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planesflyfast t1_is9kxsy wrote

Reply to comment by kellymar in Accepted (2021) - A school in Louisiana is celebrated for putting traditionally underserved students into Ivy League colleges, but an investigation uncovers its charismatic founder's controversial methods (CC) [01:22:56] by thesecondfire

More likely not. People from that background are very often well educated and within their own social hierarchy well disciplined. I went to a pretty subpar public high school that always had one or two kids admitted to ivy league schools because they were presented as "Look what a shitty school this kid went to and see how smart they are despite of all that." It rarely went well. A few friends that recieved full ride scholarships to respectable universities both flunked out by the second semester. It's because the standards in high school were basically just show up and don't get in trouble.

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kellymar t1_isaris4 wrote

I have a friend who is a reading specialist in a wealthy NJ school district. Parents will routinely complain to her that there is a mistake. They are doctors/lawyers/scientists, etc., and their children can’t possibly be struggling. She has to explain that it’s not a reflection on them. Even wealthy kids sometimes struggle. It doesn’t mean that they are stupid and it’s not a reflection of their parenting. But you’re right, wealthy kids certainly have more educational advantages, including access to private tutors.

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PartyPorpoise t1_isax661 wrote

One interesting aspect of reading is that “background knowledge” plays a big part in reading comprehension. Kids from wealthy backgrounds tend to have more exposure to knowledge and information not just in school, but in their home life too.

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PartyPorpoise t1_isao46z wrote

Yeah, at a shitty high school, a reasonably intelligent kid can make good grades without a lot of effort. The numbers look good, but they didn’t learn a lot.

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