A national injustice

In America, education is supposed to be the great equalizer and the primary vehicle for upward mobility. But, the reality today is that all too often, where children are born determines their educational prospects.

Across the country, the 14 million children living in poverty have academic and, therefore, life prospects that are dramatically different than those of their peers in wealthier communities.

Only one in 10 students from low-income communities graduates from college.

This gap starts early:

• Children living in low-income communities are already two to three grades behind their higher-income peers by the time they reach fourth grade.

And widens as students progress to high school:

• About 50 percent of students in low-income communities will not graduate from high school by the time they're 18 years old.
• Those who do graduate perform, on average, at the level of eighth graders in higher-income communities.

Beyond the moral and human implications of the achievement gap, the reality that American students achieve at such low levels weakens our democracy and results in massive economic costs for our nation.

• In the United States, the achievement gap between low-income students and their higher-income peers costs the country approximately $500 billion each year.  
• The United States currently ranks near the bottom of industrialized nations in international benchmarks —  particularly in math and science. This international achievement gap costs the country between $1 and $2 trillion dollars each year.

These achievement gaps create the economic equivalent of a permanent national recession.

Hear more about this injustice and how we are solving it.

Why the injustice exists

We know the achievement gap is not a reflection of the potential of children growing up in low income communities. Instead, we believe that it is the result of three interrelated factors:

• Children growing up in poverty face more challenges than students growing up in wealthier communities.
• The schools these children attend lack the capacity to meet their extra needs.
• Education policies and practices often fail to reflect the sense of urgency and the deep sense of belief that all kids can achieve at high levels when given the opportunities they deserve.

Despite this stark reality, we know that educational inequity is a solvable problem. We see evidence at all levels —in classrooms, schools, districts, and states—that students from low-income communities can and do achieve at high levels when they are given the opportunities they deserve.

Learn more about our mission and approach

Learn more about the impact of our corps members and alumni