Recently there was an editorial in my local newspaper written by an ex-5th grade teacher lamenting the fact that she saw one of her prize students from years earlier working at a fast food restaurant.  I'm thinking many teenagers work fast food, but this woman went on and on, speculating that this intelligent student was forced by economic reasons to work and help support the family instead of going to college.  This may very well be the case, but the woman had no proof.  The obvious message was that every smart kid should go to college, regardless of the cost, their own desires, etc.  Well, I responded with my own story of a student who rose up from extreme poverty to graduate froma  state college with a double major and honors.

 

   The following day I ran across this report by Brink Lindsey of the Cato Institute ( http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=9246 ).  This thought-provoking peice challenges the common belief that poor students avoid college because they can not afford it.  Instead, cultural factors such as time spent with parents and the nature of that interaction are much more significant indicators of college attendance.  One study showed that when achieveing at a equalivalent level, race and income level had little impact on college attendance, meaning that students of all races and income levels who truly were academicaly successful in high school went on to college.