The document discusses poverty and its intersectionality with various factors that impact youth success and access to education. It presents research showing that poverty negatively influences academic achievement through various mechanisms like limiting access to resources and opportunities, perpetuating stereotypes, and impacting mental health and well-being. The document proposes a 3R narrative framework and a 3-pillar framework of opportunity to help educators address inequities, overcome deficit perspectives, and collectively support all students and community members.

1. Poverty, Intersectionality
& Youth Success:
Case Studies to Eradicate Systemic Barriers in Education
DCP (2021, draft)
A Summary – not to be cited

2. Jade
(pp.3-4)

3. Ch.1 –
A Time of Reckoning –
What the Literature
Says for Canada
(p.5)

4. Poverty,
Education &
Student
Achievement:
An International
Perspective
(p.6)

5. Poverty,
Education &
Student
Achievement:
An International
Perspective
(p.7)

6. Poverty, Education &
Student
Achievement: An
International
Perspective
(p.8)
• Main finding: Students are more likely to attend
post-secondary if parents did – highlights the
intergenerational impact of access to education
on student educational attainment
• An intermix of individual, family , school, societal
& country-level factors can contribute to the
scaffolding of gaps in academic performance and
educational mobility (OECD, 2018).
• This is especially concerning for marginalized
students

7. Overview of Child &
Family Poverty in
Canada
(pp.8-9)

8. Overview of
Child & Family
Poverty in
Canada
(p.9)

9. Overview of Child &
Family Poverty in
Canada
(p.10)

10. Overview of Child &
Family Poverty in
Canada
(p.11)

11. Child & Family
Poverty in
Ontario
(pp.11-12)

12. Poverty &
Schooling in
Canada: Deficit
Ideologies,
Stereotyping &
Stigmatization

13. Unconscious Biases in
Education:
Poverty-based
Stereotyping, Deficit
Thinking &
Intersectionality
(p.13)

14. Milner’s (2013)
Premise:
(p.13-14)

15. Disparities &
Achievement Gaps
(p. 14) Noguera, et
al, 2016, p.9).

16. Ciuffetelli Parker
(2017)
(p.15)

17. The Problematic
Reality
(p. 16)

18. Implications/Discussions
(p. 17)
• Particularly required are teachers’ beliefs,
values, and hopes for students from low-
income households that are grounded in an
ethic of care, compassion, and genuine
intent to listen to the lived realities & stories
of their students.

19. Chapter 2:
Poverty & its Effect on
Academic Success &
Access in Secondary &
Post-Secondary School
(pp.18-19)
• Disparities in students’ inequitable access to
curriculum work can be based on &
perpetuate family economics; that is, a
child’s socioeconomic status is a precursor
to the type of curriculum work they will
access according to their income and family
circumstances/dwellings.
• Anyon (1980) study both reveals & suggests
a problematic “hidden curriculum” (p.89) for
students of diverse SES: differing curricular,
pedagogical, evaluation & classroom
practices were offered for low-, middle-, &
high-income students.
• Prepared students for particular educational
& career trajectories aligned with their
current SES = lasting impact

20. Also revealed…
(pp.19-20)
• The degree to which low-income students were over-
represented in receiving spec-ed services & other
programming that offered few post-secondary options
• High-income students perceived as gifted; low-income
students perceived as developmentally disabled,
intellectually disabled, with behavioural issues or language
impairments
• Work-oriented programs were most notably made available
in the lowest income areas

21. Reoccurring Issue:
(pp.20-21)
• The intrinsic connection between:
1. systemic streaming that offers limited & fewer
academic opportunities for students; &
2. a child’s SES
• Streaming practices impact student engagement &
retention in education
• 25% of students dropped out of high school (HS) – there
were more than 3x the low-income students than high-
income students
• Given the racialized & gender wage gap, obtainment of
a post-secondary degree amid rising tuition rates is
especially challenging for students from low-income
earning families who are marginalized, face
employment discrimination, & “have been education is
the pathway to economic success,” (Campaign 2000,
2020a, p.29)
• Meritocracy-like – the onus of responsibility falls on
students from marginalized groups to surmount all
barriers, should they wish to continue their educational
career

