Examining Educational Equity and Financial Gap in the US

Examining Educational Equity and Financial Gap in the US

Equity in education is at the forefront of all education stakeholders, aiming to promote equal opportunities for all students to access quality education and essential learning resources that support an effective learning environment (Thinking Maps, 2023). The government and policymakers are devoted to bringing reforms in the education sector to improve all students’ equity and inclusion. The government enacts policies that have steered inclusion and diversity in learning institutions and encouraged education systems to be equitable to all students regardless of their academic needs (American University, 2023). Financial equity is one problem resulting in inequity in education, making certain populations underrepresented and negatively affecting the vulnerable population’s academic performance. Financial inequities in education are attributed to various factors, including a student’s socioeconomic status and disparities in education funding (Baker, 2021). Financial equity issues impede equitable and inclusion in education, resulting in students’ performance gaps based on their ability to access quality education and educational services (Whatley & Raby, 2020). Numerous resources demonstrate a correlation between financial equity issues and student achievement.

Socioeconomic Status and Education

A family’s socioeconomic status influences a student’s educational achievement. Poverty significantly hinders a child’s mental development, negatively affecting their learning ability (APA, 2017). Impoverished students encounter challenges throughout their learning due to limited access to essential resources that support their learning (Rodriguez-Hernandez et al., 2020). Research shows that students from low-income backgrounds have slow academic development abilities, making them less likely to succeed than students from higher socioeconomic families (Bradley, 2022). In addition, students from low socioeconomic status have poor cognitive, language, and memory development, which negatively affects their living standards and health.

Further, Broer et al. (2019) examine the correlation between socioeconomic status and educational achievement. Their study is based on a literature review of differences in educational systems and the changes that have occurred over time regarding socioeconomic status and academic performance. The literature review reveals that economic, social, and cultural factors are crucial socioeconomic elements that lead to gaps in students’ academic achievements. The study further demonstrates the contribution of the education system to student’s performance based on the extent of their homogeneity and degree of centralization. Conclusively, Broer et al. (2019) aver that the relationship between a family’s socioeconomic status and education performance depends on the education system and social context, where findings show that the performance gap among students from different backgrounds is higher with higher financial inequality (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2019).

Education Funding Disparities

Education funding policies focus on improving students’ academic achievement and performance. The funding systems have contributed to the increasing financial inequities among public schools between low-income and high-income regions due to reliance on property taxes to fund learning institutions. Schools in low-income areas receive inadequate funds for learning resource acquisition compared to schools in affluent areas, who receive better funding despite their low funding demand to undertake learning processes effectively (Sohn et al., 2023). The funding criteria lead to increased funding gaps between students of the two socioeconomic statuses, widening the gaps in students’ educational performance. Minority groups, especially students of color, are the most vulnerable population affected by school funding disparities since they are the most likely to reside in impoverished areas. The minority group subsequently suffers from stigmatization and discrimination-related factors, which affect students’ abilities to acquire effective academic skills that are instrumental in their future careers. Mota et al. (2021) depict funding inequality based on different districts despite the funds being public money. Mota et al.’s (2021) study examines the distribution of inequalities by monitoring the relationship between the school locations. Accordingly, Mota et al. (2021) identify district boundaries contributing to financial disparities through region segregation. The study proposes the need for fair partitioning, which aims at regrouping schools to minimize disparities in fund distribution. Subsequently, addressing inequalities in fund distribution will improve students’ academic performance.

Education Inequalities Influence Education Access

Inequality in education significantly impacts education access and quality, especially for marginalized students from impoverished backgrounds. Education inequalities include differences in socioeconomic status, funding disparities, and institutional barriers, collectively impacting students’ learning and academic achievement (Lapum et al., 2022). Low-income families require more finance to access quality education. Similarly, schools in low-income areas require more funding to acquire essential resources to promote effective learning. Yet, students living in high-income families have better educational opportunities and access to necessary resources, which promote academic and professional excellence. Financial and income inequalities greatly threaten educational quality since they deprive students of equitable distribution of resources and opportunities for better education (American University, 2020).

Schools in low-income regions are subject to underqualified teaching staff and a lack of basic learning tools, such as textbooks and effective learning technology, which worsen the quality of education for the vulnerable population. In this regard, the education sector should promote diversity and inclusion, which promotes an equitable education system to curb education inequality (GGI Insights, 2023). According to Ainscow (2020), promoting equity and inclusion in education helps to address disparities in education. Countries still believe that inclusion in education relates to children with disabilities. However, inclusion and diversity are key principles for all learners, which promote better educational performance. Additionally, inclusion and diversity help to address discrimination and unfairness in the education system, steering students’ academic achievement.

