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Content rich curriculum can address educational segregation by allowing students of all backgrounds, reading levels, and abilities to explore similar material. I think all students should have exposure to material that explores a variety of cultures/ social groups, historical events, religions, environments, etc. It should be something students can connect to, learn from, and/ or experience. I don't think it's always necessary for schools to have a mix of affluent and less affluent families as long as students are exposed to the same curriculum. Just like in book, when students are given the resources and access, their learning soars. This curriculum is attainable but will need buy in not just from teachers, principals, and districts, but also parents and community members. As we know, and have read in the book, education is political so all will need to be invested in the futures of all of our children.
~McElrath

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Early in chapter 8, an experiment is described where students received different versions of reading materials.  It seems that the results were as expected-well written material was easily and quickly read and understood.  This didn’t apply to the more challenging passages that were unfamiliar to the reader.  I think this also supports the importance of having a content-rich curriculum. It’s our job to expose students to topics they may be unfamiliar with to produce good citizens.  Will that alone address educational segregation?  No, I don’t think so but it is a start.  Honestly, I can sometimes see the differences between myself and my friends and family members.  The experiences I’ve had, the schools I’ve attended, the friends that I have had…all of those factors contributed to my prior knowledge and experiences.  All of those things can impact success in school.  I am torn on the idea of leveled reading as a tracking system.  I know many see it as a way to hold students back, but I don’t.  I think it’s a way to hold students accountable.  I set specific goals with my students and explain the importance of reaching them.  Students reading below grade level need to know that it is still okay to be learning how to be a better reader, but they also need to know that they will be expected to know the same information on a standardized test.  Leveled reading for me is like an extra dose of a very specific prescription.  If it’s done correctly, I can target the skills where students are weak, while supporting them with appropriate vocabulary and comprehension skills on a higher level.  Students do not need to know how to read complex words to understand them and use them.

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Early in chapter 8, an experiment is described where students received different versions of reading materials.  It seems that the results were as expected-well written material was easily and quickly read and understood.  This didn’t apply to the more challenging passages that were unfamiliar to the reader.  I think this also supports the importance of having a content-rich curriculum. It’s our job to expose students to topics they may be unfamiliar with to produce good citizens.  Will that alone address educational segregation?  No, I don’t think so but it is a start.  Honestly, I can sometimes see the differences between myself and my friends and family members.  The experiences I’ve had, the schools I’ve attended, the friends that I have had…all of those factors contributed to my prior knowledge and experiences.  All of those things can impact success in school.  I am torn on the idea of leveled reading as a tracking system.  I know many see it as a way to hold students back, but I don’t.  I think it’s a way to hold students accountable.  I set specific goals with my students and explain the importance of reaching them.  Students reading below grade level need to know that it is still okay to be learning how to be a better reader, but they also need to know that they will be expected to know the same information on a standardized test.  Leveled reading for me is like an extra dose of a very specific prescription.  If it’s done correctly, I can target the skills where students are weak, while supporting them with appropriate vocabulary and comprehension skills on a higher level.  Students do not need to know how to read complex words to understand them and use them.

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I think content-rich curriculum could address educational segregation through diversifying interactions for students with each other and in the content that they are exposed to.  The only issue is that it will take time to make this actually happen.  It would have to take enough educators and districts to actually value this move as well. Also to build this curriculum it is important where the information would come from as well.  I think the ability for Cannan has to do with different reasons other than curriculum as well.

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Educational segregation began far enough back that the effects will take more than just rich-curriculum content.  Some may argue that socio-economically segregation was more beneficial for the different communities due to the content that was taught and who was teaching it.  Material is better received when the one teaching it looks a lot like you and speaks on a level that you can understand.  Not to say that curriculum-rich content now would not be effective, because it would, it just needs to be understood that the person teaching it needs no bias as to how the content is being delivered based off of who is the students are.  Providing richer knowledge to any student will be beneficial towards their learning and knowledge growth, there must also be an understanding that some barriers may need deconstructing amongst some students considering that their environment may have contributed to how they feel about learning.  A trust amongst the student and teacher should be established in order for new, rich content to be introduced and absorbed.  There are a number of things that must be deconstructed and rebuilt within the communities involved in order for the knowledge gap to be minimized.  It is possible, it will take time and dedication, honesty, adaptability and patience on all parts as we push towards this goal.  Adding to a student's background knowledge can provide more astonishing results.  As we teach, learn and research, offering content to improve background knowledge will push a student to adapt within themselves.  Background knowledge will change your original belief in something, whether right or wrong however, it will improve your overall understanding.

