In an article for The Conversation, David Blazar, Malen Professor for Urban Education Policy, examines how differences in resources and opportunities shape children's educational outcomes long before they enter kindergarten. Drawing on a recent study that tracked 77 types of investments in children's development and education, Blazar explains how public schools help narrow the resource gap between children from low- and high-income families. However, additional school spending often goes toward helping disadvantaged students catch up, while wealthier students continue to benefit from enrichment opportunities that help them get ahead. Blazar argues that equal school spending does not necessarily create equal opportunity and that closing achievement gaps requires investments in children both inside and outside the classroom.
Some studies show, for example, that low-income students and students of color are more likely than richer, white students to have newer, less experienced teachers. Our study documents the same pattern.
The differences are even starker outside of school.
In our data, wealthier families invest far more in music lessons, sports and other activities that can help kids get ahead.
Related research shows that by 2024, the richest 10% of families spent more than 13 times as much per child as the poorest quarter on childcare, education and extracurricular activities – up from about three times as much in the early 1980s.
