Making a Difference in Challenging, High-Poverty Schools: Successful principals in the USA, England, and Australia

Research indicates that high levels of poverty can interfere with a school’s ability to successfully improve student achievement (e.g., Rumberger & Palardy, 2005). Some of the correlates of poverty that research has associated with poor academic achievement include: poor nutrition, inadequate health services, and high rates of illiteracy and criminal behavior, which in turn can result in high rates of student transience, absence, and indiscipline.