Poverty vs Accountability

      In the U.S., 45.3 million people lived at or below the poverty line in 2013.” In the school I serve, 100 percent of our students are eligible for free or reduced lunch. Many students come to school hungry and often come to class without socks, coats, or shoes that fit. Studies show that families in poverty are effected greatly in the school system, and it has a direct correlation with how they perform in class most of the time. While it is always important to encourage our students to work hard to reach their full potential to climb out of poverty, one must always take into consideration the more urgent matters our students may be dealing with that standards and testing may take a back seat to. Their grades and performance are also greatly affected due to the little time parents are able to work and support their children. While knowing these statistics, why aren’t they taken into consideration when the state rates schools in high poverty districts for accreditation/CCRPI on high stakes testing performance?