Poverty Is NOT a Learning Disability
Purchase
Description
"This book is the perfect guide for those administrators and teachers who are truly interested in equalizing educational opportunities at all levels."
—Rebecca S. Compton, Professor of Elementary Education
East Central University
Proven strategies for increasing the academic performance of students with low school-readiness skills!
Children of low socioeconomic status often enter school with low school-readiness skills, leading them to be misidentified as learning disabled. Educators in Grades K–12 can allocate resources for special education services more effectively and meet the needs of low SES students by preventing students from being placed in the wrong program and by providing readiness supports.
Offering an in-depth look at schools that have realized effective results in remarkable time frames, the authors challenge educators and parents to consider how low expectations can affect student achievement—and emphasize optimism as a necessary tenet of schools' day-to-day teaching/learning programs and school-community relationships. This resource provides:
- Training resources for teaching low SES students
- Assessment tools for identifying learning needs
- Strategies for building relationships of trust and collaboration throughout the school community
- Data charts that illustrate the increase in student achievement from schoolwide initiatives
- A bibliography and glossary of pertinent research and terminology
With these strategies and tools, schools can meet the developmental and environmental needs of their most vulnerable students and watch student achievement and confidence soar!
Contents
Preface
Preface
Acknowledgments
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
About the Authors
Introduction
Introduction
1. The Changing Realities of America's Public Education: Foundational Facts and Implications
- Diversity
- Poverty
- School Readiness
- Lack of Parent Involvement
- Deficit Perceptions
- Special Education and NCLB
- Summary
2. The Unfortunate Link Between Low Socioeconomic Status and Learning Disabilities
- Understanding Learning Disabilities
- Poverty Is Not a Learning Disability
- Educators' Lack of Understanding of Poverty
- Teachers' Role in Learning Disability Referrals
- The Cost of Misidentifying Children as Learning Disabled
- Summary
3. Teaching Strategies and Techniques Proven to Work With Low SES Children
- Four Teaching Strategies That Work
- Creating a Positive Climate for Instruction
- Summary
4. The Importance of Strong School-Home Relationships in Educating Low SES Children
- The Importance of Parent Involvement
- The Importance of Home-Based Involvement
- The Importance of School Climate
- Meeting the Challenges Presented by Low SES Neighborhoods
- Embracing Cultural Diversity
- Summary
5. How Strong School-Business Relationships Can Benefit Low SES Students
- Creating a Partnership With Structure and Reciprocity
- Looking Beyond Dollars in School-Business Partnerships
- Recognizing the Partnership Value of Small Local Businesses
- Summary
6. The Role Networking Can Play in the Effective Education of Low SES Students
- Networking With Central Offices
- Networking Beyond the School District
- Summary
7. Managing Change Successfully
- Why People Resist Change
- Strategies to Reduce Resistance to Change and Promote Successful Implementations
- Summary
8. Selecting the Right People
- Identifying the Characteristics and Qualifications You're Looking For
- Assessing Your Faculty and Staff's Strengths and Weaknesses to Clarify Your Needs
- Communicating Your Needs and Interests to Human Resources
- Structuring the Interview Process
- Managing the Interview and Selection Process
- Summary
9. Identifying the Core and Individual Competencies That Promote the Most Successful Learning Environment
- What We Mean by Competencies
- Identifying Core School and Individual Competencies That Promote Student Success
- Summary
10. Identifying Expectations and Managing Performance
- Some Basic Assumptions
- Communicating Your Expectations
- Managing Performance Around Your Expectations
- Providing Constructive Feedback
- Summary
11. A Proven Approach to Improving Educational Opportunities for Low SES Children
- Professional Climate
- Behavioral Climate
- Community Climate
- Instructional Practices
- Summary
12. Summary and Conclusions
- Being the Leader in Your School
- Making the Most of an "Ambiguous" Situation
References
References
Description
"This book is the perfect guide for those administrators and teachers who are truly interested in equalizing educational opportunities at all levels."
