FACT – Hunger is a major contributing factor to the Education Achievement Gap.
The corporate education reform movement is fond of claiming that poverty is no excuse for children failing to succeed in school.
Their level of ignorance is astounding.
Hunger is just one of the devastating outcomes related to the level of widespread poverty in the United States and these factors are keeping tens of millions of children from doing better in school.
Researchers recognize that “out of school factors” (OSF) have a significant and dramatic impact on a child’s level of academic success. Although there are a variety of important steps the nation must take to improve its schools, children actually spend less than 15% of their time in school, meaning non-school issues have an incredible impact on a child’s in-school success..
And while quality education programs make a difference, there are a series of socio-demographic factors that have a profound impact on how well children actually do with their time in school.
One of the most pronounced impediments to learning is hunger, often called, “food insecurity” in the parlance of public policy.
The evidence is overwhelming that the lack of sufficient food undermines an individual’s ability to function and it has an especially devastating impact on children.
And hunger is a very real problem in this country, especially when it FACT - Hunger is a major contributing factor to the Education Achievement Gap. - Wait What?:
