YOUNG ADOLESCENT

ADVOCACY PROJECT

Students in Poverty

Why be an advocate? “The primary purpose for advisory is to meet the

developmental and affective needs of students” (Powell 130).

“to ensure that each student is known well at school by at least one adult who is that youngster’s advocate (the advisor), to guarantee that every student belongs to a peer group, to help every student find ways to be successful within the academic and social options the school provides, to promote communication and coordination between home and school” (Stevenson 313).

Why be an advocate for children in poverty?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrV8IJ9JSco

Statistics on homeless children… In the 2010-2011 school years, 1,065,794 homeless children

and youth were enrolled in public schools. Risen by 57% since 2006.

Students affected by homelessness are four times more likely to show delayed development and twice as likely to have learning disabilities as non-homeless children.

About 36% repeat a grade level. ¾ of older homeless youth drop out of school. 50% less likely to graduate from high school.

Have a harder time performing at grade level. Each time a child changes schools, it is estimated they are set

back academically by an average of 4-6 months. A typical homeless family consists of a mother and two

children.

DID YOU KNOW?

On a regular basis, children and youth report that school is a home to them – a place where they see the same faces, sit in the same seat, and can put their hearts and minds into pursuits that ease their daily troubles. In school, students gain the skills and support needed to avoid poverty and homelessness as adults.

Where do low socioeconomic families live?

2005

Funding for high-poverty schools… Research shows that schools with high-

poverty rates also receive on average $907 less per student than schools with students above the poverty line.

This means that a school with 400 students is funded almost $350,000 less than the same sized school above the poverty line.

How does poverty affect a student’s health?

Children living in families with a low socioeconomic status have a harder time accessing medical care, they are more likely to have an inadequate diet and therefore a poor grasp on nutrition, and many students only have access to meals at school.

Federal government solutions…

U.S. Department of Education

U.S. Department of Agriculture

TITLE I “to ensure that all children

have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education. This purpose can be accomplished by coordinating services under all parts of this title with each other, with other educational services, and, to the extent feasible, with other agencies providing services to youth, children, and families.”

FREE OR REDUCED LUNCH The USDA's school meals

programs help ensure all students have access to nutritious meals at school.

Free and Reduced Lunch

HOUSEHOLD SIZE

ANNUAL MONTHLYTWICE PER

MONTHEVERY TWO

WEEKSWEEKLY

FreeReduced

PriceFree

Reduced Price

FreeReduced

PriceFree

Reduced Price

FreeReduced

Price

1 14,521 20,665 1,211 1,723 606 862 559 795 280 398

2 19,669 27,991 1,640 2,333 820 1,167 757 1,077 379 539

3 24,817 35,317 2,069 2,944 1,035 1,472 955 1,359 478 680

4 29,965 42,643 2,498 3,554 1,249 1,777 1,153 1,641 577 821

5 35,113 49,969 2,927 4,165 1,464 2,083 1,351 1,922 676 961

6 40,261 57,295 3,356 4,775 1,678 2,388 1,549 2,204 775 1,102

7 45,409 64,621 3,785 5,386 1,893 2,693 1,747 2,486 874 1,243

8 50,557 71,947 4,214 5,996 2,107 2,998 1,945 2,768 973 1,384

For each additional 1 household member

Add: 5,148 7,326 429 611 215 306 198 282 99 141

Uses the child’s family income to decide if the child can receive federal support to pay for lunches.

How does poverty affect a student’s education?

Decreases a child’s readiness for school through aspects of health, home life, schooling and neighborhoods.

Children from low-income families often do not receive the stimulation and do not learn the social skills required to prepare them for school.

Poverty Headcount and Literacy Rate in Kenya

Solutions implemented by teachers…

Learner Factors: variables at the individual level in the form of various learning skills and likings

Learning Style Preferences… By matching teaching and learning styles,

educators can use a child’s preferences to absorb new information and use the abilities they already possess to increase the students mastery of content.

At-risk students favor tactual and kinesthetic learning styles, more likely to be people-oriented, boost their self-esteem, develop positive self-attributes, and enhance their strengths and talents

Language Learning Strategies… Consciously chosen activities that

learners use for the purpose for the purpose of regulating their own learning.

Self Evaluation:Increase understanding of learning targets.Self-report surveys, interviews, diaries, and

think-aloud protocols.

Emotional Intelligence… Can also be viewed as personal

intelligence consisting of intra- and interpersonal dimensions linked to awareness of one’s feelings and the mood of other people.

Should be used with students who express problem behaviors such as stress, depression, and aggression.

High Expectations…

The most basic thing teachers can do is believe in their students. Teachers must believe their students can achieve before they put forth their best effort to teach them. Likewise, students must believe that they can achieve before they are willing to try (Powell, 2005).

Resources Diuguid, D. (2010). Student Teachers' Awareness, Preparedness, and Attitudes Of Issues Related to

High-Poverty Schools.Southeastern Teacher Education Journal, 3(1), 77-87.

Julius, M. K., & Bawane, J. (2011). EDUCATION AND POVERTY, RELATIONSHIP AND CONCERNS. A CASE FOR KENYA. Problems Of Education In The 21St Century, 3272-85.

National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth. (2011). Homeless education 101: Facts and resources. Retrieved from http://www.naehcy.org/educational-resources/learn-more

Olivares-Cuhat, G. (2011). Learner Factors in a High-Poverty Urban Middle School. Perspectives On Urban Education, 9(1), 1-11.

Powell, S. (2005). Introduction to middle schol. (pp. 69-70). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

Stevenson, Chris. ""Advocacy and Alliances Created Through Advisories"" Teaching Ten to Fourteen Year Olds. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, 2002. N. pag. Print.

U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2012, August 06). Eligibility for free or reduced-price meals in the national school lunch program. Retrieved from http://www.ncpublicschools.org/newsroom/news/2012-13/20120806-01

U.S. Department of Education. (2004). Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/pg1.htm