What is the impact of digital tool access on student success?

For this month, the focus is on the impact of digital tool access on student success.  There have been many articles written on the digital divide in the United States; but how much research is being done on the impact of access to digital tools?  Are researchers examining what happens in classrooms where students with a low SES have 1:1 digital tools and looking at a class of students who have a "middle class" income but do not have 1:1?  What happens in these schools?

These are the questions driving my current research at Southern NH University.  While exploring this subject, our cohort is also learning how to use SPSS v. 22.  Those that know me, understand that numbers are my friends. I should have been a math teacher. But then, who would make libraries more student centered? When finished with the current bit of research I will publish some of the results here.  My dissertation is starting to come together. I am seeing a focus on student-centered learning in a digital world.

March Madness

Over the past month, my colleagues and I have been working in tandem on several assignments.  Our most interesting assignments have been the group projects we have been given.  Working together to create studies that are interesting and achieve a deep level of thinking has been challenging. We all work full time and are attempting to work on a doctoral degree.  Yes, there is a good possibility that it will make us all a little crazy.

From my coursework so far however, I have developed several workshops for teachers that will lead to improved practice for students.  As long as what I am learning will make a difference for students, then it is a worthwhile endeavor.

I have gone from being succinct to becoming long winded.  Two videos that I want to share here however have really captured why I do what I do.  First watch this on students who live in poverty.

Then consider what happens to students who live in poverty or who have a low income during the summer. My friend and mentor, Superintendent Lecaroz shared these with me, they are powerful motivators.

Public libraries, summer recreation programs, food pantries...what gets cut when people trim their town budgets in order to save on taxes?  March in many New England towns, is when we vote on budgets for our communities.  In the last few years, my March Madness has come from watching our poor students lose support from their communities.

Does anyone really understand what a difference these programs make to students who have no where else to turn?

To make a difference, one has to begin somewhere.  In this program, with these people, this is my beginning.

Teaching and Learning Best Practices

This is the final article on poverty and effective teaching in this series of posts.  In this series, we looked at research on students in poverty and how to improve their chances of success through teacher development. Why?

Because, teachers and schools provide an oasis of stability for children who live in poverty. Schools provide two, and in some places, all hot meals that these children get. Teachers may be the only adults these children have contact with that encourage them to read, learn and think. Yet often it is these impoverished children that wind up in an administrator’s office for some infraction or another (Jensen, 2009, p. 19).  Why? What can schools and teachers do to make learning something that these children strive for and expect from themselves? How can educators avoid losing these children to the streets where they are growing up?

Below is a synopsis of best practices in teaching and learning for students who live in poverty.  Other people have different ideas about where the changes need to happen.  But I believe that changes for these children cannot happen without a free and public education system that supports its teachers and administrators as they strive to help children lift themselves out of poverty.  

Teaching and Learning Best Practices

            Teachers know that the one thing they seem to lack these days is time.  To make the most of their time, this paper puts together best practices in a format that supports professional learning. Sato, et al., (2008) found that there were three areas that supported long term improvement in teacher assessment practices, these are: structured professional development, collegial interactions and participation in reflective self-study (p. 693).  How you change the way teachers assess students’ needs must be part of a structured professional development plan that is focused on how to reach students in poverty. This plan must include ample time for reflection on what works and what is not working for these students. To set up teacher training and best practices around children in poverty this blog will start with brain research, then move to dispositions and teacher learning. 

Brain Research

Students who live in poverty are experiencing a biological impact on their brain.  This impact is due to chronic exposure to stressors. Jensen (2009) states that: “Each stressor builds on and exacerbates other stressors and slowly changes the student. It is the cumulative effect of all the stressors that often makes life miserable for the poor student” (p. 29).  Stress chemically alters the brain, but as Jensen says, “brains are designed to change” (p. 47).  Teachers can help students change the way that stress affects their brains and improve academic performance by understanding how to “reset” academic parts of the brain.  “Students’ social needs compel educators to organize schools into communities of learners where teachers and students can collaborate on authentic decision making and problem solving tasks” (Given, 2002, p. 7). This creates a sense of belonging. Jensen (2009) suggests that schools and teachers need to create an inclusive environment, one where teachers talk about “our school”, avoiding an ‘us and them’ mentality, making sure that students feel appreciated when they use good manners, and effort is praised as well as achievement so children feel celebrated (p. 22). These suggestions help students engage in their classroom environment and see it as an academic family.  For some students, their academic family is all they have. 

