Studies show that the developmental differences between boys and girls affect learning. Testosterone has a significant impact on the development of the brain and "contributes to a very different trajectory for boys"
For an overview of these dramatic differences see this Prezi:
Generational Poverty affects Boys' Physical Development through:
Inadequate diet-- reduced protein, fruits & vegetables
Sexual illiteracy-- tools for dealing with issues are seldom provided
Unhealthy Living Conditions-- lack of medical and dental care, place for play, etc.
Lack of safety-- in 2009 15% adolescents in poverty believed they would die before age 30
WHAT CAN WE DO??
Resource Needs Assessment Recommended for K-12 each year for each student to include data regarding:
- Financial Resources- adequate to meet needs
- Language Resources- able to write and speak formally
- Emotional Resources- choose and control responses
- Mental Resources- cognitive and acquired skills needed
- Spiritual Resources- meaning for life/hope/optimism
- Physical Resources- physical health and mobility
- Support Systems- family, friends, backup resources
- Relationships and role models- frequent access to positive adults
- Knowledge of hidden rules - unspoken cues & habits of a group
This book, written by Ruby Payne and Paul Slocum, addresses the Achievement Gap of boys in poverty and their increasing drop out rate.
From the Introduction---
Interesting and disturbing facts surround dropouts:
Approx 75% of state inmates did not complete high school
A male high school graduate with a "D" average is 14 times more likely to be incarcerated than a graduate with an "A"
Dropouts cite a lack of connections to meaning or significant relationships
Over the course of a lifetime a high school grad earns $260,00 more than the dropout
Even the Army no longer accepts enlistees with GEDs alone
The attached photo shows all of the Red Flag behaviors that are indicators of students who are at risk for dropouts.