Conclusion

Educational equity issues directly affect students’ academic performance. Financial inequity is one of the most significant issues that lead to inequality in education. Financial inequities in education are attributed to disparities in school funding or a student’s socioeconomic background. Inequitable distribution of funds to learning institutions leads to unequal opportunities to access quality education and availability of effective resources, such as relevant technology and textbooks, that make learning more effective and productive for all students. Students in low-income regions are the most vulnerable and affected by financial inequities, which impedes their ability to acquire academic and professional skills to promote a sustainable and successful future life standard (Barnett, 2020). Schools in low-income environments are also subject to financial inequities due to property tax criteria for funding education institutions in these regions. The learning institutions receive inadequate finances, which hampers their ability to source necessary teaching and learning resources that support a conducive learning environment to achieve credible academic outcomes. Therefore, the research proposal on financial equity issues is a major concern in the education sector, as it focuses on promoting an equitable and inclusive learning environment for all students regardless of the learning demands and eradicating gaps in educational achievements contributed to the availability and accessibility of quality education. Addressing financial equity issues will help promote a supportive and friendly learning environment for students to achieve excellence.

References

Ainscow, M. (2020). Promoting inclusion and equity in education: lessons from international experiences. Nordic Journal of Studies in Educational Policy, 6(1), 7-16.

American University. (2020, September 10). Inequality in public school funding: Key issues & solutions for closing the gap. American University.

American University. (2023). School funding issues: How decreasing budgets are impacting student learning and achievement. American University.

APA. (2017). Education and socioeconomic status. American Psychological Association. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/pi/ses/resources/publications/education

Baker, B. D. (2021). Educational inequality and school finance: Why money matters for America’s students. Harvard Education Press.

Barnett, R. (2020). Leading with meaning: Why diversity, equity, and inclusion matters in U.S. higher education. Perspectives in Education, 38(2), 20-35.

Bradley, K. (2022). The Socioeconomic Achievement Gap in the U.S. Public Schools. Ballard Brief, 2022(3), 10.

Broer, M., Bai, Y., Fonseca, F., Broer, M., Bai, Y., & Fonseca, F. (2019). A review of the literature on socioeconomic status and educational achievement. Socioeconomic inequality and educational outcomes: Evidence from twenty years of TIMSS, 7-17.

GGI Insights. (2023, March 14). Access to education: The Impact of inequality on education. Gray Group International.

Lapum, J., Bailey, A., St-Amant, O., Garmaise-Yee, J., Hughes, M., & Mistry, S. (2022). Equity, diversity, and inclusion in open educational resources: An interpretive description of students’ perspectives. Nurse Education Today, 116, 105459.

Mota, N., Mohammadi, N., Dey, P., Gummadi, K. P., & Chakraborty, A. (2021, April). Fair partitioning of public resources: Redrawing district boundary to minimize spatial inequality in school funding. In Proceedings of the Web Conference 2021 (pp. 646-657).

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2019). Monitoring educational equity. National Academies Press.

Rodríguez-Hernández, C. F., Cascallar, E., & Kyndt, E. (2020). Socioeconomic status and academic performance in higher education: A systematic review. Educational Research Review, 29, 100305.

Sohn, H., Park, H., & Jung, H. (2023). The Effect of Extra School Funding on Students’ Academic Achievements under a Centralized School Financing System. Education Finance and Policy, 18(1), 1-24.

Thinking Maps. (2023). Equity in education: What it is and why it matters. Thinking Maps.

Whatley, M., & Raby, R. L. (2020). Understanding inclusion and equity in community college education abroad. Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, 32(1), 80-103.

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Compose a review of the literature based on your revised research concept. Be certain to follow the guidelines provided in the Learning Module videos on the structure of a literature review. At a minimum, your review of the literature should contain the following components:

Sub-heading: Literature Review

Introduction to the Literature Review: This is where you restate your main research question and indicate the sub-topics (themes) that you have identified in the literature.

Body of the Literature Review: The body of your review of literature should have at least three sub-topics and/or themes related to the main research question(s). The body of the literature review should reflect the guidelines shared in the instruction videos and in the literature review template.

Conclusion (and Gaps in the Literature): Explain how your proposed research fits into the larger body of literature.

References: This list should include at least 15-20 references related to the specific topic that you selected to research.

Please use the Literature review template attached; also, build off the previous assignments done, as well. Please develop the main research questions.