“Efforts designed to combat risk and promote positive adjustment among low-income African American youth with disabilities must be sensitive to the magnitude and complexity of challenges facing many youth.” from Poor, Black, Learning Disabled, and Graduating: An Investigation of Factors and Processes Associated With School Completion Among High-Risk Urban Youth (Christopher Murray, Jason Naranjo) (University of Oregon, Eugene)

This passage really struck a chord with me. Certainly, as this reading states, high expectations can be an extremely positive influence on an at risk child. However, as important as it is to help these kids reach as high as they can and pursue their true passions, we must acknowledge that without having been through the often harsh lives these kids have, it is hard to understand the extent of the factors stacked against minority youth of low socioeconomic status. We should not view this as indicative of an inevitable outcome, but motivating background knowledge that must be known and reflected on before we can teach to students from these populations.