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Poverty Directly Effects Academic Acheivment Poverty is a rapidly growing concern in the United States due to the number of Americans living in poverty and receiving a lagging education. As a result poverty directly affects academic achievement due to an underdeveloped curriculum, pedagogy that enforces compliance, and a lack of brain-based learning. In the United States, the gaps in education among urban schools and well maintained schools are shifting farther apart, because the pedagogy and curriculum within urban schools adversely affects students academic achievements. In the article “ From Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work,” author Jean Anyon observed five public school, two of which were receiving an urban style education. During her observation Anyon concluded in her study: When receiving an impoverished education, school work is following a step of procedures. These procedures are mechanical, teaching compliancy rather then decision making. Teachers rarley explain why work is being assigned, how it might link to other assignments, and what is the main idea behind the work being taught. The rules regarding work are designations of what the children are to do; the rules are steps to follow. The steps are told to the children by the teacher, and are written on the board for the children to copy down as notes to study, but the teacher makes no attempt to explain the steps to the children or what is the purpose behind writing the steps down. In the Pedagogy style of teaching in urban schools work is often evaluated not according to whether the answer is right or wrong, but according to whether the children followed the steps the teacher gave. Anyon stresses the pedagogy of teaching in urban schools is preparing students for labor work rather then learning success because children are not encouraged to problem solve and make decision on thier own, but rather rely on the teacher to tell the students what rules to follow. As a result of an urban education, students are effected because they accomplish a minimum level of life skills nor what they are fully capable of learning. Urban schools teach a underdeveloped curriculum. This clearly means urban students are not revcieving enough education to make them successful in the future, but enough education to get these students to become the next minimum wage job workers. Due to that urban students curriculum is focused on following rules, procedures, and behavioral skills rather then how to problem solve and decision making. In another study, Mark Haberman determined identical teaching techniques within another impoverished school. When observing in his study, Haberman concluded: Children won’t properly learn through the urban style teaching, it doesn’t allow students to function on there own nor what they are capable of learning for themselves. In this study Haberman noticed, when receiving an urban education school work is following a routine. This routine includes: giving information, giving directions, making assignments, monitoring seat work, reviewing assignments, giving test, reviewing test, assigning homework, reviewing homework, settling disputes, punishing noncompliance, marking paper and giving grades. In urban schools the pedagogy of teaching is to always follow rules and procedures that are assigned and there is no room for problem solving. The following examples in each subject illustrate the procedures and how they affect children's achievements. In areas of mathamatics, work is carried out often not explaining fragmented procedures. Teachers are not explaining what a child is learning and why they are doing it. In impoverished schools language arts does not involve creative writing. The work is mechanics of punctuation, and capitalization. Anyon stated when she observed, “ One teacher explained to me, simple punctuation is all they’ll ever use, because that is all these students will ever need to get by ”. In sciences courses children are not called upon to set up experiments or give explanations for facts or concepts. Rather, on each occasion the teacher told them in his or hers own words what the text book said. Then the children copy the teachers sentences from the textbook on chalkboard. When projects are assigned in science courses the teacher tells the children exactly what they need and how to do it with no room for creativity or the students own personal expression. In social studies work is largely mechanical, rote work that is given little explanation or connection to larger context in history (Anyon 177-179). The pedagogy of teaching in urban schools greatly affects students achievements as a result of the underdeveloped curriculum and pedagogy that teaches compliance, rather then centered around the idea that learning involves conscious and unconscious processes which is better known as brain-based learning. Students are being taught behavorial manors rather then problem solving and students are not able to think and learn for themselves versus upper-class schools in which children are continually asked to figure out problems for themselves. These students primary education goal is to visualize by which elements fit together and then apply these elements in solving a problem because they see wealthy students as the next world leaders and CEOS of this country ( Anyon 178). In the book Better “Schooling for the Children of Poverty: Alternatives to Conventional Wisdom”, Richard Allington suggest that student learning is affected by two major components: school curriculum, and the pedagogy of teaching. A clarion understanding of these components is vital to closing the poverty achievement gap between urban and well-maintained schools, the school curriculum, pedagogy of teaching , and brain-based learning can either encourage or prevent learning ( Allington). Children receiving an urban education are lacking brain-based learning, students are not continually asked to reason through a problem and to produce intellectual thoughts that are high academic quality. Unlike wealthy schools in which the students curriculum is strong and is based on reasoning through problems and decision making, urban schools are missing this key source, because they are receiving a water-downed education. There is not a strong curriculum and it’s very basic material. Students attending an urban school consistently score well below average on test due to an underdeveloped curriculum, pedagogy that enforces compliance, and a lack of brain-based learning. Children who receive an urban education scored 6 to 9 points lower on the various assessments than children attending a wealthy school (Brooks 132). The pedagogy of wealthy schools is to teach and insure students are capable of problem solving and thinking on their own. A research study administered by Peter Eldman, found that impoverished students are ranked in the 19th percentile when accomplishing academic achievements, versus wealthy students who are ranked in the 66th percentile ( Sum and Fogg 110). Elizabeth Gershoff, of the National Center for Children in Poverty, examined the findings in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study report and concluded that 27 million children (40 percent of the U.S. child population) receive an urban education. By kindergarten, these students are already well behind their advantaged wealthy classmates in reading, math, and general knowledge. Only 16 percent of children in poverty scored above average, never mind the highest quarter ( Trelease). These statistic clearly show urban students consistently score well below average, the pedagogy of teaching of urban education has a negative effect on academic achievement. Urban schools curriculum is focused around following rules, procedures, and behavioral skills rather then how to problem solve and decision making. The pedagogy style of teaching in urban schools puts urban children at a disavantage when achieving academic excellence on test and school work versus well-maintained school, whos primary education goal is to visualize by which elements fit together and then apply these elements in solving a problem. Therefore the pedagogy of teaching in urban schools does not work nor help children achieve academic excellence. The classroom atmosphere created by constant teacher direction and student compliance directly affects student achievement because they focus on compliance and behavioral instruction rather then brain-based learning. Students are receiving a water-downed education because society views urban students as the next minimum wage job workers and they will occupy the low rungs of the social ladder. So why would these children need a education if all they will do is fill the jobs we don’t want' Why put effort into teaching urban kids when we know they won’t make it more then likely past high school' Society believes impoverished children need the minimum education to get by, but doesn’t need to go in depth with education because these children won’t have any achievements in academics. For this issue to change, schools must organize curricular activities to provide a meaning full and connected curriculum if they want kids receiving an urban education to have the same success as well to do schools. This effort requires teamwork among teachers and staff led by an effective leaders to organize and maintain the effort. Instructional techniques must be effectively described providing an interrelationship between curriculum and skills which requires careful planning between teachers and administrators. The school environment can either encourage or surpress learning. In conclusion, poverty directly affects academic achievement due to a underdeveloped curriculum, pedagogy that enforces compliance, and a lack of brain-based learning. In the United States, the gaps in education among urban schools and well maintained schools are shifting farther apart, because the pedagogy and curriculum within urban schools adversely affects students academic achievements. Although the pedagogy of teaching in urban schools is ineffective, changing the instructional techniques and strategies of these problems will help close the achievement gap between impoverished and well to do schools.