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Educational segregation began far enough back that the effects will take more than just rich-curriculum content.  Some may argue that socio-economically segregation was more beneficial for the different communities due to the content that was taught and who was teaching it.  Material is better received when the one teaching it looks a lot like you and speaks on a level that you can understand.  Not to say that curriculum-rich content now would not be effective, because it would, it just needs to be understood that the person teaching it needs no bias as to how the content is being delivered based off of who is the students are.  Providing richer knowledge to any student will be beneficial towards their learning and knowledge growth, there must also be an understanding that some barriers may need deconstructing amongst some students considering that their environment may have contributed to how they feel about learning.  A trust amongst the student and teacher should be established in order for new, rich content to be introduced and absorbed.  There are a number of things that must be deconstructed and rebuilt within the communities involved in order for the knowledge gap to be minimized.  It is possible, it will take time and dedication, honesty, adaptability and patience on all parts as we push towards this goal.  Adding to a student's background knowledge can provide more astonishing results.  As we teach, learn and research, offering content to improve background knowledge will push a student to adapt within themselves.  Background knowledge will change your original belief in something, whether right or wrong however, it will improve your overall understanding.

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-Mr. G

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I think having a content-rich curriculum can close some gaps for our students, but other factors play a role in it as well. For example, how a teacher teaches the content can make an impact on the students.  Activating prior knowledge for the students will set the foundation on what they have been exposed to and what they have not. For examples, activating their prior knowledge about ecosystems, the students could not answer the question, because they never heard of the term before. Exposing students to as much knowledge will benefit their education whether it is through books, videos or going on field trips. Making connections with what you are teaching and learning can be powerful for students and for teachers. When setting expectations, we have to consider factors like resources, funding and the socioeconomic status of our schools. Low-income schools will be limited to those factors whereas an affluent school and community will have more resources to get a better education for their students/children.

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I agree that prior knowledge is super important in regard to this question , if the students don't have the previous knowledge to build upon then content- rich curriculum will not be the end all be all.

Womble

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I think that content-rich curriculum is necessary. As the author pointed out in the discussion of the core knowledge focus of the Core Task Implementation Project, "knowing stuff makes you a better reader". I do believe that the current system of Public Education still endorses an "educational segregation". I am a former AIG students and have taught AIG or advance classes for years. The main differences that I've seen outside of the pacing of the courses has been the focuses on knowledge. In advance classes we want kids to be exposed to rich content and thereby understand big ideas. However, in non advance courses we focuses too much on skill and drill. It is time we have a more balance approach to teaching and learning. Scholars need to be challenged and supported. When scholars know more they will definitely be engaged and inquisitive no matter the subject matter. Especially with distance learning which allows scholars to be easily disengaged. This is a time to really focus on the knowledge and less on the skill. 

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I think that content-rich curriculum is necessary. As the author pointed out in the discussion of the core knowledge focus of the Core Task Implementation Project, "knowing stuff makes you a better reader". I do believe that the current system of Public Education still endorses an "educational segregation". I am a former AIG students and have taught AIG or advance classes for years. The main differences that I've seen outside of the pacing of the courses has been the focuses on knowledge. In advance classes we want kids to be exposed to rich content and thereby understand big ideas. However, in non advance courses we focuses too much on skill and drill. It is time we have a more balance approach to teaching and learning. Scholars need to be challenged and supported. When scholars know more they will definitely be engaged and inquisitive no matter the subject matter. Especially with distance learning which allows scholars to be easily disengaged. This is a time to really focus on the knowledge and less on the skill. 

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Educational segregation has always been a systematic construct that goes beyond schools and school systems.  I do feel that their should be a focus on content-rich curriculum and standard information/ideas that should be required K-12, but that it isn't so one sided and includes information that addresses all backgrounds and cultures.  So many times, depending on the school or teacher, information is left out or students are in classes where the teacher is uncomfortable teaching certain information and it is just not taught.  I totally agree with the statement that mentions that a teacher's belief about what a student can learn can hinder that child's ability. 

