School Reforms for Low-Income Students Under Conflict Theory

Abstract

A solid education is one of the crucial elements of achieving the American Dream. However, the privileged dominate the distribution of limited educational resources, leading to a large academic gap between people with different economic statuses. Specifically, the influence of poor experiences on disadvantaged populations, such as low-income students, has been neglected in education development. Conflict theory provides a refreshing sight to examine what obstacles low-income students have confronted and motivate school changes. The literature review explores the unequal educational experiences in low-income students, indicating challenges on their academic achievement and possibilities to success. In addition, it illustrates how to understand school reforms making efforts to eliminate gaps between the wealthy and poor students to pursue educational equity under the conflict theory.