The Spectacular Role of Libraries in Protecting Students from the Effects of Poverty
Stephen Krashen
Published in: iLeader: Journal of School Library Association of New South Wales 1(4): 3-6 (2012)
Poverty is by far the most powerful predictor we have of school performance. This has been established in study after study over several decades. One of the best studies showing the impact of poverty comes from Australia: Perry and McConnery (2010) reported that both individual levels of poverty (socio-economic status, or SES) and the poverty level of the school have strong effects on performance, and the combination of the two is overwhelming. Table one presents the impact of both of these factors on performance on the PISA 2003 test of reading comprehension given to 15 year olds (math and science tests show a similar pattern). Note that students living in the worst poverty score 70 to 90 points lower than the most privileged students, and students attending low SES schools score about 50 to 60 points lower than those in wealthier schools. But low SES students in low SES schools score nearly 150 points lower than high SES students in high SES schools.
Table One: Influence of individual levels of socio-economic status and the socio-economic status of the school
SCHOOL SES | |||||
INDIVIDUAL SES | 1st (lowest) | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th |
1st (lowest) | 459 (n=984) | 466 (n=690) | 472 (n=490) | 503 (n=231) | 516 (n=88) |
2nd | 486 (n=591) | 496 (n=681) | 503 (n=596) | 531 (n=425) | 544 (n=195) |
3rd | 498 (n=416) | 504 (n=492) | 515 (n=639) | 542 (n=568) | 561(n=348) |
4th | 520 (n=213) | 525(n=377) | 530 (n=516) | 557 (n=682) | 577 (n=693) |
5th | 548 (n=99) | 543 (n=199) | 549 (n=362) | 576 (n=602) | 602 (n=1212) |
SES = social economic status, based on parental occupational status, parental education, economic and cultural resources in the home.
The average PISA score is 500, standard deviation = 100.
From: Perry and McConnery (2010)
SES includes a number of factors that influence school performance. On the individual level,
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