Leadership Practices and Instructional Practices

A major cause of achievement gaps in students is poverty. Research ties multiple factors to

student success in school, and low income children are at a disadvantage in almost all of

them (Barton, 2004). There are multiple factors such as home and school life that contribute

to these issues, and all of these issues build up to create problems in the students.

Take vocabulary for example. Students from low-income families hear fewer words growing

up, which leads to brains that are not as cognitively advanced as students with higher

vocabularies. This leads to issues related to the three areas that drive social behavior in

school: a desire for reliable reliable relationships, a desire for social acceptance by peers, and

a desire for social status (Sprenger, 2018). The studies show that students from low-income

homes will suffer in all of those areas.

If the homes are lacking in resources or in drive to motivate or educate the children, it falls to

the education system to fill in the gaps. Teachers and leaders of schools must evaluate the

needs of the students and attempt to fill those needs. To address those needs: leaders must

focus on the two groups involved in the issues: the students and the parents.

Education leaders must first name the issues that are contributing to the problems in this

group. Some major issues these students face are lack of exposure (to books and culture),

language barriers, lack of stability, and lack or role models (Carter, 2018). These issues are

varied and deep rooted, but would possibly be best suited for servant leaders. This type of

leader is one who works for the betterment of others without interest in personal gain (Lynch,

2018). The person who decides to address this issue will need to create community ties in

hopes of getting the families to allow him or her to come into the homes and help those

families create a better environment for the children.

References

Carter, C. (2018). Why aren't low-income students succeeding in school? Retrieved

from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/carol-j-carter/why-arent-low-income-

stud_b_2909180.html

Lynch, M. (2006). 4 major types of educational leadership. Retrieved

from https://www.theedadvocate.org/4-major-types-of-educational-leadership/

Sprenger, M. (2018). What does the research say about vocabulary. Retrieved

fromhttp://www.ascd.org/publications/books/113040/chapters/What-Does-the-Research-Say-

About-Vocabulary%C2%A2.aspx