22. Inequities in Funding,
Fees & Access to
Learning
Tool/Resources
(pp.21-22)
• Ontario has (approx.) 4000 publicly funded
elementary schools & just under 900 secondary
schools
• Average enrollment (People for Education, 2013):
• Elementary – 363
• Secondary – 840
• A healthy educational ecosystem has these
components:
• 1) People – teachers, admin, psychologists;
• 2) Resources – technology, library, sports &
prof. learning time
• Schools in high SES areas fundraise twice as
much as low SES schools; when fundraising for
charities, the gap between high- and low-income
areas is relatively small (People for Education,
2013).
• Not all of Ontario’s students are benefitting
equally (People for Education, 2013).

23. Problems with the
System
(pp.23-24)
• Stigma around being unable to pay
school fees – “There is no overall system
in place to ensure that fees don’t prevent
students from fully participating in school
life” (People for Education, 2013, p.3).
• In Canada, public school funding is
generally structured by student ratio
(DCP, 2017); but smaller, rural schools
have higher per-pupil costs, which
fundraising is often unable to match
accordingly, creating inequities in
experiences.
• Barriers to becoming engaged in their
school communities – especially the cost
of activities, a lack of clubs, difficulties
with before & after school programs and
bussing, and apathy on the part of some
students (People for Education, 2013,
p.36)

24. Poverty & its
Intersectionality with
Geography: Issues in
Rural Ontario Schools
(pp.24-26)
• Spatial inequalities – schools in nicer areas attract more
students; schools in deprived areas are afflicted with low
student enrollment (Yoon et al, 2017)
• School choice has the potential to either address or
worsen an array of inequities in educational
opportunities in Canada.
• Disparities in access to resources & supports: 58% of
northern Ontario elementary schools have no access to a
psychologist, compared to only 4% in the GTA (People for
Ed., 2019)
• Northern school – teaching staff rebutted deficit
ideas/perceptions of students, families & parents, and
created a trusting, strong sense of community
• Teachers in northern school boards didn’t have access to
contingency resources to cope with COVID-19, such as
wi-fi (charged $700); inaccessibility of affordable wi-fi
creates barriers for both teachers & students

25. Poverty & its
Intersectionality with
Technology & Digital
Inequities
(p.27)

26. Poverty & its
Intersectionality
with Technology
& Digital
Inequities
(p.28)

27. Poverty & its
Intersectionality with
Technology & Digital
Inequities
(p.29-30)

28. Poverty & its
Intersectionality
with Mental
Health & Well-
being
(p.30)

29. Poverty & its
Intersectionality with
Mental Health & Well-
being
(p.31)

30. Poverty & its
Intersectionality with
Mental Health & Well-
being
(p.32)

31. Stats
(p.32-33)
• Mental illness affects 1.2 million Canadian children and youth
• By 25 years of age, the number of individuals affected by mental
health illness rises to 7.5 million or 1 in 5 Canadians
• 70% of young adults with mental illnesses report that their
symptoms first started in childhood
• 75% of child & youth who experience mental health problems,
challenges & illnesses do not access the necessary & appropriate
services/treatments required to better their health (MHCC,
2015), which leads to compounded problems
• Also problematic are factors, such as stigma, challenges in system
navigation, and/or gaps in services & programming for individuals
with serious mental illness who are unable to access vital
supports & community services (CMHA, 2007)

32. Returning to School in
2020 with Covid –
A 10-Part Plan
(p.33)
1. A phased-in return of students by
age/grade
2. Clear communication & understanding
at all levels, for all participants
including students, parents, educators,
staff & the wider public
3. Prioritization of mental health &
specific attention to students’ psycho-
social development
4. A focus on diagnostic & formative
assessments, curriculum modifications,
& differentiated instruction, as
required, with the realization that it’s
unrealistic to expect all curriculum
content & expectations to be covered
5. Directly address inequities for
students’ learning & well-being

33. Returning to School in
2020 with Covid –
A 10-Part Plan
(p.33)
6. Support students’ physical health through
access to outdoor experiences
7. Protect the adults in the school environment
8. Listen to educators & support staff to ensure
effective and collaborative joint work
between government departments
responsible for education, health
organizations, & the educational professional
organizations
9. Provide proper & careful attention for
childcare availability by attending to the
intersectionality of school attendance and
childcare
10. Boards & schools need to ensure continued
learning & support for students & staff not in
school, given that individuals of all ages
cannot return to school for health reasons &
risks associated with COVID-19 (Campbell et
al, 2020)

