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This article talks about the income gap between some of the lower income students and the children from higher income places. It goes with question #2 and also talks about some different states' efforts to fix the gap.

"America faces an opportunity gap. Those born in the bottom ranks have difficulty moving up. Although the United States has long thought of itself as a meritocracy, a place where anyone who gets an education and works hard can make it, the facts tell a somewhat different story."

It is more difficult for lower-income children to be successful because they are unlikely to get a high level education.  But those born into high income have a better chance of becoming middle class or higher because they are more likely to get a high level education or a degree.

"We can build on children's strengths, supporting them and challenging them to excel. The good news is that closing the opportunity gap doesn't require a magical quick fix; the bad news is that to do it we need to stop grasping at those magical quick fixes. Instead, we must turn to evidence-based, best practices."

"In particular, we have failed to build capacity or increase opportunities to learn.   Our intense focus on achievement gaps needs to be combined with an equally intense focus on opportunity gaps. The status quo of test-based accountability reform needs to give way to new, evidence-based approaches dedicated to building the capacity to accomplish accountability goals." I believe that there is no opportunity gap in Henrico because of the fact that we have so many options for high school specialty centers, extracurricular activities and clubs, sports, etc. These things give us a good amount of opportunity in order to "close" the gap and give us a well rounded education that can sustain us for a lifetime.

"Much has happened in the last 30 years. But let's fast forward, past the 1989 Charlottesville Education Summit and past President Clinton's "Goals 2000" legislation in 1994. Let's jump right to the "No Child Left Behind Act" of 2001. That law, along with the current administration's Race to the Top policies, has placed American school reform on a stark path best defined as "test-based accountability reform" - just as was called for 30 years ago in A Nation at Risk."

"A new United Nations report finds that almost half of public education resources spent in low-income countries of the developing world goes to benefit just 10 percent of the best-educated students, who tend to come from affluent families. The report from the United Nations Children's Fund, also known as Unicef, was released Thursday at a press conference with former U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Unicef allies at the World Economic Forum."We need to radically revise current practices by providing more resources and allocating them more equitably," Yoka Brandt, Unicef deputy executive director, said.The trend documented by the report shows poor, developing-world countries mimicking a trend in the United States, which stands out as one of the only industrialized countries that devotes less public money to educating students from low-income families than on educating students from high-income families. " The article is about how a lot of the public education resources goes to Rich Kids in low-income countries. This is have or have not if you live in this countries because if you come from a rich or poor family it will affect you ability to get a good education. Since the majority of people in low-income countries are poor they don't have a chance to be educated and make a change or even get a well paid job to support their families.

"Education was historically considered a great equalizer in American society, capable of lifting less advantaged children and improving their chances for success as adults. But a body of recently published scholarship suggests that the achievement gap between rich and poor children is widening, a development that threatens to dilute education's leveling effects." In this article, there was a discussion about how an education gap between different income families has been increasing over the years in America through several statistics. A major reason for this is because many low-income families have a set-back in their education since high-income families spend more money and time on their children's academic futures. Also, a study mentioned in this article explains how many low-income families face hardships with their students completing college due to troubles financially with the tuition.

"The growing gap between the better educated and the less educated, he argued, has formed a kind of cultural divide that has its roots in natural social forces, like the tendency of educated people to marry other educated people, as well as in the social policies of the 1960s, like welfare and other government programs, which he contended provided incentives for staying single." Overall, this article discusses the possible reasons and explanations for why the education gap has been increasing between different families and children in America. One of the major reasons this gap has become so prominent is because successful people tend to only associate with other successful people. And their children will end up continuing the trend because they too have received a higher education, and want to remain wealthy. The down side to this theory that many researchers have found is that the poorer families have a similar history. So, even if the children grow up in the same area, one is still going to receive a better education than the other depending on wealth. In addition, the article also explained how many of the problems could be resolved as income increases allowing for lower income families to receive the rightful education. Recommended:educationachievement gapsmithson5snow2 Group dictionary:incomeeducationsnow1snow7Smithson7lowder1responsibilitysmithson5snow2snow3 Share my existing annotations Savecancel "

"Students from lower-income households may not have the financial resources that give students from higher-income households an advantage when it comes to performing well in school, scoring high on standardized tests, and aspiring to and succeeding in college. Poor nutrition, health problems resulting from a lack of healthcare, or an inability to pay for preschool education, tutoring, test-preparation services, and/or college tuition (in addition to a fear of taking on student-loan debt) may all contribute to lower educational achievement and attainment." This article gives examples of how people from lower-income households have a lower chance of getting a better education. Students from lower-income households might not have financial resources to give students their education like college tuition. This article is helpful, because it gives specific examples and explains the opportunity gap. This article can be useful because it gives specific examples and can give a clear understanding.

