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Juan Gonzalez

Professor Malcolm Campbell

UWRT 1104

09/25/2018

Topic Proposal: Poverty a never-ending cycle

Introduction/Overview

The purpose of my research will be to determine the effects that poverty has on a kid’s

education. There are many communities around the US that have a high rate in poverty. Poverty

is one of the many things that can affect the way students learn and the success that they will

have in school. These effects can start at a very early stage in their life and the effects can keep

getting worse if nothing is done in fixing the problem. There are many factors on how poverty

influences education. Kids that live in poverty already start at a disadvantage to their

counterparts.

Poverty has been a pressing issue in the US for a long time. According to the ASPE “,

poverty thresholds were originally developed in 1963-1964 by Mollie Orshansky.” These

thresholds determine the minimum level of income deemed adequate. When it comes to poverty

people do not really understand the effects it can have on people. People only see poverty in an

economical way. What people do not know is that poverty is a never-ending cycle that will not

change if nothing is done to fix it. One of the biggest things that we can do to change the cycle is

to focus on the education system in communities that have a high rate of poverty. According to

the census, the poverty rate in 2017 was 12.7 %. There were 39.7 million people that lived in

poverty around the US. Most of these people will not be able to get out of the cycle because they

lack the education needed to end the cycle.

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According to the census people with at least a bachelor’s degree had the lowest poverty

rates in 2017. This shows that having an education can help you get out of poverty. Yes,

everyone that wants to get an education can get one but, the levels of education that they are

getting are different. Based on the Charlotte Observer a school in Ballantyne area got an A+

rating compared to a school in the Eastway area which got an F rating. This shows that the

education that you get is based on the community that you live in.

Throughout my research process, I read a lot of articles online that talked about the

correlation in poverty and education. I also used some personal experience for my research.

Since my topic is big on numbers and statistics, I used many websites that gave me the data I

needed, for example, the census. I also got some information from Wikipedia that was very

useful and gave me links to many articles that I used. I also used the library’s database to find

articles that were more academic and factual.

When it comes to poverty there can be many different opinions. Some people think that

the people in poverty are just lazy. They also believe that people in the poverty threshold are

people that just do not care and they do nothing to fix the problem. These are also the people

that believe that there shouldn’t be anything done to help the people. On the other hand, there are

people that believe that poverty is an issue that needs to be fixed. These people do not believe

that the people in poverty are lazy. They think that there must be a reason and that there should

be things done to help the people in poverty and they shouldn’t just be left alone. Poverty is

something that is being talked about in political debates, newspapers and many news channels on

TV.

Initial Inquiry Question(s)

Can education be the key to ending poverty?

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What can be changed in schools that are in communities with high rates of poverty?

How does poverty affect a kid’s life?

What can be done to better educate the people in poverty?

How can we get more attention on poverty?

What are other ways for people to get out of poverty?

My Interest in this Topic

I chose this topic because it’s a topic that I know things about but still want to learn more

about. Poverty has been an issue that always caught my attention. I have always wanted to learn

more about this topic because I really did not hear much about it growing up and it is not really

talked about as much as it needs to be. I am also interested in this topic because throughout my

childhood I went to a school that was in a community with high poverty rates and I know what it

feels like and I know what it means to be in the poverty threshold. So, this topic is something

that I wanted to talk about so that people understand how pressing the issue is. Education is a big

part of this issue and I believe that education is one of the biggest factors in ending the cycle of

poverty. Throughout my research on this topic, I hope to learn new ways to better the education

people get in these communities. I would also like to learn ways on how people can get out of the

cycle.

Next Steps

I will be talking to teachers/counselors that have experienced both settings and get their

sides. I will also be researching test scores of different schools. I will also go to the library to

find books on the topic. Something else I plan on doing is researching the psychological effects

of poverty and see if there can be something that can be done. The best way to get my research is

by reading articles that are up to date because poverty rates change over time.
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