ASCD Addresses Poverty & Education

Addressing Poverty as a Sector, as a School, and as a Classroom

Join ASCD on May 6 as they stream the third Whole Child Symposium live from the Newseum in Washington, D.C. Ask questions during the event using #WCS15 on Twitter. Socioeconomic status has been touted as one of the greatest determinants of academic achievement and success. A 2014 report(PDF) conducted by the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) indicated that poverty, if unaddressed, can explain up to 46 percent of the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) scores in OECD member countries. The symposium will focus on the issue of poverty as it relates to school reform and education improvement efforts. The topic is particularly timely for two reasons: For the first time in recent history, the majority of public school children in the United States come from low socioeconomic households, according to the Southern Education Foundation. We have just passed 50th anniversary of the U.S. War on Poverty, which was launched by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964. Watch the Live Stream The live stream will be available here on Wednesday, May 6, from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. eastern time.