This article refers to educations and the opportunity gap by talking about it as well as the causes/effects. It displays many factors that can give rise to opportunity gaps. Through this identification of the problem, it leads into ways of solving this huge problem by eliminating the causes.

"Closely related to achievement gap and learning gap, the term opportunity gap refers to the ways in which race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, English proficiency, community wealth, familial situations, or other factors contribute to or perpetuate lower educational aspirations, achievement, and attainment for certain groups of students." This article explains how the opportunity gap affects people in different social classes. It talks about how some of the people with lower incomes have less of an opportunity to go to college and further their education's.

"A new Schott Foundation for Public Education report, "A Rotting Apple: Education Redlining in New York City," reveals that the communities where most of the city's poor, black and Hispanic students live suffer from New York policies and practices that give their schools the fewest resources and their students the least experienced teachers." This article is about how the poor and lower class of the United States suffer from lack of educational opportunity. Also how blacks and hispanics are four times more likely to be enrolled in one the United States' poorest performing high schools.

"Districts with higher poverty rates have fewer highly educated, experienced teachers and less stable teaching staffs. Students from low-income New York City families of all ethnic groups have little chance of being tested for gifted-and-talented program eligibility. Few black and Hispanic students are selected for the city's top exam schools, such as Stuyvesant and the Bronx High School of Science." This article discusses the inequality in education that kids from low income families receive in comparison to kids living in economically advantaged neighborhoods. Children living in better neighborhoods are more likely to receive a proper and advanced education simply because of their class and the place they live.

" In New York City, the nation's largest school system, on average student outcomes and their opportunity to learn are more determined by the neighborhood where a child lives, than his or her abilities." Children are having their futures predetermined by the enviorment and the school systems they are a part of. This leads children with promising talents unable to utilize them due to lack of resources in their schools.

"Students from historically disadvantaged families have just a 51 percent Opportunity to Learn compared to White, non-Latino students. Closing this opportunity gap is essential to closing the academic achievement gaps that separate most Black and Hispanic students from their White and Asian peers." This topic brings up education from a racial perspective because in the United States of America, we have people from all over the world, making us one of the most diverse and cultural societies. I would say that in the United States of America, there are some opportunity gaps, because like I said, we are a diverse country, and everybody doesn't have the same opportunity unless that individual who is at a disadvantage works harder than others. For example, there are people who come to the United States of America and aren't as educated in certain topics compared to the colleagues sitting next to him or her. So I think that it is very valid to say that there is an opportunity gap in the United States of America. I think that you could relate the unfairness of the American education system with the Roman education system in various ways. I think that the biggest point though, is that the Roman education system revolved more around money more than education, because only the wealthiest received an education in Rome, this is because education wasn't a standard in Roman society. The rest of the Romans were laborers. In the United States of America, you don't need to own a mansion in order to be educated in school. Even though there is some difference in who got educated based on either wealth or brains, there's still an opportunity gap in both societies. I think that no matter where you go, someone will be at a disadvantage, but that's life.

This website and article discuses the opportunity gaps in american education. It provides an overview along with details to how big of a problem this is. It also talk about how race can fall into play of the gaps in america.

"Since the killing of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, by a white police officer, U.S. News examined the persistent gaps between black and white Americans, finding both the health and the justice system full of disparities. As with those areas, many factors contribute to disparities in education. Lower wealth, lower health, lower parental education levels, more dealings with the justice system and other circumstances create a perfect storm that leaves blacks without the same educational opportunities as whites." This article discusses the racial barriers that deal with the educational outcomes of students with different races. The schools are giving completely equal education opportunities but the biggest problem is the expectations that are not given. According the article, most african-american parents give lower educational standards to their children than white-americans do.

"The U.S. spends significantly more on education than other OECD countries. In 2010, the U.S. spent 39 percent more per full-time student for elementary and secondary education than the average for other countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, according to the National Center for Education Statistics." This article discusses the american education inequality. It mostly explains racial differences, but there are a few parts when the inequality between classes are being discussed.

