How is teacher performance and student performance on standardized tests related to social class?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

1. Teachers in higher-income communities are paid higher salaries because these districts have more financial resources. To be competitive for higher-paying jobs teachers have to be of higher quality.
2. Students’ performance on standardized tests is higher in higher-income communities because their school facilities are better and their teachers are more qualified and experienced. They also may have access to educational resources at home via their own highly educated parents.
3. Outside of the classroom, there may be additional resources available to students in higher-income school districts (e.g., tutoring, cultural institutions, etc.) that are not as available to students in less economically privileged districts.
4. All of this is rooted in differences in the funding of public schools. Because it is localized, funding, and in turn resources, vary dramatically from place to place.