poverty. Their earlier book, Turning High Poverty Schools into High Performing Schools, I read and blogged about earlier this year (see here and here). They propose a system of integrated components to promote success with students living in poverty: building caring relationships, holding high expectations, committing to equity, accepting professional accountability, and having the courage to take action.
Holding high expectations and providing needed support. When Jamie Escalante challenged his students to pass the AP calculus exam, he offered summer, weekend, before and after school support. He took a group of poor Hispanic kids from the hood and helped them succeed on a very challenging exam, in spite of the naysayers. It took extraordinary effort. He needed to convince the students that this was a worthwhile goal and he needed them to put more effort into school than they ever had before. This well known story is held up as an example of what can be done. In reality, we know that not all teachers are as charismatic as Escalante. Not all schools would allow a teacher to work so many extra hours. Not all teachers would be willing to do so. Not all students could attend classes that were not supported with bussing. Despite all this, we can make a difference. Our students living with poverty can be successful.
Budge and Parrett point out that "the greater the risk factors in a student's life, the more high expectations matter to the student's life chances" (p 78). Our neediest need us to push them the most. That can be a lonely and hard road. People think you are ignoring the needs of the kids and expecting too much of them. You are not being sympathetic with their needs. But they matter more. When we hold low behavioral expectations because someone's life is a mess they learn that they should not be expected to rise to the challenge. My single mother is a druggy who does not provide consistent food or a place to sleep, therefore I cannot be expected to treat others with respect. No way. Your life sucks. I get it. You need to work harder to get over it. I will help you by providing time and space to get your homework done, materials for classes and food for your stomach. I will reteach what you miss because of attendance concerns. I will not allow you to disrespect me, show up habitually tardy, or abandon your work. If we do anything less we are buying into their broken dreams. Students used to low-cognitive demand instruction become acclimated to it and resist anything else. If I want you to have an opportunity to rise above, the crap outside cannot allow you to sink to crap.
We need to constantly provide students with the idea that they are in charge. "Time is just a picture. Now you can change that frame every second" (p 85). We need to empower them, not let bad choices lead to a cycle of disempowerment. If we accept bad behavior because it is all this poor child can pull together at this time, we are giving permission to act that way anything goes wrong. That is not a recipe for success in life.
The authors point out research that indicates severely limited financial resources can reduce functioning by a full 13 IQ points (p 99). We want to provide as much social support as we can to mitigate the challenge that nearly a full standard deviation drop in IQ score amounts to. We need to provide the social supports that will allow these kids to live in a world with as much cognitive support as they can garner- medical services need to be available, housing and food insecurity need to be avoided. We cannot say "you poor thing" we need to say "here is the support to help you make it through." It is too easy to make excuses for poor behavior and success. That trap will not help our kids. They need warm demanders who share the view that yes, that sucks. What can we do about it to help you move on.