34. Increases in Mental
Health Challenges…
(p.34)
• Are specifically “attributed to months of
physical distancing, growing job loss,
economic uncertainty, housing & food
insecurity & child care or school closures”
(Jenkins, Gadermann, & McAuliffe, 2020).
• 38% of Canadians reported a deterioration
in their mental health since the onset of the
pandemic
• 59% of those with pre-existing mental
health conditions reported the same, as did
• 48% of those with a disability, and
• 44% of those living in poverty

35. Increases in Mental
Health Challenges…
(p.35)
• These stats are especially troubling for those affected by
systemic oppression:
• 18% of survey respondents are concerned about
having enough food for their families; this concern
was magnified to affect:
• 37% of those living in poverty
• 28% of those with a disability
• 26% of racialized people, and
• 25% of Indigenous people
(Jenkins et al, 2020)
• Teachers become crucial sites of intervention to help
students understand how to promote mental health,
reduce stigma, & prevent higher rates of mental
health issues & suicide (MHCC, 2015)
• Programs must be funded & developed so that
schools are adequately equipped with trained mental
health professionals to provide appropriate & timely
support.

36. Poverty & its
Intersectionality with
Nutrition, Physical
Health
(pp.35-37)

37. Vulnerable Youth &
Poverty: Racial
Inequity, Gender
Inequity, Disability
Inequity
(pp.37-38)
• The effects of poverty on educational success
illuminate the need for a human rights
framework for youth that cultivates the
facilitation of changing deficit mindsets, shifting
educational practices for learning & leading,
fostering youth voice, and inviting on-going
parental engagement (DCP, 2019).
• The sustained rates of poverty embedded in
educational landscapes across Canada is the root
cause of many systemic barriers, discrimination,
& achievement gaps in our communities.
• “White economics” – white beliefs & cultural
values have been allowed & encouraged,
implicitly & explicitly, to create a dominant white
economics that robs people of colour & “bodies
of non-white culture of dignity, freedom, &
opportunity” (Beaudoin, 2020).

38. Black, Indigenous,
People of Colour:
Racial Inequality in
Schooling
(pp.39-41)
• There’s a ‘devaluation & vilification of Black
youth in the school system” (Maynard, 2020,
para. 5).
• Schools can be a site of harm, degradation,
psychological violence, & heightened discipline
for many black youth (Maynard, 2020), (e.g., a
black grade 1 student arrested with handcuffs).
• “Major inconsistencies in how teachers who
engage in equity work are supported by
principals… [& boards].
• For many populations, language barriers are as
significant as racial barriers.

39. Indigenous Students,
First Nations, Métis,
& Inuit
(pp. 42-44)
• There are 94 calls to action from the TRC – we have
a long way to go
• Aboriginal people “hidden in plain view”
• Indigenous students are more likely to encounter
systemic barriers due to economic inequalities
• The relationship between Indigenous Peoples,
Canadians & the government continues to
profoundly evolve and change
• Pam Palmater – this is about including everyone’s
voice & perspective…we really can’t be making
community-based decisions without hearing what
everybody has to say, & really trying to work
towards consensus as opposed to the default of
51% is the best way to go. We have to find ways to
incorporate different people’s concerns & requests
(Zorde, 2017, p.10)
• We need decolonization, not lip service; we need a
change in practices AND thinking in order to see
true systemic reform & reconciliation (Paradkar,
2019)

40. LGBTQ2+
Youth/Identity
Inequality
(pp.45-46)
• Differences between LGBTQ+ & straight identified youth, not
only in health outcomes (i.e., suicide ideation/attempts),
victimization (i.e., bullying/cyber bullying), school
connections (openness with other LGBTQ+ youth), & truancy,
but also in educational equity
• LGBTQ+ students area at greater risk of suicidal thoughts,
suicide attempts, victimization by their peers & elevated
levels of unexcused absences from school (Robinson &
Espelage, 2011), especially in middle school
• Question: If they’re dealing with all of the above, how can
they learn?
• LGBTQ+ individuals living in poverty must work against
intersectional oppressions on the following levels:
• Seeking & retaining employment
• Identifying & accessing restrictive low- or no-cost service
options
• In encounters with discriminatory service providers, and
• In meeting basic needs with few resources
(Ross et al, 2018)

