So towards the end of class last night, we were discussing how investments in higher education can reduce inequality. I was reading this article last night after class and had a different idea. Maybe reducing inequality will create higher college graduation rates and increase the skilled labor force.
This article shows the correlation between wealth/income and SAT scores. Wealth is often associated with high education. Parents with higher education want the same for their children.
Do you think that parental income for the most part shows destiny of their children? Or do you think that there is still room for upward social mobility from the middle-class upwards?
http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2014/10/07/sat-scores-and-income-inequality-how-wealthier-kids-rank-higher/?KEYWORDS=income+inequality
Although I believe that there is still room for upward social mobility for individuals, I think that the ability to do so is diminishing as it is becoming more difficult to accomplish. For children with parents making high incomes, they are able to afford various study aids and higher education. On the other hand, children from low-income households may not be able to afford study aids or higher education. Also, these children may have to take up numerous jobs to assist their families financially. As a result, these children don’t have the time to study or even continue with school because money is so heavily needed. In these conditions, it’s no wonder that many low-income children don’t fare well compared to high-income children in SAT scores. Ultimately, with higher education being a factor that contributes to upward social mobility, I find it difficult not to think that parental income for the most part foreshadows their children’s income. Nonetheless, it’s possible; it’s just becoming all the more difficult.
ReplyDeleteOn a side note, interesting how math appears as the topic that has the highest correlation between wealth and scores compared to reading and writing.
ReplyDeleteThere is an obvious relationship between parents with education and children with education: "Parents who are themselves college educated tend to make more money, and since today’s high school seniors were born in the mid-1990s, many of the wealthiest and best-educated parents themselves came of age when the tests were of crucial importance. When the SAT is crucial to college, college is crucial to income, and income is crucial to SAT scores, a mutually reinforcing cycle develops."
No, even though parental income for the most part shows a positive destiny for their children, it is simply just a "leg up." The article states that there are several variations within each income category, and concludes that parental income is not destiny. I think there is still room for upward social mobility, however, it's interesting how test prep has a limited effect on scores; so what else could generate mobility?
I agree that income is a huge factor in predicting SAT scores for students. Further I think a major factor that has not been mentioned is the relationship between wage and leisure time for parents. As wage, and effectively income, increases parents can work fewer hours to maintain a lifestyle for their family. Thus parents who earn have a higher wage rate can afford to substitute for more leisure. In this leisure time parents can interact with their children and help to develop their cognitive function. They have more time to arrange activities for their children then do low income families who may be forced to hire the TV as a babysitter. Therefore through their ability to consume more leisure, parents are preparing their kids to succeed in life. This is not an explain all and the article does state that there was variability within each subset. However the wage-leisure relationship provides a better understanding of why low-income students may not fare as well on standardized tests outside of the idea of affording test prep.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what everyone has said so far. Parents with high income are able to afford better education options for their kids and spend more time with them than low income parents. Also, children from higher income families often are not forced to work to help support the family. Another important thing to note is the effects of poverty on child cognitive development. There is much evidence that suggests that children that grow up in chronic poverty do not experience the same cognitive development as children that don't grow up in poverty. Perhaps that is another reason that SAT scores and income are related.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone as well. I think another important thing to point out is many parents who have a higher income also understand the necessity of having a good education, so they instill that into their children. Education probably got the parents a good income, so children realize they too need a good education.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with everyone. As parents, no matter what their income is, they all want the best for the children and understand the importance of education. I know some parents working 3 jobs to provide the best opportunities for their kids but they could not because the cost of living is too high. Multigenerational poverty families would want their kids to have the best education opportunity but the social gap makes it harder for that wish come true.
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