Schools Can't Do It Alone: Why 'Doubly Disadvantaged' Kids Continue to Struggle Academically | Alternet

Schools Can't Do It Alone: Why 'Doubly Disadvantaged' Kids Continue to Struggle Academically | Alternet:

Schools Can't Do It Alone: Why 'Doubly Disadvantaged' Kids Continue to Struggle Academically

A report on childhood poverty proves once again that no single measure can cure poverty's ills.

Photo Credit: AISPIX by Image Source | Shutterstock.com

January 30, 2013  |  

 

Q: In what international comparison does the U.S. rank lower than its educational test scores rankings?

A: Childhood poverty.

“Today, 22 percent of our children live in poverty. The U.S has the second worst infant mortality rate among industrialized nations,” details America’s Report Card 2012, a report supported by First Focusand Save the Children to highlight the condition of children in the U.S.

Research has shown for decades that education, health and safety outcomes for children in homes struggling with poverty remain some of the greatest challenges facing this country. As America’s Report Card 2012 explains:

“We are falling behind because we are ignoring these problems. England has reduced child poverty through policies enacted with the goal to eliminate child poverty by 2020, while America has seen rising poverty levels and no national push to reverse that trend. But we can do better.”

Less often acknowledged is the fact that impoverished children are likely to be