In addition to creating a warm environment, teachers need to know how the brain works and what they can do to help children be responsive in an academic environment. Delpit (2012) put together a list of suggested tactics that teachers can use to reduce confusion in the classroom; be transparent when giving assignments, use formative assessments to see what is working in a class and what isn’t, regularly check for understanding, write often, use clear rubrics for grading and make sure students know what to expect regarding grading (p. 141-142). This list along with the expectation for students to achieve at high levels and having a warm, caring classroom environment sets teachers up to be successful with students who live with external stressors that change the brain’s chemistry.  How then does a district share this information with teachers?

Dispositions and Teacher Learning

Before a district can begin to change the way a school community addresses children in poverty, teachers have to be open to learning. Hinde (2004) observed that:  “Suggesting a new way of teaching a concept or lesson to a teacher who has taught for a number of years will give the observer a good indication of the underlying assumptions that the teacher has regarding change. Does the teacher welcome the innovation and is he or she willing to take the risk of trying it, or does the attitude that “this is the way I’ve always done it” prevail?” (p. 6).  When teachers work in impoverished schools, is there a sense of hopelessness that is causal to lack of interest in change? Do teachers have time built into their schedules for professional learning? These are some practical places to start.  Hope and attitude are everything to these students.  They need hope, and help to change their attitudes.  The best place for this to start is with the adults in the building. Consider young Dalton Sherman when you are introducing the new school year to your teachers. Do you believe in them?  

Murrell et al. (2010) stated that: “Teacher educators who attend to the development of knowledge, skills and dispositions can attest to the mutual effect each has on the development of the others” (p. 10). Though experience does add to knowledge, teachers must continue to develop their craft throughout their career and desire better outcomes for students who show a clear achievement gap. Students will seek acceptance elsewhere if it is not felt in school or from their family. Given (2002) points to the rise in gangs and cults in areas of poverty because gang leaders can play a paternal role for children who feel isolated (p. 47).  So there is an urgent need to change the way that educators deal with children who live in poverty. This urgency has grown in the last ten years.  Delpit (2012) shared that: “…African American males are consistently at the bottom of all educational measures in our schools, the quality of life indicators for African American males suggest that they are in deep trouble in all areas” (p.14).  When teachers know that what they do, that they are these students “…lifeline to a better future” (p. 88), they will demand time for learning from their districts.

When teachers have a say in how change is enacted they have a more positive attitude toward learning. Hinde (2004) stated that: “In order for the culture of schools to adjust to allow for change then power must be wielded in such a way as to allow others to gain a sense of ownership with the goals and process of change” (p. 10).  Teachers need to have ownership of their learning. “Development of shared purposes and the means to achieve them cannot be mandated externally” (Murrell et al, 2010, p. 201).   Though administration can give them materials and point them in a direction to reach understanding, it is beneficial for teachers to have time with their colleagues to figure out the best way for information and techniques to be implemented in the classroom.  Penuel, et al. (2007) stated that: “Therefore, professional development that incorporates time for instructional planning, discussion, and consideration of underlying principles of curriculum may be more effective in supporting implementation of innovations.” (p. 931). Learning is essential for growth in the field of education, but the learners whether it is a teacher or the children they are trying to reach, have to have content with contextual meaning.  Teachers must know that what they are doing is making a difference for children, that how they change their practice has an impact on students’ lives.  Learning must have relevance and rigor to be engaging. Empower them. Give them the right tools to make children effective learners.

Implications For Future Research

            Throughout this blog, the literature and how it comes together have created natural questions that have implications for future research in the area of poverty and its effect on student achievement. Does race play a factor in the level of poverty? Is race part of the achievement gap between rich and poor cities or does it have more to do with the number of students on Free and Reduced Lunch? When teachers work in impoverished schools, is there a sense of hopelessness that is causal to lack of interest in change? These questions are not new, indeed similar questions have been drivers for the authors who contributed to the works used for this paper.  Poverty cannot change however until best practices in teaching and learning start to really close the achievement gaps noted in multiple works and visible in our cities.  New Hampshire is a little state, but well known for innovation and for driving change in education practices.  Perhaps one of these questions and the subsequent answer can drive poverty into the past.

