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Community Needs Assessment:

Bridging the Gap in Education and Student Needs in Richmond County, NC

By Deion Green

February 15, 2019

University of N. Carolina at Pembroke

Social Work Practice II

Dr. Josphine Chaumba

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ABSTRACT

Richmond County North Carolina is considered to be a poverty town. With the impact of

poverty at an all time high concern in education, the question becomes how do we addressing the

underlining issues related to poverty that affect education and furthermore make a difference in

the lives of students to better their education. Through this community needs assessment we will

look at the history of the area, the population, the community, then further venture into the

effects of poverty on the county and the education while discussing how to bridge the gaps

created poverty using existing resources and ideas beyond those.

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Community Needs Assessment:

Bridging the Gap in Education and Student Needs in Richmond County, NC

About the Area

According to the North Carolina History Project, what is now Richmond County in North

Carolina was originally occupied by Indians. It was later settled sparsely by European settlers

while it was still part of a single county consisting of what is now Scotland, Anson, and

Richmond counties in October 1779 due to the citizens not wanting to always cross the river to

go to the county seat in what is now known as Anson County. It did not really grow until after

farmers from Virginia and Maryland came to the area to build farms. Then in the late 1800s

industries started to take form within the area with a focus on agriculture and manufacturing but

now most of the factories are gone due to shutting down leading to an increase in poverty in the

area. Also, in the late 1800s Hamlet (a town in the county) became a hub for railroad

transportation which helped growth in the industries and businesses in the county and helped

with growth through transportation. “The Rock” NASCAR racetrack also helped this community

boom in the late twentieth century as a historical landmark and cultural attraction[ CITATION

Ric19 \l 1033 ].

About the Population

According to the US Census Bureau the population of Richmond County is

approximately 45,447 people with a 48.8% male to 51.2% female ratio (2017). With a school age

population of 23.3%, and that 19.8% of the people are not high school graduates within the

county[ CITATION Edu19 \l 1033 ]. With 24.8% of the county considered to be in poverty [CITATION

ACS19 \l 1033 ] and 50.6% of the congressional district considered to be on SNAP and other
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welfare programs [ CITATION Pro \l 1033 ], the majority of the students fall into what is called a

Title I school[ CITATION Wel19 \l 1033 ].

About the Community

Culturally there are a vast choice of religious organizations to choose from within

Richmond County [ CITATION Ric191 \l 1033 ], one community theater that uses the remnants of an

old movie theater given to the city [ CITATION His19 \l 1033 ], an old opera house sits empty where

once was a great cultural center but according to the website for the town of Hamlet there is a

group working to restore it to its glory [ CITATION Sma19 \l 1033 ], and The Cole Auditorium has

helped bring cultural events to the county since 1999[ CITATION Col19 \l 1033 ]. There are many

volunteer service organizations and positions within the county[ CITATION Vol19 \l 1033 ], and

many non-profit organizations that provide assistance, jobs, skills, and other forms of help to

citizens within the county[ CITATION Non19 \l 1033 ]. There are government agencies that operate

programs such as WIC, SNAP, and Medicaid/Medicare, as well as Work-First programs within

the county[ CITATION Div19 \l 1033 \m Dep19]. There is a homeless shelter called Place of Grace

that just opened up in an old school within the past year that is provided as a ministry focus

support for the homeless or impoverished who are in need. They started as a tent-city, then

worked out of donated houses and buildings until they built a men’s shelter, and then this past

year purchased the empty school and using grants and funds raised to bring it up to code and

make it into a useable location for a shelter[ CITATION McL15 \l 1033 \m McI].

