THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS ON EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

Dr. Lawson taught children with Learning, Emotional and Intellectual Disabilities in an urban school system in New Jersey and previously taught Languages and Humanities in an Educational Priority Area in the U.K. Working in such educational environments substantiated for her the premise that given external factors, such as social characteristics over which the school has no control, can influence student achievement.If the results of high stakes tests can indeed curtail a student''s access to life chances this is a question of equity that must be addressed before asserting that every child has right of entry to a quality education. Concomitantly, this in turn casts doubt on the validity of education policies that support high stakes standardized tests as a measure of school accountability. Are standardized tests a valid appraisal of the student''s skill level and learning? Are high stakes standardized test results a valid gauge of teacher performance and the efficacy of the learning environment? Or do they convey more about the social context of education within U.S. schools than their stated purpose, which is to raise the level of education for all students?