"The troubles in this town of 2,700, where the closest Wal-Mart is about 20 miles away, illustrate pressures across Mississippi. Since 2008, legislators have ignored a state law and spent $1.5 billion less on education than what's required. The cuts are among the deepest in the nation." This article highlights the gap between the education being received in Mississippi and the education being received in the rest of the United States.  1.5 billion dollars where not spent on education, ignoring the states laws and creating an even larger gap in education

"Family income also affects success on campus. Graduation rates for high-income students climbed to 54 percent for those born in 1979-1982, from 36 percent for those born in 1961-1964. By contrast, graduation rates for low-income students had improved by just 4 percentage points, to 9 percent, based on a December 2011 paper by University of Michigan economists Martha Bailey and Susan Dynarski." This article helps shed light on the growing problem of opportunity gap, by education and extracurricular activities, to the general public. This article can help someone by giving them factual evidence for the opportunity gap through studies and data collected.

"Among them: Wealthy parents are spending more lavishly on childcare, education and accessories such as toys, while families in the middle are spending roughly the same or less after inflation. And extracurricular activities such as after- school clubs have increasingly become the province of privileged kids." It helps to explain what the education opportunity gap is. It explains what happens to people on the bad half of the gap. It talks about advantages and disadvantages.

"A student at one of America's most selective colleges is 14 times more likely to be from a high-income family than from a low-income one, based on a 2010 study by Carnevale and fellow Georgetown University economist Jeff Strohl. Those schools usually admit less than one-third of applicants." This article summarizes the unfortunate opportunity gap in the USA. It expounds on how statistics show that kids from the upper-class almost have it in their DNA to get their degree, while those in the middle-class and lower class are seeing it as an aspiration. The resources and educational tools being brought about by wealth are increasing the gap between the rich and the American middle-class and lower-class

"In today's global economy, a high-quality education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity-it is a prerequisite for success. Because economic progress and educational achievement are inextricably linked, educating every American student to graduate from high school prepared for college and for a career is a national imperative. The President has articulated a goal for America to once again lead the world in college completion by the year 2020, and all of President Obama's education efforts aim toward this overarching objective." http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/education/k-12 This webpage is dedicated to revealing Obama's plans ranging from fixing education gaps between races to making college more affordable.

This article discusses the president's goals to lead the world in college completion. The article also reveals how President Obama plants to fix the educational gap between races. 

"We have regressed in social mobility and income equality. For the first time in our history, we are less socially mobile than Europe. And economic inequality is manifestly real, dangerous and growing. The top 10 percent of Americans now account for half of the national income, compared to one-third a number of years ago. Journalist and author David Cay Johnston has given us a vivid measure: "The average increase in real income reported by the bottom 90 percent of earners in 2011, compared with 1966, if measured at one inch, would extend almost five miles for the top 1 percent of the top 1 percent." In a June 2013 Brookings Institution/Hamilton Project study, the observation was made that "children of well-off families are disproportionately likely to stay well off, and children of poor families are very likely to remain poor." It is widely understood that the single best predictor of future financial success is educational achievement, yet educational opportunities seem to be sorely lacking for all but the families at the top of the income ladder. High-income parents invest more in their children, widening the gap between those who are rich and poor in test scores, college attendance and graduation. A 2010 study of the most selective higher education institutions by Georgetown University researchers Anthony Carnevale and Jeff Strohl concluded that "the wealthiest students out-populate the poor students by a margin of 14 to 1."" This article talks about how economic inequality is growing and how it is dangerous for the United States. It explains how the Haves will most likely stay Haves and past that down through generation after generation of their families. Being a have not includes higher education that the Have Nots can't afford, which then leads the Haves to get higher paying jobs. The Have Nots continue with lower education and lower paying jobs which will continue the spread of economic inequality.

"For nearly 50 years, the federal government has tried - but largely failed - to find the right formula to close the achievement gap between the highest-performing students in America's public school classrooms and those who get left behind." This article from the Richmond Times Dispatch examines the educational gap that is becoming increasingly evident not just in America, but in Richmond. The source looks at how students of certain ethnic backgrounds are less likely to succeed in educational environments than others. It also discusses approaches that have been, will be, and are being taken to close this "gap," which includes new funding for education and assessments.

"For nearly 50 years, the federal government has tried - but largely failed - to find the right formula to close the achievement gap between the highest-performing students in America's public school classrooms and those who get left behind."

"For nearly 50 years, the federal government has tried - but largely failed - to find the right formula to close the achievement gap between the highest-performing students in America's public school classrooms and those who get left behind." This article from the Richmond Times Dispatch examines the educational gap that is becoming increasingly evident not just in America, but in Richmond. The source looks at how students of certain ethnic backgrounds are less likely to succeed in educational environments than others. It also discusses approaches that have been, will be, and are being taken to close this "gap," which includes new funding for education and assessments.

"Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin has buzz. He has impressed conservative activists in Des Moines and is the front-runner for likely Republican Iowa caucus-goers, according to a Bloomberg Politics-Des Moines Register poll published over the weekend. Supporters say Mr. Walker, who is 47, has more diverse qualifications than the other Republicans: a non-Washington Republican who has won tough contests in a blue state, has taken on labor unions, and appeals to Christian conservatives and the business constituency. There is one credential that he doesn't have: a post-high school education. America hasn't elected a president without a college degree since Harry S. Truman." This article focuses on how the governor of Wisconsin might try to run for president without having a college education. According to the article, more than 40% of voters and all members of the Senate have higher education. Many strategists in both parties believe that Scott Walker's lack of college education could be troublesome if he chooses to run for president.

"Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin has buzz. He has impressed conservative activists in Des Moines and is the front-runner for likely Republican Iowa caucus-goers, according to a Bloomberg Politics-Des Moines Register poll published over the weekend. Supporters say Mr. Walker, who is 47, has more diverse qualifications than the other Republicans: a non-Washington Republican who has won tough contests in a blue state, has taken on labor unions, and appeals to Christian conservatives and the business constituency. There is one credential that he doesn't have: a post-high school education. America hasn't elected a president without a college degree since Harry S. Truman."

"Coyner explained there is a huge gap in achievement between those who live in a higher income school and lower income neighborhoods. Reading and math SOL tests for students in disadvantaged areas have dropped dramatically over the last three school years. Those in most schools in Chesterfield have dropped as well. SOL testing of students during the 2013-14 school year indicated that the pass rate of non-disadvantaged students was 85 percent in reading and 83 percent in math, while students who came from disadvantaged homes had a pass rate of 58 percent in reading and 63 percent in math." This article outlines the achievement and educational gaps in Henrico, Chesterfield, and the City of Richmond. It displays the educational differences between privileged and non-privileged students.

"The greatest increase across the area in childhood poverty since 1990 is Henrico, a 70 percent increase, according to data collected by Moeser. His data concludes that Chesterfield is next with a 41 percent increase in poverty. Those living in poverty, in the suburbs, across the country, have grown more than in the cities. Poverty in the suburbs has grown to 56 percent in the suburbs versus 44 percent in the cities." This articles describes the poverty, opportunity, and achievement gaps between advanced and disadvantaged kids in Chesterfield and Henrico. Researchers found shocking results and are trying to make the gaps smaller in the two counties.

"Education and poverty are closely related according to speakers at Ms. Coyner's forum. "What I tried to do is bring the data back to what we all know as our neighborhood schools," Coyner said. Coyner tracked poverty in schools using the free and reduced lunch program with one caveat; She said that just because a student is eligible for free or reduced lunch, it doesn't mean they use it. Title 1 schools are another way to track poverty in schools. There are 16 elementary and 13 middle schools in the Title 1 program in Chesterfield." This article was helpful in analyzing the local education gap and what factors might play a role in it. What is mainly suggested here is that poverty is the main factor controlling the education gap. This also talks a little about income and poverty in Richmond.

"The advantages that money can buy on tests and college applications have become so great that they threaten to undermine the American ideal of education as the great leveler that enables anyone who works hard to succeed, regardless of income level, the report said. In a knowledge-based economy that increasingly rewards education and skill, the report added, these growing educational disparities could further widen the income gap between rich and poor." High income families are spending more money than even on their children's education, therefore furthering the gap between rich and poor students. These families now spend as much as $9,000 annually on private tutoring, SAT prep courses, computers, and other activities, compared with about $1,300 for low-income families.

"During times like the 1950s and 1960s, a rising level of educational attainment kept up with this rising demand for skill. But since the late 1970s and early 1980s, the rise in U.S. education levels has not kept up with the rising demand for skilled workers, and the slowdown in educational attainment has been particularly severe for males. The result has been a sharp rise in the inequality of wages." This 2010 report from MIT's Department of Economics describes in detail the causes of polarization of job opportunities; it states that the supply and demand for skilled workers has changed over time, resulting in a workforce gap concentrated between " relatively high-skill, high-wage jobs and low-skill, low wage jobs." This report was linked from an NPR article (http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2014/10/02/349863761/40-years-of-income-inequality-in-america-in-graphs) which shows the correlation between education and percentile household income.

American schools in high poverty areas have the education of schools in developing countries. In contrast those in more well-endowed areas are receiving educations that can be considered some of the best in the world. A report on equity in education, issued by a congressionally-mandated commission, has shown no new solutions to this rising problem but rather rephrased old solutions that have not helped the U.S. before and will not now.