Conclusion

Children of poverty need professionals to find ways to challenge them enough to transport them from their current discomfort into a place where they can compete with children who do not share their challenges. Minow, et al. (2008) state: “Central to the American Dream is a set of ideas: that how things are today is not the way they have to be tomorrow, that where you come from does not matter and that anyone willing to work hard and play by the rules can have a fair chance at a successful and happy life” (p. 65). Teachers need to know that there is a physical effect on the brain of children who live with poverty and other chronic stressors, and that there are methods that can be used in their classrooms to mitigate the effect of those stressors. Schools that work to develop a culture supportive of academic excellence in poor, urban and rural areas are places that promote the potential of children and believe that they can excel in spite of adversity. Places like this are an oasis for children from an impoverished background and help them find success; this is how schools can help break the cycle of poverty. 

References

Andrews, S. P., & Slate, J. R. (2002). Public and private prekindergarten programs: A comparison of student readiness. Educational Research Quarterly, 25(3), 59.

Boykin, A. W., & Noguera, P. (2011). Creating the opportunity to learn: Moving from research to practice to close the achievement gap. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Delpit, L. (2012). Multiplication is for white people:  Raising expectations for other people's children. New York, NY: the New Press.

Fullan, M. (2001). Leading in a culture of change. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Gere, A. R., Buehler, J., Dallavis, C., & Haviland, V. S. (2009). A visibility project: Learning to see how preservice teachers take up culturally responsive pedagogy. American Educational Research Journal, 46(3), 816-852.

Given, B. K. (2002). Teaching to the brain's natural learning systems. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Hinde, E. (2004). School culture and change: An examination of the effects of school culture on the process of change. Retrieved November 30, 2013, from http://usca.edu/essays/vol122004/hinde.pdf

Jensen, E. (2009). Teaching with poverty in mind. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Machtinger, H. (2007). What do we know about high poverty schools? Summary of the high poverty schools conference at UNC-chapel hill. High School Journal, 90(3), 1-8.

Magnuson, K. A., Meyers, M. K., Ruhm, C. J., & Waldfogel, J. (2004). Inequality in preschool education and school readiness. American Educational Research Journal, 41(1), 115-157.

Measured Progress. (2013). Assessment and AYP public reporting site. NH Profile Website. Retrieved December 5th, 2013, from http://reporting.measuredprogress.org/NHProfile/default.aspx

Minow, M., Shweder, R. A., & Markus, H. R. (2008). Just schools: Pursuing equality in societies of difference. New York, NY: Russell Sage Foundation.

Murrell, P.C., Diez, M.E., Feiman-Nemser, S., & Schusssler, D.L. (2010). Teaching as a moral practice. Cambridge: Harvard Education Press.

New Hampshire Department of Education. (2013, February 13). Free/Reduced school lunch eligibility rates by school. Attendance and Enrollment Reports. Retrieved December 5, 2013, from http://www.education.nh.gov/data/attendance.htm

New Hampshire Department of Education. (2013, February 4). Race/Ethnic enrollments. Attendance and Enrollment Reports. Retrieved December 5, 2013, from http://www.education.nh.gov/data/attendance.htm.

Penuel, W. R., Fishman, B. J., Yamaguchi, R., & Gallagher, L. P. (2007). What makes professional development effective? Strategies that foster curriculum implementation. American Educational Research Journal, 44(4), 921-958.

Prince, D., Pepper, K., & Brocato, K. (2006). The importance of making the well-being of children in poverty a priority. Early Childhood Education Journal, 34(1), 21-28. doi:10.1007/s10643-006-0118-7

Sato, M., Wei, R. C., & Darling-Hammond, L. (2008). Improving teachers' assessment practices through professional development: The case of national board certification. American Educational Research Journal, 45(3), 669-700.

Children's Needs

This is the fourth of several articles on poverty and effective teaching. 

Teachers and schools provide an oasis of stability for children who live in poverty. Schools provide two, and in some places, all hot meals that these children get. Teachers may be the only adults these children have contact with that encourage them to read, learn and think. Yet often it is these impoverished children that wind up in an administrator’s office for some infraction or another (Jensen, 2009, p. 19).  Why? What can schools and teachers do to make learning something that these children strive for and expect from themselves? How can educators avoid losing these children to the streets where they are growing up?

This post focuses on the needs of children. 

                                                             Children's Needs

Children need people to believe in their ability to overcome adversity, prejudice and so-called societal norms.  Delpit (2012), though she was speaking specifically of African American students, says children need “warm demanders” teachers who have high expectations of their students; this is also true for any child that lives in a culture of poverty (p. 81). Children must be taught that failure is not acceptable. 

