ASPIRE Members Focus on Equity

Emily Fenn, a Sophomore Elementary Education major and member of UD’s Teach for America student services organization, described differences in the schooling outcomes for students based on the schools that they attend.  She noted that SAT scores for students at Wilmington Charter average 1800, while students in other schools, particularly schools with high enrollments of low income students, in the state average 1400.  Teach for America members take on the challenge of improving schooling outcomes of students from low income communities.  In the 2009-10 school year, 450,000 U.S. students in all 50 states and the District of Columbia have teachers who are members of Teach for America.

Graduate student KathyVonDuyke encouraged ASPIRE members to study and observe schooling practices that build community to empower student learning.  She facilitated an activity that allowed the group to experience how Deficit Model approaches handicap student learning, by limiting interactions in the classroom that can support students in learning from each other.