41. Implications/Discussions
(p.46-47)
• Schools are the first place where children
experience society in all its facets & those
experiences can have a profound influence
on students’ attitudes & behaviours in life
(OECD, 2017, p.5).
• Adolescents who feel part of their school
community are more likely to perform better
academically & demonstrate increased
motivation in school (OECD, 2017).
• 3R Framework - helps educators identify
(reveal), interrogate (revelation), and
reframe (reformation) their own
preconceived notions and sometimes biased
understandings of class, culture, race, and
identity, to move towards adopting a
resilient view, rather than a deficit view, of
marginalized youth

42. Chapter 3:
A 3R Narrative
Framework to
Deconstruct Inequities
& Systemic Barriers
(p.48)
• …the “three-pillar framework of opportunity”
(Ciuffetelli Parker, 2019; Durham District
School Board, 2018) [helps] to emphasize the
importance of this work also being taken up
and supported collectively. For removal of
barriers and creation of an equitable education
system to occur at a systemic level, this work
must be done in tandem both individually and
collectively.
• Research confirms unifying lines of connection
between mindset and practice, as they pertain
to addressing the many inequities often
associated with poverty and schooling
(Ciuffetelli Parker & Flessa, 2011; Ciuffetelli
Parker, 2015).

43. Key Strategies to
address such inequities:
(p.48)
• Enhance teacher awareness of poverty and
its conditions, associated stereotypes, and
its impact on schooling via professional-
development opportunities
• Build school culture by ensuring to resist
deficit language and thinking, while
engaging students’ families both inside and
outside of the school
• Forge partnerships with the broader
community to build community connections
• Ensure all students are supported equitably
in their academic achievement and, most
importantly,
• Expect all children and youth to succeed
(Ciuffetelli Parker, 2015)

44. 3-Pillar Framework of
Opportunity
(pp.48-49)
• Serves as a positive youth strategy to support all community
members and stakeholders (e.g., educators, families, youth,
education systems), in a collective effort to eradicate
systemic barriers and, at the same time, reduce the impact
living in poverty has on children and youth (Ciuffetelli Parker,
2019; Durham District School Board, 2018).
• The systems-based implementation plan, based upon the
pillars of opportunity, are three-fold:
1. Enhance professional practice by challenging deficit
conceptualizations and assumptions of youth and
families living in poverty, while also offering
professional development on poverty and equity
topics, and implement equity-based research projects
by practicing educators
2. Build a school culture of care in order to create a safe,
engaging, and inviting school culture within the
classroom, institution, and professional learning
available for educators
3. Develop community partnerships and build trusting
relationships with youth services, in order “to create a
living curriculum for youth” by integrating these
partners and services within the classroom and school
(Ciuffetelli Parker, 2019, p.18; Durham District School
Board, 2018).

45. 3 Pivotal
Underlying
Lessons Form
the Basis for the
Enactment of PD
on Poverty &
Schooling
(p.49)

46. Addressing
Stereotyping &
Challenging
Deficit Wording
(pp.49-50)

47. 3R Framework
(pp.50-51)

48. ACDE’s (2020) 5 High-level
Markers to Ensure
Investment in Education
and Teaching in a present
and post-pandemic
Canada
(pp.52-53)

49. Post-Pandemic
(p.53)
We must now educate for a better,
healthier, more equitable and
prosperous world.

50. The Case of
[High School
#3]
Unmasking
the Hidden
Façade:
(p.54)

51. Synopsis
(p.55)

52. Alexa’s Story
(p.56)

53. A Student’s Voice: A
Teacher’s Voice
(pp.56-59)

54. What it Boils
Down to:
(p. 59)

55. “a bridge half built”
(p.60)

56. “mountain half built”
(p.61)

57. The Other Side
(pp.61-62)

58. Mr. T. – Shifting the
Focus
(p.63)

59. Hope & Dignity
(p.64)