Background Research

The achievement gap among low-income, minority students and their counterparts is no new concept to the field of education. While there have been efforts to reduce this problem, dropout rates are still high and academic achievement and graduation rates remain an issue for these students and the school system as a whole. The bottom line is that quality education is a human right for all, not just the privileged, and since government funding is being poured into affluent neighborhoods and deprived from inner-city, minority districts, the only other solution lies with the teachers. Teachers play the largest role in student engagement, which is linked to higher academic achievement. Studies have shown that increasing student engagement, especially among students who are most at-risk, can have significant positive impacts not only on their school performance, but also their overall social and cognitive well-being.