When children are small, if they have opportunities to expand their horizons beyond their current reality, it makes a difference to their academic achievement. Magnuson, et al., (2004) found that children who attended preschool entered kindergarten with higher reading and math skills, these skills stayed with them through first grade (p. 141). In addition they also found that students from low income families who attended these programs benefited the most because while in the programs they were exposed to more books and had a high quality of care giving (Magnuson, et al., 2004, p. 142). While their data is nearly ten years old, it still has relevance today because as Delpit (2012) stated: “There is no “achievement gap” at birth” (p. 5). As noted earlier in the literature reviewed for this blog, early intervention is essential for children who live in poverty.

Relationships need to be built between the school and parents as soon as possible. Prince, et al., (2006) argue that: “With the evidence available that indicates the relationship between poverty, child well-being, and high school success, it seems that taking care of the needs of our young citizens could possibly be a factor that would break this cycle of poverty” (p.26). Possible ways to build those relationships could include: family information nights, reaching out to pediatric care offices, touching base with family services officials, offering babysitting during voting, etc... These a just a few ways that schools can reach young, poor parents and their children. But, perhaps more importantly, how do we change the way that children see themselves?

Educators and parents need to partner in changing a child’s self-image. Children need to have their successes, even small ones, celebrated. Machtinger (2007) said that: “Low expectations and a deficit model — in which high-poverty students are judged incapable of meeting the demands of a challenging curriculum hinder efforts at improving achievement” (p. 4). Children need teachers to recognize and expect that all children can learn at high levels. Good differentiation takes into account that high levels are not the same for every child, but that does not mean that teachers should feel sorry for poor children.  These children need hope and aspirations. What else do children need to succeed?

Children and adolescents need to have content that is relevant to their interests and relates to their experience. Boykin and Noguera (2011) stated that: “…incorporating a child’s particular interests and background experiences in the problem context should result in a greater focus on relevant information, which in turn should enhance performance outcomes” (p. 93).  Delpit (2012) used student interest in hair design to create a curriculum that engaged students in science, history, math and art based on African American hair design (p. 21).  For students then, it is essential to be engaged in the learning process and that the content has contextual meaning.

In New England there is a booming immigrant population.  This is changing the way communities look and in some cases culture shock is causing friction. Boykin and Noguera (2011) state that while: “race, class and linguistic and cultural differences between students and teachers do not cause the achievement gap; however, they do contribute to its persistence and often complicate efforts to reduce or eliminate disparities in student learning outcomes” (p. 29). Could this be because immigrant parents have a different view of what schools do? Is it possible that they do not understand what their children need to be successful in an American school environment?  Or could this be because they do not have a firm grasp of the language, causing communication problems between themselves and their schools? Any of these could be reasons that success is difficult for children of immigrant families. Therefore children in districts with higher ethnic diversity and greater need for services also need teachers who understand what kind of gaps these conditions cause for teaching and learning.

 So what can teachers do to change the reality for these children? What is it that teachers need to know and do in order to create opportunities for success? What can schools and districts do to help teachers create these opportunities for children? These questions are considered in the next blog post.

References

Boykin, A. W., & Noguera, P. (2011). Creating the opportunity to learn: Moving from research to practice to close the achievement gap. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Delpit, L. (2012). Multiplication is for white people:  Raising expectations for other people's children. New York, NY: the New Press.

Machtinger, H. (2007). What do we know about high poverty schools? Summary of the high poverty schools conference at UNC-chapel hill. High School Journal, 90(3), 1-8.

Magnuson, K. A., Meyers, M. K., Ruhm, C. J., & Waldfogel, J. (2004). Inequality in preschool education and school readiness. American Educational Research Journal, 41(1), 115-157.

Prince, D., Pepper, K., & Brocato, K. (2006). The importance of making the well-being of children in poverty a priority. Early Childhood Education Journal, 34(1), 21-28. doi:10.1007/s10643-006-0118-7

Poverty and Effective Teaching: Teacher Development

This is the third of several articles on poverty and effective teaching. 

Teachers and schools provide an oasis of stability for children who live in poverty. Schools provide two, and in some places, all hot meals that these children get. Teachers may be the only adults these children have contact with that encourage them to read, learn and think. Yet often it is these impoverished children that wind up in an administrator’s office for some infraction or another (Jensen, 2009, p. 19).  Why? What can schools and teachers do to make learning something that these children strive for and expect from themselves? How can educators avoid losing these children to the streets where they are growing up?