—Rebecca S. Compton, Professor of Elementary Education
East Central University
Proven strategies for increasing the academic performance of students with low school-readiness skills!
Children of low socioeconomic status often enter school with low school-readiness skills, leading them to be misidentified as learning disabled. Educators in Grades K–12 can allocate resources for special education services more effectively and meet the needs of low SES students by preventing students from being placed in the wrong program and by providing readiness supports.
Offering an in-depth look at schools that have realized effective results in remarkable time frames, the authors challenge educators and parents to consider how low expectations can affect student achievement—and emphasize optimism as a necessary tenet of schools' day-to-day teaching/learning programs and school-community relationships. This resource provides:
- Training resources for teaching low SES students
- Assessment tools for identifying learning needs
- Strategies for building relationships of trust and collaboration throughout the school community
- Data charts that illustrate the increase in student achievement from schoolwide initiatives
- A bibliography and glossary of pertinent research and terminology
With these strategies and tools, schools can meet the developmental and environmental needs of their most vulnerable students and watch student achievement and confidence soar!
Contents
Preface
Preface
Acknowledgments
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
About the Authors
Introduction
Introduction
1. The Changing Realities of America's Public Education: Foundational Facts and Implications
- Diversity
- Poverty
- School Readiness
- Lack of Parent Involvement
- Deficit Perceptions
- Special Education and NCLB
- Summary
2. The Unfortunate Link Between Low Socioeconomic Status and Learning Disabilities
- Understanding Learning Disabilities
- Poverty Is Not a Learning Disability
- Educators' Lack of Understanding of Poverty
- Teachers' Role in Learning Disability Referrals
- The Cost of Misidentifying Children as Learning Disabled
- Summary
3. Teaching Strategies and Techniques Proven to Work With Low SES Children
- Four Teaching Strategies That Work
- Creating a Positive Climate for Instruction
- Summary
4. The Importance of Strong School-Home Relationships in Educating Low SES Children
- The Importance of Parent Involvement
- The Importance of Home-Based Involvement
- The Importance of School Climate
- Meeting the Challenges Presented by Low SES Neighborhoods
- Embracing Cultural Diversity
- Summary
5. How Strong School-Business Relationships Can Benefit Low SES Students
- Creating a Partnership With Structure and Reciprocity
- Looking Beyond Dollars in School-Business Partnerships
- Recognizing the Partnership Value of Small Local Businesses
- Summary
6. The Role Networking Can Play in the Effective Education of Low SES Students
- Networking With Central Offices
- Networking Beyond the School District
- Summary
7. Managing Change Successfully
- Why People Resist Change
- Strategies to Reduce Resistance to Change and Promote Successful Implementations
- Summary
8. Selecting the Right People
- Identifying the Characteristics and Qualifications You're Looking For
- Assessing Your Faculty and Staff's Strengths and Weaknesses to Clarify Your Needs
- Communicating Your Needs and Interests to Human Resources
- Structuring the Interview Process
- Managing the Interview and Selection Process
- Summary
9. Identifying the Core and Individual Competencies That Promote the Most Successful Learning Environment
- What We Mean by Competencies
- Identifying Core School and Individual Competencies That Promote Student Success
- Summary
10. Identifying Expectations and Managing Performance
- Some Basic Assumptions
- Communicating Your Expectations
- Managing Performance Around Your Expectations
- Providing Constructive Feedback
- Summary
11. A Proven Approach to Improving Educational Opportunities for Low SES Children
- Professional Climate
- Behavioral Climate
- Community Climate
- Instructional Practices
- Summary
12. Summary and Conclusions
- Being the Leader in Your School
- Making the Most of an "Ambiguous" Situation
References
References
Reviews
Poverty Is NOT a Learning Disability
Equalizing Opportunities for Low SES Students
July 2009 | 160 pages | Corwin
| Format | Published Date | ISBN | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paperback | 01/02/2026 | 9781412969048 | $37.95 |
| Lifetime | 01/02/2026 | 9781452273310 | $35.00 |
"This book is the perfect guide for those administrators and teachers who are truly interested in equalizing educational opportunities at all levels."
