Put Student Motivation First
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Many students from low-income households that have the same access to education as their wealthier counterparts do not acquire comparable levels of social mobility (OECD, 2018).
THE PROBLEM
There is a "Missing Link" in Education.
If access to better education is not the solution to perennial economic and social disparities then what is the "real" problem? There must be some unseen barrier! Could it be that the same key factors that cause youth to resort to crime are the ones that don't allow them to make meaningful progress in the classroom? Knowledge can only take an individual as far as he or she knows how to apply it. Many students lack the perspective needed to take full advantage of their educational opportunities. Put Student Motivation First helps both teachers and parents bridge this gap through innovative classroom solutions.
There are two facts that underscore the need for programs like ours: 1.) Studies have shown that family income (which correlates to exposure to knowledge and resources) is substantially more significant to student readiness (upon entry) than race; and 2.) Studies have shown that the classroom is a more significant factor in a student's learning rate than their home life. Considering these two factors, one can easily conclude that the immediate and continuing focus of public education should be to ensure that students are taught the skills that they miss out on due to a lack of exposure. The classroom is our best opportunity to stem student underperformance and improve the conditions of America's poorest communities.
OECD (2018), Equity in Education: Breaking Down Barriers to Social Mobility, PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris. https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264073234-en