As a researcher, I delved into the literature and found that there are three areas where we need to focus: early intervention, culture & climate, and teacher development. 

                                                         Teacher Development

To be effective, learning that helps teachers must be relevant to the teacher’s reality. Understanding how young minds work, what their development entails and how teaching can be adjusted for stressors is essential for student success.  Given (2002) provides teachers with knowledge of brain mechanics and the different types of learning that naturally occur due to the make-up of the brain. “I believe that when teachers understand how the brain’s major learning systems function, they will teach more effectively while gaining more joy in teaching” (Given, 2002, p. 6). Every teacher at some point has asked: why did this child react that way? This book helps teachers to begin understanding what stress and challenges do to children. Jensen (2009) expands on this work, and suggests ways that teachers can mitigate the effect of stress in their classroom environment.  Both of these books look at brain function and add to a teacher’s awareness of children’s learning systems. But what is the most effective way to teach a teacher?

Penuel, Fishman, Yamaguchi and Gallagher (2007) examine the results of teacher professional development on curriculum implementation in a quantitative study. This study used data collected from 454 teachers, who were working on implementation of a scientific inquiry curriculum (Penuel, et al., 2007, p. 936). They found that teachers who were given help setting up new equipment, time to plan along with ways to integrate local context into curriculum and had ample support were more successful with learning and implementation outcomes (Penuel, et al., 2007, p. 951). These learning outcomes are transferable to other content areas.  Sato, Wei, and Darling-Hammond (2008) used a mixed methods study to examine changes in teacher assessment practices through professional development. This three year longitudinal study looked at teachers who were going for National Board Certification and a control group that were not.  Teachers that had the highest gains over a three year period also had the highest gains in student surveys. Students of these teachers were more likely to know the learning goals for their classes and have opportunities for self-assessment (Sato, et al., 2008, p. 684-685). From the literature then it is imperative that teachers have development that is relevant to their experience and there is specific evidence of students reporting better learning outcomes from teacher development.

For schools to close the achievement gap that exists between students who are white and students who are ethnically diverse, teachers must have dispositions that humanize education.  Murrell, Diez, Feiman-Nemser, and Schusssler, (2010) take from Nieto that teachers should have “a passion for social justice” (p. 149). With this in mind, how do teachers develop cultural competence and demand social justice for impoverished students in a state like New Hampshire where the racial diversity of populations in schools and districts are growing? 

If teachers are going to help students participate in democratic society and have the skills needed to be global citizens, they need to understand how to create classrooms that are culturally competent (Minow, Shweder, & Markus, 2008, p. 236-237).  Developing the skills to deal with children who are African American, Latino, Asian or Native American is addressed in some pre-service programs for prospective teachers. Gere, Buehler, Dalavis and Haviland (2009) used qualitative grounded theory to examine race consciousness in teacher preparation programs. From their cases they found that race consciousness affected the way that pre-service teachers presented themselves, how they acted in interviews, affected their ability to interact with students and each other. For both future and current teachers it will be important to have this information as they begin to reflect on their own practices. 

Delpit (2012) shares a startling fact that emphasizes the importance of good teaching: “The students who had good teachers performed fifty percentile points above those with weaker teachers!” (p. 9). She goes on to question what bearing that might have on an achievement gap. Bias, culture and student achievement has new meaning when looked at through the lens of case studies and social justice.  

Teachers need structured time for learning built into their day. During that time administrators need to create opportunities to expand teacher's (and their own) cultural knowledge, provide in depth learning on the effect of poverty on students, and have teachers create evidence of their learning.  Teachers need to avoid working alone on these things! Working in a professional learning community is important for improving their own practice. 

Evidence of the professional learning community work might include: lesson plans that are culturally relevant, changed structure or classroom environment, documentation of changes, discipline logs, or a journal of their learning.  

So what specifically do impoverished children need to be successful? In the next installment of these blog posts, we'll look at what their needs are and how schools and teachers can effectively help them achieve academic success.  

                                                 References

Delpit, L. (2012). Multiplication is for white people:  Raising expectations for other people's children. New York, NY: the New Press.

Gere, A. R., Buehler, J., Dallavis, C., & Haviland, V. S. (2009). A visibility project: Learning to see how preservice teachers take up culturally responsive pedagogy. American Educational Research Journal, 46(3), 816-852.

