Blog Post #3

After reading Jean Anyon's What Counts as Educational Policy? I noticed how she redefines educational policy to include not just what happens inside schools but also the social and economic conditions that shape students’ lives. Anyon argues that poverty, segregation, and structural inequalities directly affect how children learn, and that real educational reform must address these wider forces.

I decided to focus on three quotes that highlight the ways poverty impacts children’s cognitive development, academic success, and behavior. These examples also show how race and class inequalities make the situation worse for minority families compared to white and affluent families.

Quote #1: "A calculation of families living with earnings up to 200 percent of the pov- erty line reveals that Black and Latino families face the greatest financial hur- dles. More than 50 percent of Black and Latino families earn less than 200 per- cent of the poverty level, compared to only 20.3 percent of White families, even though White families constitute a slight majority (50.5%) of families that fall below 200 percent of the poverty level (Mishel et al., 2001). In sum, poverty in the United States is higher than commonly perceived and is main- tained in urban areas by federal and metro-area policies and distributions." (p. 73)

This first quote emphasizes that poverty in the U.S. is not evenly distributed. Minority families, especially Black and Latino families, are disproportionately affected. Anyon shows how poverty is not just a matter of individual circumstance but something shaped and maintained by federal and urban policies. This means educational inequality is deeply tied to structural economic inequality.

Quote #2: "For example, poverty has been found to have consistently negative effects on children’s cognitive development (Duncan & Brooks-Gunn, 1997; Duncan, Brooks-Gunn, & Klebanov, 1994; McLoyd, 1998). Longitudinal stud- ies that have been carried out also demonstrate that “family income consis- tently predicts children’s academic and cognitive performance, even when other family characteristics are taken into account” (Duncan & Brooks-Gunn, 1997). Persistent and extreme poverty has been shown to be more detrimental to children than temporary poverty (Bolger & Patterson, 1995; Duncan et al., 1994). Family income may influence children through both lack of resources and parental emotional stress (Bradley, 1984; McLoyd & Jartayne, 1994; Smith, Brooks-Gunn, & Klebanov, 1997; Sugland, Zaslow, Brooks-Gunn, & Moore, 1995). Poor children have more health and behavior difficulties than those from more affluent families, which mitigates against educational success (Duncan & Brooks-Gunn, 1997; Houser, Brown, & Prosser, 1997; Klerman, 1991/2003; Korenman & Miller, 1997)." (p. 75)

The second quote explains farther how poverty affects children at a deeper level. Studies show that family income predicts children’s academic and cognitive performance, regardless of other family factors. Poor children often struggle with health problems, stress, and fewer resources, which negatively impact their ability to learn. Anyon uses this research to argue that schools alone cannot close the achievement gap. Poverty itself must be addressed.

Quote #3: "Indirect evidence is present in a longitudinal study completed in 2003 that found that improving family income reduces the negative (aggressive) social of children, which in turn is likely to lead to better school behavior and performance. For eight years, researchers studied children in rural North Carolina.  But halfway through the study, a local casino began distributing a percentage of its profits to tribal families. lifting many out of poverty. test showed that children in families who were no longer poor dropped to the same levels found among children whose families had never been poor (decreasing by 40%). Parents who moved out of poverty reported having more time to spend with their chil- dren, and researchers identified better parenting behavior. Researchers also identified the psychological benefits of not being poor as important to both parents and children. Poverty puts stress on families, which can increase the likelihood of children developing behavioral problems. One parent in the study told researchers that “the jobs [produced by the casino] give people the chance to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and get out of poverty. That carries over into less juvenile crime, less domestic violence, and an overall better living experience for families” (O’Connor, 2003, p. 2). (p. 77 - 78)

The third quote shows that when poverty is reduced, children’s behavior improves. In the North Carolina study, families who received income from casino profits were able to escape poverty. Their children’s aggression, anger, and behavioral problems dropped significantly, and parents reported having more time and emotional capacity to support them. This evidence makes a strong case that poverty reduction itself is an educational policy, because it directly impacts student outcomes.

In conclusion, instead of treating poverty as "Outside" issues, she shows they are central to whether children can succeed in school. The three quotes demonstrate that poverty not only reduces children’s cognitive development and academic achievement but also increases behavioral struggles. Most importantly, when families are lifted out of poverty, these negative effects decreases. In short, Without addressing poverty and inequality, educational reforms inside the classroom will always be limited.