The objective of this work is to examine the multiple challenges that school districts face in relation to poverty and family instability, all of which contribute to the conditions and risks of failure in schools.
             The work entitled: "Who are America's Poor Children?" states that almost thirteen million children in America live in families whose income falls below the federal poverty level." (2007) That number is increasing at a rate annually. (Cauthen, 2007) Poverty critically affects the academic achievement of students.
             The purpose of this study is to examine the specific negative impacts of poverty on student achievement in academics.
             The importance of this study is the information that will be added to the already existing knowledge in this area of study. As well this study will attempt to discern what solutions might be practicable for alleviating these affects on the academic achievement of students in school that are wrought by poverty in the lives of these students.
             This study seeks to answer the questions of:
             (1) What are the negative impacts of poverty on children in school? And
             (2) what might the school do to lessen the impact of poverty on students?
             The greatest number of children living in low-income families "...have parents without any college education." (Douglas-Hall and Chau, 2007) In fact, 25% of children "almost 7.2 million – have parents with less than a high school diploma." (Douglas-Hall and Chau, 2007) Moreover, the percentage of children whose parents have less than a high school diploma is 82%. (Douglas-Hall and Chau, 2007) This is not because the parents of these children don't work because statistics state that the majority of children "in low-income families have parents who are employed full-time and year-round." (Douglas-Hall and Chau, 2007) Of low-income parents who did not work, in excess of two-thirds of these paren...