Given, B. K. (2002). Teaching to the brain's natural learning systems. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Jensen, E. (2009). Teaching with poverty in mind. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Minow, M., Shweder, R. A., & Markus, H. R. (2008). Just schools: Pursuing equality in societies of difference. New York, NY: Russell Sage Foundation.

Murrell, P.C., Diez, M.E., Feiman-Nemser, S., & Schusssler, D.L. (2010). Teaching as a moral practice. Cambridge: Harvard Education Press.

Penuel, W. R., Fishman, B. J., Yamaguchi, R., & Gallagher, L. P. (2007). What makes professional development effective? Strategies that foster curriculum implementation. American Educational Research Journal, 44(4), 921-958.

Sato, M., Wei, R. C., & Darling-Hammond, L. (2008). Improving teachers' assessment practices through professional development: The case of national board certification. American Educational Research Journal, 45(3), 669-700.

Poverty and Effective Teaching: Culture and Climate

This is the second of several articles on poverty and effective teaching. 

Teachers and schools provide an oasis of stability for children who live in poverty. Schools provide two, and in some places, all hot meals that these children get. Teachers may be the only adults these children have contact with that encourage them to read, learn and think. Yet often it is these impoverished children that wind up in an administrator’s office for some infraction or another (Jensen, 2009, p. 19).  Why? What can schools and teachers do to make learning something that these children strive for and expect from themselves? How can educators avoid losing these children to the streets where they are growing up?

As a researcher, I delved into the literature and found that there are three areas where we need to focus: early intervention, culture & climate, and teacher development. 

Culture and Climate

First, a learning community needs to examine the best way to change the culture from passive to active. Literature on school transformation and school culture far exceeds the limits of a blog post. To help focus on transformative work this blogger sought one of the leading minds on change in education, Dr. Michael Fullan.  Fullan (2001) states that while “moral purpose is job one, relationships are job two because you can’t get anywhere without them” (p. 51).  Developing collaborative and trusting relationships is essential for students, parents and teachers, when a school is trying to create a strong learning community. There are many things that can hinder positive changes to schools. Ten years ago, Hinde (2004) examined school culture and determined factors for and against change in school culture.

Factors that drive success include: sharing of responsibility, willingness to experiment, believing that success will happen, being able to trust the people you work with, having support that is both intrinsic and extrinsic, involvement in decision making and transparency of process (Hinde, 2004, p. 7).  Boykin and Noguera (2011) provide an example of believing success will happen showcasing the work of University Park Campus School in Worcester Massachusetts, “the school is steadfast in its mission to prepare every student for college” (p.161). Support that is both intrinsic and extrinsic, with extra academic support being provided internally and working in partnership with a local college makes a difference for UPCS students (Boykin &Noguera, 2011, p. 162-163).  However change is not always successful.

Factors that work against changing culture, in areas where poverty is a problem include: leaders failing to develop the relationships necessary to support change, or trying to pursue change in isolation (Hinde, 2004, p. 8-9). Machtinger (2007) highlighted other factors in his summary of the High Poverty Schooling in America conference at UNC-Chapel Hill in 2006. Factors that undermine success include: adverse social policy, lack of economic opportunity, poor teacher quality, insufficient teaching resources and a lack of good leadership in schools where poverty is contributing to the achievement gap for students (Machtinger, 2007, p. 3-4).  

From the literature then, good leadership includes: making community connections, developing economic opportunity, driving change in social policy, all of these are factors that help to develop culture and meaning in a learning community.  Students who live in poverty often feel that no one cares about them. Disenfranchisement from their community is an additional stress inducer for children. People (especially young people) need to feel connected. From the summit, teacher quality is addressed as an issue for children who live in poverty.  Effective teaching is the focus of the next installment in this blog. 

References

Boykin, A. W., & Noguera, P. (2011). Creating the opportunity to learn: Moving from research to practice to close the achievement gap. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Fullan, M. (2001). Leading in a culture of change. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Hinde, E. (2004). School culture and change: An examination of the effects of school culture on the process of change. Retrieved November 30, 2013, from http://usca.edu/essays/vol122004/hinde.pdf

Jensen, E. (2009). Teaching with poverty in mind. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Machtinger, H. (2007). What do we know about high poverty schools? Summary of the high poverty schools conference at UNC-chapel hill. High School Journal, 90(3), 1-8.

Brain Research Video by Eric Jensen

One of the resources I used for this work, is Teaching With Poverty in Mind by Eric Jensen.
He has a series of videos that support teaching students who have impoverished backgrounds.
Start with this video and search Eric Jensen on YouTube.