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Educational segregation has always been a systematic construct that goes beyond schools and school systems.  I do feel that their should be a focus on content-rich curriculum and standard information/ideas that should be required K-12, but that it isn't so one sided and includes information that addresses all backgrounds and cultures.  So many times, depending on the school or teacher, information is left out or students are in classes where the teacher is uncomfortable teaching certain information and it is just not taught.  I totally agree with the statement that mentions that a teacher's belief about what a student can learn can hinder that child's ability. 

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-Foster

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Westergard’s experience addresses the intractable problem of educational segregation. The research done to support the Westergard’s experience is that all students benefit from attending diverse schools, and many wealthy and white parents like the concept of having their kids educated along peers of a different race and socioeconomic groups. In my opinion the authors argument is not undercut by the experiences at Cannan. The experiences at Cannan were different because Cannon used the core knowledge schoolwide, whereas at other schools only one or two teachers used core knowledge. I do believe the experiences at Westergard is undercut by using the term “all students benefit”.  It is possible that all students could possibly benefit from a content-rich curriculum, but in some cases just because the students are exposed to the content does not mean they can relate to it in everyday life. If the core knowledge is not used schoolwide how could one assume. If the two schools both used core knowledge schoolwide, I feel as though I could better understand why one school experiences were not as like the other. I can agree that if an elementary school is socioeconomically diverse, that the benefits are partially undercut by a system of leveled reading that amount to tracking. I understand that it is more about the “exposure, not mastery” but if districts did use tracking for the students who had been exposed to core knowledge there is no proof that it is “actually working”. The author does speak on an experience at a different school where the school stopped using core knowledge and adopted a new program and test score did decrease and the gap between different subgroup increased.

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Content-rich curriculum does help to close the gap, but who writes the curriculum is important. It should come from all cultures and include all significant information from all races. The teacher should make sure that when teaching history or science to include real world connections for every student. Students should enjoy learning about the world they live in. Students should not feel uncomfortable because of the topic. Affluent families have super high expectations that often the public school teacher is unable to provide due to the diversity of the student population.

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Having a content rich curriculum would introduce students to a variety of texts and information from all over the world. It helps to give students a strong sense of what is happening in the world around them. Students would encounter academic and technical vocabulary words they may not hear on a day to day basis. However, for students who are coming from affluent families who have connections with the texts, they will be able to grasp and understand the text more than students who have no background knowledge. When using content rich curriculums we often leave out the most vulnerable populations. It does cause the gap to widen. When teaching these curriculums, teachers should try to expose students to as much background knowledge as possible. Also we should look into the communities and figure out how to relate what we are teaching to the world in which they live. Sometimes it not that they have no background knowledge but it may not be in the same context we are teaching them. If all schools offered equitable distribution of the resources this educational divide would not be as prominent as it is today. Students in low performing schools still receive less but are asked to perform at the same rate or higher as affluent families.
Ledbetter

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It is much more important for students to develop skills than knowledge. This world is constantly changing at such a rapid pace. Humans are being outperformed by computer software, artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies. Not to mention the fact that we need blue collar workers to provide basic daily services to society. Over emphasizing knowledge leads to students regurgitating irrelevant facts without true appreciation for its meaning. Instead of learning to read a skit. Students need to be encouraged to be articulate, creative, problem solvers who are critical thinkers. When we go on a job interview an employer isn't going to ask about historical facts or whats the humidity like in the desert. They want to know your skill set, desire to learn, and most importantly your character. I do believe there should be a base of knowledge. But what's more important is the ability for students to think for themselves, be creative, and apply useful skills needed to be a productive citizen of society. Jeffrey Joyner

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I agree that having a content rich curriculum would allow students to gain access to a variety of knowledge and help close some of the gap but I do not think that just by having a content rich curriculum will solve the problem. I do support that students' background knowledge can factor into the outcome they have within the classroom. I have thought a lot about how to can better support our students with vocabulary and background knowledge especially when it comes to reading. How can we expose our students and what is needed in order for them to gain more knowledge on a subject? What is determined to be important knowledge to know? Should we have a vocabulary curriculum in conjunction with the other curriculums we have?
Clegg

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I do think that it is important to have content-rich curriculum, but as a colleague mentioned in their post, what is more important is who is teaching the content. I remember in my first year of teaching we were reading a informational text about house and my students could not connect because they have little prior knowledge about the information being covered in the text. At that moment I recognized I had to expose my students to more than just content for them to understand the curriculum.  