—Rebecca S. Compton, Professor of Elementary Education
East Central University
Proven strategies for increasing the academic performance of students with low school-readiness skills!
Children of low socioeconomic status often enter school with low school-readiness skills, leading them to be misidentified as learning disabled. Educators in Grades K–12 can allocate resources for special education services more effectively and meet the needs of low SES students by preventing students from being placed in the wrong program and by providing readiness supports.
Offering an in-depth look at schools that have realized effective results in remarkable time frames, the authors challenge educators and parents to consider how low expectations can affect student achievement—and emphasize optimism as a necessary tenet of schools' day-to-day teaching/learning programs and school-community relationships. This resource provides:
- Training resources for teaching low SES students
- Assessment tools for identifying learning needs
- Strategies for building relationships of trust and collaboration throughout the school community
- Data charts that illustrate the increase in student achievement from schoolwide initiatives
- A bibliography and glossary of pertinent research and terminology
With these strategies and tools, schools can meet the developmental and environmental needs of their most vulnerable students and watch student achievement and confidence soar!
Table Of Contents:
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- About the Authors
- Introduction
- 1. The Changing Realities of America's Public Education: Foundational Facts and Implications
- Diversity
- Poverty
- School Readiness
- Lack of Parent Involvement
- Deficit Perceptions
- Special Education and NCLB
- Summary
- 2. The Unfortunate Link Between Low Socioeconomic Status and Learning Disabilities
- Understanding Learning Disabilities
- Poverty Is Not a Learning Disability
- Educators' Lack of Understanding of Poverty
- Teachers' Role in Learning Disability Referrals
- The Cost of Misidentifying Children as Learning Disabled
- Summary
- 3. Teaching Strategies and Techniques Proven to Work With Low SES Children
- Four Teaching Strategies That Work
- Creating a Positive Climate for Instruction
- Summary
- 4. The Importance of Strong School-Home Relationships in Educating Low SES Children
- The Importance of Parent Involvement
- The Importance of Home-Based Involvement
- The Importance of School Climate
- Meeting the Challenges Presented by Low SES Neighborhoods
- Embracing Cultural Diversity
- Summary
- 5. How Strong School-Business Relationships Can Benefit Low SES Students
- Creating a Partnership With Structure and Reciprocity
- Looking Beyond Dollars in School-Business Partnerships
- Recognizing the Partnership Value of Small Local Businesses
- Summary
- 6. The Role Networking Can Play in the Effective Education of Low SES Students
- Networking With Central Offices
- Networking Beyond the School District
- Summary
- 7. Managing Change Successfully
- Why People Resist Change
- Strategies to Reduce Resistance to Change and Promote Successful Implementations
- Summary
- 8. Selecting the Right People
- Identifying the Characteristics and Qualifications You're Looking For
- Assessing Your Faculty and Staff's Strengths and Weaknesses to Clarify Your Needs
- Communicating Your Needs and Interests to Human Resources
- Structuring the Interview Process
- Managing the Interview and Selection Process
- Summary
- 9. Identifying the Core and Individual Competencies That Promote the Most Successful Learning Environment
- What We Mean by Competencies
- Identifying Core School and Individual Competencies That Promote Student Success
- Summary
- 10. Identifying Expectations and Managing Performance
- Some Basic Assumptions
- Communicating Your Expectations
- Managing Performance Around Your Expectations
- Providing Constructive Feedback
- Summary
- 11. A Proven Approach to Improving Educational Opportunities for Low SES Children
- Professional Climate
- Behavioral Climate
- Community Climate
- Instructional Practices
- Summary
- 12. Summary and Conclusions
- Being the Leader in Your School
- Making the Most of an "Ambiguous" Situation
- References