The Socio-Economic Influence on the School System in the United States: The effects of Poverty on Education

Abstract

Abstract

Background: The United States is the land of opportunity, a country that promotes elite education to all its citizens. In reality, there has always been a separation between upper-income families and low-income households, especially regarding one's education. In the United States, low-income families and their obstacles often get disregarded in society, limiting many low-income students from prospering academically. This land is supposed to provide equal education to all students, but this country fails students from low-income households every day. In this country, one's social standing has always influenced the quality of education a student receives. Objective: The research aims to identify the ways poverty influences a student's success in school and how poverty influences post-secondary education. Design and Method: The research in this study was mainly based on peer-reviewed articles with a few non-peer viewed sources. The peer-reviewed and non-peer viewed literature helped address the influence poverty has on a student's academic success and poverty's influence on post-secondary education. Therefore, this study aims to answer the research questions: What influence does poverty have on a student's success in school? How does poverty influence post-secondary success in students? Results: Poverty influences many aspects of an individual's life and takes a more significant toll on students and their academic experience. Students who come from low-income households face many disadvantages, in their homes, in their health care, in the availability of their parents, and in the quality of education they receive. As a result, the disadvantages low-income students face cause setbacks that hurt them academically and limit their flourishing ability. Conclusion: Society has historically overlooked families and students from low-income households; this injustice must end. A student's social class is out of their control and should not influence a student from excelling academically. As a society, we need to work together to limit the factors that students from low-income households face; to give these innocent children an equal opportunity to prosper the way they deserve. Keywords: Social class, Parental influence, Education, Access to health care, Poor children, Inequality, Testing, Meritocracy, In America, Belief in school meritocracy, Equality