Poverty in the County

Many times, poverty is at no fault of their own, with changes in economic times many

people find themselves down on their luck due to death of spouse or adult they lived with that

provided the majority of household income, or due to divorce/separation. Many others find
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themselves distraught due to loss of job and find it hard to find work. According to the US

Census Bureau (2017) the poverty level in this county is 24.8% with the average family with

children under age 16 with both parents working is over 70%. The amount of families in the

county that have children between the ages of 6-17 the poverty level is 36% and those with

children under age 5 in the household is 42.9%. When looking at just those households that have

married parents in the county with children between the ages of 6-17 the poverty level is 18.3%

and those with children under age 5 in the household is 28.7%. When looking at those

households with only a female head of household and no father present that have children

between the ages of 6-17 the poverty level is 55.1% and those with children under age 5 in the

household is 56.7%[ CITATION ACS19 \l 1033 ]. Thus, children of all family levels in the county

aging from birth through age 17 fall into the poverty level in this county. This is an alarming

number and the question is to what affect does the poverty level effect the education of students.

How Poverty affects Education

Students who live in poverty are generally hindered in terms of performance and

academically, with lower test scores and lower educational attainment that persists through to

adulthood[ CITATION Hai15 \l 1033 ]. If this were true then nobody in poverty would ever be

successful in school, and according to research done by Claro et al. that shows a growth mindset

can reliably predict achievement across students (2016) and that lesser income increases the

harmful effects of a static mindset. With this research in mind the question becomes how do we

overcome poverty in education to make students more successful. The focus needs to be on

changing the mindset of students and their parents that they can become more successful.

According to Lacour and Tissington there are other factors that also mitigate poverty such as that

welfare children are more twice as likely to fail and have discipline problems due to living in an
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environment that lacks intellectual stimulation, emotional support, literacy and physical safety

(2011). In speaking with an Exceptional Children’s teacher at Ashley Chapel Educational Center,

Mr. Leviner speaks of how poverty isn’t just in one generation but tends to go back through

several generations (2019), thus emphasizes the points made prior by Lacour that lack of

supports within the home that foster education tend to lend to less educational focus by the

students[ CITATION Lac11 \l 1033 ]. In conversing with Mrs. Barbee, a social worker with

Richmond County Department of Social Services, she reiterates that in going into the homes of

low-income and even high-income there is a difference in the focus of parents on the lives of the

children (2019). For the most part, many of the homes that social workers visit in poverty areas

barely meet the requirements acceptable, with multiple kids sharing bedrooms and sometimes

beds even to the point of some kids sleeping on floors and couches[ CITATION Bar19 \l 1033 ].

Another factor that seems to matter more is the educational level of the mother, as it

affects student achievement due to the effect the mother has on teaching the child how to talk,

play, interact, and read while the child is young[ CITATION Lac11 \l 1033 ]. In speaking with Mr.

Mabe at Ashley Chapel Educational Center in Richmond County “mother’s attitudes towards

education can be influential in making a student change”[ CITATION Mab19 \l 1033 ]. Barbee

commented on this saying that most of the situations she deals with are from mothers who have

different men in and out of the home frequently and do not even have a high school education

having dropped out due to pregnancy (2019). Mrs. Tillman, social worker with Richmond

County Schools, brought up the point that there are 150 homeless students within the county that

require attention and guidance, either being removed from homes due to their actions or actions

of a parent or not having family to live with and being placed into foster care(2019), which was a

very alarming statistic for the size of the county.

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Another factor affecting student performance in schools is the values and beliefs of the

family and community as some do not see the value in formal education[ CITATION Lac11 \l 1033 ].

Mr. Mabe further states that in my experience most mothers with a good background in

education push education’s worth on their kids, but those that don’t seem to teach their children

that they are entitled to an education and don’t enforce learning (2019). When asked about the

values system of parents and what they are instilling in students, all those interviewed were very

adamant that in dealing with cases that came across their desk it was saddening to see how many

of those families and students were factors within our court system either for drugs, weapons,

theft, or even sometimes violent crimes (Barbee, 2019; Leviner, 2019; Mabe, 2019; Tillman,

2019).

The problem with this is that it contributes to a lifetime of reduced occupational

attainment[ CITATION Hai15 \l 1033 ]. As Mr. Mabe points out, the poverty is spread out in

different areas of the county, but the children tend to follow the trends of their parents for the

most part (2019). Mr. Leviner states that many low income students within the school system

have to worry about babysitting siblings or family members overnight rather than sleeping, many

of them struggle with focusing while at school, and even more so many must work as soon as

possible to help support their family (2019).

