Poverty vs. performance: Some area schools buck trends - Gainesville Times

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Poverty vs. performance: Some area schools buck trends

Language gap an obstacle for many schools, but some overcome

Sugar Hill Elementary third-graders Gabriel Doss, right, and Nathan Bennett, both 9, work on a PowerPoint presentation of Georgia habitats during class. Sugar Hill Elementary has been bucking trends that CCRPI results usually correlate with high-poverty levels. Despite higher poverty levels at the school, test scores are rising.

0427poverty1 — Sugar Hill Elementary third-graders Gabriel Doss, right, and Nathan Bennett, both 9, work on a PowerPoint presentation of Georgia habitats during class. Sugar Hill Elementary has been bucking trends that CCRPI results usually correlate with high-poverty levels. Despite higher poverty levels at the school, test scores are rising.

Not all students are created equal. They begin their school day with different backgrounds. Some can’t speak English.