Why are inner city schools worse than schools in the suburbs? (high school, grade)

[chh]

I can't think of an exception to this, it's even true for small cities, like mine, which only has 50,000 people, so my question is, why?

[brownbagg]

because the inner city students don't give a dam

[Ivorytickler]

Because the environment kids come from is a bigger predictor of educational outcomes than anything else. Kids who grow up in households where they are taught to read, who are surrounded by educated adults and who have peers who come from similar households are more likely to see value in education. Kids who grow up in households where education is not valued who have peers who also grew up in households where education is not modeled as a value will more likely not value education. Contrary to popular belief it's not the quality of the teachers that matters. It's the quality of the student. While we teachers live for the student we can help, they are rare. For most we make no difference.

I remember reading years ago that the number one predictor of educational outcomes is maternal education at the time of a child's birth. Other things with a positive correlation to educational outcomes are two parent households and SES. While schools tend to be better in better areas that has to do with the fact that people with the same values tend to live in the same areas. The kids come from similar households and have peers with similar values. It is the rare teacher who can overcome peer pressure. I know I'm not it.

[Sunnydee]

Inner city schools serve students that are poor. Poor kids typically do not have the early/preschool enrichment experiences that kids from more affluent backgrounds enjoy, so they start out behind their more affluent peers. When you start out behind it's very difficult to catch up. Even simple things like reading aloud to your child every day and playing games with them has a profound impact on learning, but often poor kids don't get those experiences. The correlation between the socioeconomic status of kids and their scores on standardized testing has been well documented. This is one reason the government pushes for mandatory pre-K programs to try to level the playing field for the kids from impoverished environments. It's not pc to say these things aloud, but after teaching for 32 years, and witnessing it on a daily basis, I'm willing to say it even though I'll probably get flamed for it.

[TabulaRasa]

High-poverty, high-risk schools generally do not attract the highest caliber teaching candidates in large numbers, and good teachers tend to not stay.

High-poverty, high-risk neighborhoods are rife with sociological factors that contribute to lower academic achievement.

[strawflower]

The backgrounds of the students.

[Vicman]

This means teachers (even mediocre teachers) should not lose their jobs UNLESS it's clear that each and every their students are doing their best. (especially at the high school level)

* Propaganda to students saying "No matter how bad your teacher is, it's up to YOU to learn"
* Bugging non-restroom areas of schools with cameras and audio mikes - Every student must consent to being recorded 100% and the school has the right to use full-length tapes (to avoid context issues) to use against students who cause bad-faith disruptions against the school environment
* Establishing "basic schools" for students who enter the 9th grade and are unable to succeed in the coursework
* Alternative working programs for students who do not want to attend high school
* Preventing state governments from punishing schools for having high dropout rates: Schools will show evidence of poor student behavior and say "These kids MUST drop out. They are hurting our school. We can't help them!" - Schools must also pool together to police officials who try to punish them for high dropout rates, even those "just doing their jobs". Officials who try to punish schools for high dropout rates may have infidelity/criminal/financial fraud issues exposed in the media. This gives schools the right to be honest and a check against the state governments and the public (which has unrealistic expectations for schools)

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by chh

I can't think of an exception to this, it's even true for small cities, like mine, which only has 50,000 people, so my question is, why?

Two key words: Family culture.

[HappyTexan]

A child's education starts at home. That sets the foundation for the rest of their life.

[PeachSalsa]

If the parents do not value education and make it a priority, neither will the children.