Inequality of Educational Opportunity, Persistence of

Teacher Quality

Teacher quality is one of the most obvious and well-documented examples of the persistence of inequality of educational opportunity. K–12 students who attend schools in low-income and urban communities are more likely to have teachers who are underqualified. Underqualified teachers [Page 1193]sometimes teach subjects in which they neither majored nor minored. Research has shown that teacher quality is the most important in-school factor affecting student achievement. Therefore, the quality of a child's teacher has a huge impact on the student's academic achievement. Having several underqualified or ineffective teachers consecutively can have a long-term negative impact on the quality of education a student receives.

Teacher Expectations and Grade Inflation

A further example of the persistence of inequality of educational opportunity is the prevalence of low teacher expectations for certain students. Researchers have found that many teachers have lower expectations for African American, Latino, and low-income students than for White and Asian American students. One consequence of low expectations is that certain students do not receive rigorous or college-preparatory instruction. Grade inflation—whereby teachers assign high grades for mediocre or substandard work—can also be problematic for low-income and marginalized students. It is a reason why many students who earn high grades may end up having to take remedial mathematics and English courses when they enter postsecondary institutions.

Advanced Placement Courses

Students who attend school in urban and low-income communities are less likely than students in middle- and upper-class communities to have access to AP courses. These courses provide college-bound students with a rigorous curriculum and extra credit options that give them advantages when applying for college. The lack of AP courses in low-income and urban communities places students who attend schools in these communities at a disadvantage when they apply for college.

Resources

The resources that are prevalent in schools in higher-income communities are lacking in many urban schools and schools in low-income communities. Students in low-income and urban schools are less likely to have the textbooks, science laboratories, materials, and enrichment opportunities that students in more affluent communities have. Classrooms are often overcrowded; bathrooms are unsanitary, many lack soap, toilet paper, and may even be locked during school hours. Attending an overcrowded and unsanitary school makes it difficult for students to concentrate on their schoolwork.

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