Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Payne's Framework of Poverty

Shawn Gilroy

Of all of the theories on learning and current educational practices, few have provided a clearer picture of the effects of poverty on education than Dr. Ruby Payne. Dr. Payne’s Framework of Poverty is a very clear and moving survey of the effects that poverty has on everyday people and their children. In the framework, Payne defines poverty as “the extent to which an individual goes without resources”, and those resources need not be financial only.

Backed by a wealth of research concerning poverty and its effects, as well as some very moving case studies, Payne’s theory researched the differing views and values inherent in impoverished culture. These differences include differences in the way individuals communicate, what they value and how they view the world around them. For example, what matters to those in poverty varies from what those in the middle class or wealth desire. People in poverty are most involved with their relationships with people. This differs from the middle class, which aim to collect things, and the wealthy, which collect rare and one-of-a-kind objects. In terms of money management, those in poverty are most concerned with using or spending money while they have it. The middle class seeks to manage and conserve their funds while the wealthy invest their money in the future. Lastly, in terms of the scope of one’s world, those in poverty are largely concern with local, community issues. Those in the middle class are concerned with the nation and those in wealth are concerned with international issues.

Payne’s research gives those in education a better view of the sociological factors involved with children growing up in poverty. Perhaps the most interesting is the use of register, or the nature of a person’s communication. Those in poverty make use of casual register, similar to a street language. Formal register is the language between students, coworkers and generally used when speaking to authority. Generally, casual register is what school employees teach and test in. Students in poverty may not have any access to formal register other than school and may never learn the “hidden rules” about where and when casual and formal register are to be used. Equally important, the manner in which students are tested is almost exclusively written in formal register. Similarly, wide-scale and standardized assessments are based on the values, and language, common in the middle class.

Aside from the discrepancies between those in poverty and those who aren’t, the framework points to several factors that have the potential to improve the education of students in poverty. With the wealth of research indicating the achievement gap between those in poverty and those not, the framework gives a guide to developing programs catered to the social needs of the student. Perhaps the most interesting application is the development of relationships between school employees and the student. The research from Payne’s work has found that the most important possessions for those in poverty is relationships, and by developing strong relationships with students and families, we can most effectively deliver education to students in poverty. Additionally, by effectively and directly teaching the “hidden rules” of communication, students are better able to navigate the various social situations and appropriately respond with the correct register.

Overall, I feel that Payne’s research and framework provide a good guide for delivering education to students in poverty. By separating from the notion that the achievement gap is caused by racial factors, and focusing on the broad sociological factors that influence everyone in poverty, educators are given ways to shrink the gap without relying on race-specific programs. To put this framework in terms of curriculum, I believe that programming the “hidden rules” of communication and planning strategies to develop relationships with children in poverty would be an effective way to help shrink the achievement gap by fostering strong relationships with families in poverty. If our curriculum is designed to better meet the needs and desires of students in poverty, we are much more likely to shrink the achievement gap without relying on racial differences as the cause for disparity in achievement.

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