Educators in Lansdowne and Woodlawn high schools in southwest Baltimore County are working to close the achievement gaps on the SAT between their students and those of other nearby high schools in the county.
Students in those high schools, where more than half are students of color and a majority receive free and reduced lunch, scored below the state and county average SAT scores.
A school’s demographics can have a big impact on the education a student receives—even more than one’s family background—partly because school resources can vary, even in the same school district, Gail Sunderman, director of the Maryland Equity Project, said in a November 15 article in the Baltimore Sun.
“It’s not always just the amount of money,” Sunderman said. “It’s access to better teachers, teachers who may stay longer, who have more experience. It’s access to your peers.”
The schools are taking steps such as talking to students and parents about how taking the SAT fits into their post-secondary plans and placing a focus on literacy, math, problem-solving and other skills in the classroom.
Housed at the College of Education, the Maryland Equity Project conducts independent, non-partisan research and policy analysis on education and related social and economic challenges that impact education in Maryland.