Bridging the Poverty Gap

The key to bridging the poverty achievement gap tends to be in not relying solely on

standardized testing but rather giving students a variety ways to demonstrate how they

understand the lessons that provide differentiation but also provide different levels of knowledge

[ CITATION Lac11 \l 1033 ]. By working with the students in this way hopefully teachers can work

on changing student mindsets of their ability as doing well in school could positively change
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students into a growth mindset through positive self-perceptions [ CITATION Cla16 \l 1033 ]. Mrs.

Tillman seems to find in her talks with students that come from poverty that while they want

more for themselves than what their parents have, they don’t feel that education is providing

them those tools or they understand enough about how Biology is even necessary in not working

in fast food or a factory their whole life (2019). Mr. Leviner said with the initiatives that have

come down from the state and through the county he feels teachers are making more a difference

now in closing gaps in achievement levels, “especially at our school where students can get more

1:1 focus from teachers, at least for those that want it” (2019).

Another key to bridging the achievement gap is to have a school environment that

coordinates cross-curricular activities that provide interrelationship between skills and

curriculum[ CITATION Lac11 \l 1033 ]. Mr. Mabe feels that him and his staff are working hard to

provide an environment that is safe and inviting of learning while also teaching students that they

can overcome poverty through a better education and going beyond the education levels of their

parents (2019). Mr. Leviner feels that the focus of central office on effective teaching styles and

the professional developments done by teachers are helping to make sure that students are

bridging these gaps, but he says the way teachers are implementing 1:1 technology in the

classroom it would be nice if the county could get together and make sure that every family had

wireless access at home so that students could really have access to a quality education inside

and outside of the classroom (2019).

Lastly, an effective way to bridge the achievement gap is to get parents involved in the

school process as well as providing opportunities for parents to learn how to assist students in

becoming academically successful and even in some ways helping parents put more value on

their education[ CITATION Lac11 \l 1033 ]. Mr. Mabe feels that one way he can do this at his school
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is inviting parents to events hosted at the school called “Brag Nights” where they get local

sponsors to help with door prizes and dinner at no cost to parents while letting the teachers talk

to parents about the positives they see in their students (2019). Mrs. Barbee seems to think that

there should be more collaboration between what the county offers to parents and the schools,

sort of forming a partnership that helps parents and students overcome their obstacles and

become more successful (2019).

In conclusion, there is not just one way to overcome the obstacles within the county that

have mitigated the poverty levels within the county but many ways to make positive efforts that

affect that change and warrant students overcoming poverty in order to have a better education.

The counties and state policies on education are focusing on changes in the classroom and within

schools, while social workers are working within homes with parents and students. The goal

would be a comprehensive unit, in which case I am reminded of the movie “Lean on Me” where

parents, teachers, school officials, county officials, and even some social workers come together

to work with students and parents alike to help them all achieve more and reinforce positive

mindsets while taking drugs and violence out of the school setting[ CITATION Avi89 \l 1033 ].

Existing Resources

One of the ways that the federal government tries to help the local schools is through

Title I funds to provide services either schoolwide, to those who are failing or at most risk of

failing to meet the State academic standards [ CITATION Pub1 \l 1033 ]. When schools enroll at

least 40 percent of students from poor families then they may use Title I funds for schoolwide

programs that serve all children in the school [ CITATION Pub1 \l 1033 ]. With this in mind schools

like Highland View Elementary in Virginia, high schools in Chatsworth and Murray County in

Georgia and Boone County Schools in Kentucky have doctrinated success with seeing
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improvement in scores from use of FastForword, a reading improvement program paid for with

Title I funds[ CITATION Sci \l 1033 ]. Currently in our county Title I funding is being used in

similar ways for similar programs in math and reading from elementary through middle, and

even some at the high school level. Researchers funded by National Institute of Child Health and

Human Development have shown that kindergarten evaluations can correctly envisage more than

90 percent of stressed 3rd grade readers, so the inquiry is what are we doing to advance their

skills in those 3 years to overcome their struggles[ CITATION Mil15 \l 1033 ]? So what does Miller

suggest using? Technology programs that allow students to read aloud and get corrections from a

third party unbiased listener and get one-on-one guidance rather than just having them read more

daily and get other learning taken away[ CITATION Mil15 \l 1033 ].

