Population Study Part 2

Population Study Part 2
Ruby Payne Research and its implications for our population

Study of our school population and community through steering committees, local and district comprehensive team meetings and in-service activities, school and technology action plan writing, and last, but certainly a driving force, test data (especially NECAP data) has shown us that much of our population live in poverty. For the past several years our school has struggled to make AYP, primarily in the subcategory Free and Reduced Hot Lunch. Just below 50% of our students fall into this category, with many others not far behind.

Through on-going intense work with U.V.M.’s VT. Reads Bridging Project (Kathleen Harrington and Sue Biggam have been assigned to our school to help us address our population and target the students not meeting the standards set by the NECAP) we have been able to finally meet AYP. Assessment data from instruments chosen locally has shown us the areas our instructional methods have not met the needs of students, especially the struggling and disenfranchised.

In trying to really understand the students we need to also understand the environment they come from. Our whole faculty is currently reading A Framework for Understanding Poverty by Ruby K. Pane, Ph. D. Ruby Payne is regarded as a leading U.S. expert on the Mindsets of Poverty, Middle Class, and Wealth. The cover states this book is “A Must-Read for Educators, Employers, Policymakers, and Service Providers.” I have to say this is an easy but worthwhile read. As educators of children we are in the most important service industry of all. We must put the needs of those we serve at the forefront of all we do, whether it is in a classroom, a library, or a technology lab.

Ruby Payne uses an additive model (aha! Process, Inc. http://www.ahaprocess.com/ ) that focuses on “solutions, shared responsibilities, new insights, and interdependence.” This model recognizes that all people are problem solvers, irregardless of their economic status. After a brief introduction Payne’s book lists twelve key points to remember about poverty, along with statistical data, definitions, and resources. What makes this book an easy read is that the research is presented as a series of scenarios, with discussions about each following. What this information shows is that we need to consider the resources of the students and adults we are working with “before dispensing advice or seeking solutions to the situation.” P.25. In both classroom and library settings good “interview techniques” are essential.

Research shows that for many caught in generational poverty school is an unsatisfactory place. So the quest becomes how to make school a positive and valuable resource. For those in generational poverty entertainment is key. Both children and adults are survival oriented, and tend to live in the moment. Entertainment, background noise, movement, and use of humor are the norm. Ruby Payne’s research indicates that students bringing middle-class culture with them is decreasing, and students who bring poverty culture with them are increasing in numbers. She also exhorts that education is the key to getting out. Poverty is rarely a lack of intelligence or ability, but rather a lack of resources and support systems.

In chapter six Payne lists seven general categories of support systems. I find number three, Information and Know-How to be not only critical to success, but what is really at the heart of what of being in the information/education profession means if we are following Best Practice. Obviously if the services we are providing aren’t addressing their need we have the responsibility to rethink instruction and instructional arrangements. Because poverty is about relationships as well as entertainment we need to find ways to reach out and draw people in by relating to them in ways that are familiar and meaningful to them. As educators we must think outside the box. With today’s research and technology the options are overwhelming. My next few blogs will address creative ways libraries and classrooms are making learning interactive and fun. Edli 276 has certainly been an excellent resource for becoming acquainted to newer, exciting ways to teach to all students.

Payne, Ruby K.
A Framework for Understanding Poverty. Fourth revised
Edition.
Ruby K. Payne 1996. 199 pp.
Bibliography pp. 187-193
ISBN 1-292229-48-8

1. Education 2. Sociology 3. Title