Highland View Elementary reduced failure rate in reading and math in Bristol City, VA (86% free/reduced lunch)
View case study 
Fourth Graders at Basic or above on LEAP ELA increased from 51% to 78% in St. Mary Parish (72% economically disadvantaged)
View educator brief
K-10 struggling readers achieve 1 year, 9 months gain in only 85 days in Starkville, MS (70% free/reduced lunch)
View case study
Students achieve gains on state tests and improve graduation rate in Murray County, GA (76% free/reduced lunch)
View case study
Louisiana school sees fourth grade pass rate improve by 33% at St. Charles Parish Public Schools (48% economically disadvantaged)
View educator brief
Moving from high risk to passing on Georgia high school tests in Chatsworth, Georgia (62% economically disadvantaged)
View educator brief
High school students improve ACT scores with Fast ForWord and Reading Assistant in Boone County Schools, KY (36% free/reduced lunch)
View case study
Recommended Reading & Poverty in the News
- Jumpstarting Learning for Children in Poverty by The Huffington Post
- Public education's biggest problem keeps getting worse by The Washington Post
- Technology Holds Promise for Students With Poor Vocabulary Skills by Education Week
- Using Brain Science to Design New Pathways out of Poverty by Crittenton Women's Union
- How Poverty Affects School Success by SmartBlog on Education
- Closing the achievement gap in a high-poverty school by SmartBlog on Education
- Teaching with Poverty in Mind by Eric Jensen
- Lisa Delpit on Pervasive Inequities Article by Education Week Teacher
- Closing the Gap (PDF) by Mary Sargent – Copyright 2017 National Association of Secondary School Principals. www.nassp.org. Reprinted with permission.
Webinars for Title I/Poverty
Effects of Poverty on School Success
Presenter: Martha S. Burns, Ph.D.
Length: 60 minutes
Several new studies have shown that students from families below the poverty line are at the greatest risk for academic failure. Research reveals that low family income has a bigger impact on academics than ethnicity or English language proficiency. Join Dr. Martha Burns as she reviews the newest research and provides research on how the Fast ForWord intervention has been found to have a significant impact on academic achievement in children of poverty.
Leading with the Brain in Mind: Focus on Cognitive Capacity
Presenter: Eric Jensen, Ph. D.
Length: 60 minutes
Discover the one cognitive tool, that when 
tested at age 5, has a greater impact on student achievement than even IQ. Your staff and your students can do much better. But you have to know where to invest your time and energy. Learn how to upgrade the human brain and you’ll start seeing some daily miracles. Stay for the whole session and you’ll get a list of the Top 10 all-time best cognitive capacity builders.
Breaking the Cycle of Underachievement
Presenter: Beth Connelly, M.S., CCC/SLP
Length: 45 minutes
Poverty, physical neglect, attachment disorders and lack of stimulation in the home environment can contribute to a lag in development and school readiness. Attend this seminar to learn how students can ready their brains for learning and break the cycle of underachievement that poverty often creates.
Poverty Blog Posts
5 Ways to Boost Parental Involvement at Low-Income Schools
Author: Leslie Ferguson, MA, MFA
First things first: leave stereotypes behind. Read on for tips to engage your students' parent more effectively.
Read Now
We Have a Poverty Crisis in Education
Author: Kristina Birdsong
Teachers are an easy scapegoat for the widening achievement gap in the US. In fact, teacher quality is not the greatest predictor of a child's later success; socioeconomic status is. How do we work together to find the optimal ways to educate the 51% of students now receiving free and reduced lunch?
Read Now
10 Facts About How Poverty Impacts Education
Author:
Is poverty US education's largest problem? For Poverty Awareness Month, we've compiled 10 surprising facts about how poverty affects academic success and what can be done to counteract its effects.
Path Out of Poverty? Education Plus Neuroscience
Author: Martha S. Burns, Ph.D.
Research has indicated children who are raised in poverty are at a possible disadvantage for academic success. How can this cycle be broken? Read more from Dr. Martha Burns on how poverty can affect cognitive functions and what solutions are available to help mitigate its long-term effects.
Author: Carrie Gajowski, MA
How can educators help at-risk students from poverty succeed in the classroom? Author and educator Eric Jensen dives deep into the topic of teaching with poverty in mind, and suggests methods you can implement to help students become deeply engaged learners.
Researched at Top Universities
- Fast ForWord is the only reading intervention that has been substantiated by research at Rutgers, Stanford, Harvard, MIT, Cornell, etc.
- Students can make up to 2 years’ gain in 3 months in reading and language skills