In the county, there are organizations such as Richmond County Literacy Council

[ CITATION Ric \l 1033 ] which provides free one-on-one tutoring or small group instruction in

Reading for all ages. Sandhills Regional Library System has a Kids Zone that focuses on literacy

and learning with many links to sites that are educational as well as online reading tools and

local activities to help encourage literacy in kids and parents[ CITATION San \l 1033 ]. The

Richmond County Partnership for Children has a learning library that they allow parents to check

out learning materials to work with the children in their home and provide other resources for

helping children through finding assistance and tutoring [ CITATION Leg19 \l 1033 ]. In this county

there is a lack of resources for improving math skills and tutoring services within the county for

students struggling in math, science, or other subjects as Sylvanand other programs are only

available online.

Gaps
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As stated previously, much of the problem is that many parents and even grandparents

quit school early either due to having to work to help their families or early pregnancy[ CITATION

His19 \l 1033 ]. With this in mind, their mindset and focus for their children is not on improving

their education but getting them through school so they can work and earn their part or get out of

their home [ CITATION Bar19 \l 1033 ]. With this in mind, it seems that in order to bridge the gap of

education from poverty, the focus needs to be on how to help the whole family rather than just

the child thus remembering a scene from Lean on Me[ CITATION Avi89 \l 1033 ] in which the

teachers worked in the evenings with parents and students.

Another gap is that while there are avenues for help with reading there is an absolute lack

in help for anything else. In recognizing the gaps, the most far-reaching is that schools need to

find a way to alleviate the effects of living in poverty and stop putting all blame on ineffective

teachers, low expectations, low standards, and dysfunctional parents[ CITATION Str13 \l 1033 ].

According to Tillman (2019), even in a county that went to uniforms to help make the playing

field even on attire at school, there is a ton of assistance given out yearly to help students be in

uniform and still some parents who don’t enforce the rules of uniforms (usually she states these

are not those from poverty, as they try hard to either make ends meet or get assistance and follow

the rules for their children).

Sufficient Resources

Honestly, I don’t feel there is enough being done in our community and many areas

where the community can come together and improve to help these students. I think there needs

to be more positive activities within the school that help parents as well as students, Ferguson

(2017) suggests speakers brought in to talk about child development, family nutrition, how to

constructively help your students with their homework. Ferguson (2017) also suggests providing
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volunteer opportunities at the school for parents to be a part of or even just showcases of student

work. Another way Ferguson (2017) suggests is that parents should be approached is in a manner

to ask them for their ideas and to help with special interest and projects within the school.

I want to look into starting a non-profit tutoring program in our county that works not just

with reading but with all subjects, providing not just tutoring but 1:1 teacher and student working

together to help the student learn, complete objectives, and become successful at little to no cost

for students of low-income families and at a reasonable rate for others. I have found some

different resources I want to use to make this come to fruition, such as following steps on how to

develop a tutoring program [ CITATION Kor \l 1033 ] to talking with local agencies about

collaborations such as Richmond County Literacy Council [ CITATION Ric \l 1033 ] and Richmond

County Partnership for Children[ CITATION Leg19 \l 1033 ] and possibly even United Way. While I

don’t see this happening in the next week, I plan to work to make this happen by the beginning

of the summer or at the latest next school year. I want to use teachers as the tutors to help

provide more income to them but also to use them to grow bonds with the students outside the

classroom. I want to be able to provide the students with opportunities that their parents can’t

such as field trips, summer activities, and even family activities and community service.
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