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I do think that it is important to have content-rich curriculum, but as a colleague mentioned in their post, what is more important is who is teaching the content. I remember in my first year of teaching we were reading a informational text about house and my students could not connect because they have little prior knowledge about the information being covered in the text. At that moment I recognized I had to expose my students to more than just content for them to understand the curriculum.  

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I agree that content rich curriculums provide students with lots of information about the world. However, providing students with life experiences to use when learning that content rich curriculum has always been the struggle in low income schools. I am always amazed at how little our students know about current events, take for instance the elections, none of my students knew about the elections , let alone who’s the president, how basic things they use/eat every day are made. I still find it increasingly difficult to teach materials that required background knowledge. I do think that by adopting a content-rich curriculum we would begin to address the problems noted in The Knowledge Gap, but I don't think one curriculum would solve our problems. Mimmy

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Having a content rich curriculum is a start to addressing the problem of educational segregation. Chapter 7 was very eye opening history of how, based on tracking, the school system was deciding students’ lives for them. Being informed and having all the information we can possibly give them gives these students a chance to form themselves into anything they wish. There is balance needed-provide them with the background knowledge and tools so that when those life experiences come along, they have what they need to address it. Being able to expose students to information, experiences and thinking that may not otherwise occur at their reading level can be enriching but won’t solve the gap if the lack the necessary basic skills to build upon individually.    -Wilson

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The Westergard experience shows what can happen when students are exposed to the same content and given the same opportunity to participate, which is something that may not normally take place when students are limited to a leveled text they can read on their own. I do not think that the author’s argument is undercut, because I do think that a content-rich curriculum could begin to address the problem of educational segregation and as the text states, serve as a tool for integration. However, I do think that it is much deeper than just curriculum and there are other factors that are considered by families. Even if an elementary school is socioeconomically diverse, I think students can be limited by the system of leveled reading as they are grouped by these ability levels and then sometimes seen as not capable of participating in higher-level content and activities. I think it is important that all students are exposed to the same content, building knowledge through a variety of ways if needed. Leveled text does not always provide this. Of course I believe that it should be incorporated at times, but the examples given throughout the book of how teachers have been surprised by what their students can do when given the opportunity has made me think for sure! -Hood

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A content rich curriculum is important but there are many other factors that are needed to address the problem of educational segregation. You can have the best curriculum but if you do not have a highly qualified teacher who has a passion for the students taught, then that curriculum becomes null and void. The instruction given and how it is given go hand in hand. My question is what schools will get the content rich curriculum? The educational segregation occurs because there are people who make decisions for the schools based on who is in the school. Many of the schools with black and brown children as the majority do not get the programs, enrichment events, or specialty programs housed in their buildings.

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The lack of student background knowledge is a conversation I have engaged in with teachers for many years of my teaching career. Students were having trouble making connections to text because they lacked the background knowledge. For a short period of time, I taught fifth grade at an affluent school. We were learning about the American Revolution and students and students were bringing in souvenirs from their family vacation. They were able to share many facts and ideas about the topic because of their experiences. This is something I have tried to replicate with other classes I have taught. I worked to bring exposure through text, field trips, videos, speakers, etc. I believe this is similar to Westergard's idea. How can we give our students a content-rich curriculum? I remember at Oak Hill a few years ago where students in first grade had to read a non-fiction text about the desert. Many of students could not pass that reading level because of their lack of exposure to information about the desert. However, if you skipped to the next level, students were proficient. So, I do see value in exposing students to high level texts and letting them focus on social studies and science standards. Simply, allowing students to read leveled texts greatly limits their knowledge. A challenge is determine what is the "appropriate" content-rich curriculum.
All families want to see their children be successful. Affluent families often have more opportunities to make this happen. They look for options that fit into what they believe "fits their family." Charter schools and private schools have flourished because of this. Leveled reading can lead to tracking as students move towards middle school and high school. Students are tracked in certain classes based on previous performance. I wonder if we always keep students in certain leveled groups, how many will have the opportunity to take more than a basic level class. If we don't challenge their thinking with more academically advanced students, will they ever move out of the "low group." Will our "average" students see they can excel in advanced classes? How many of our students have moved from the "assigned tier" they started from in kindergarten? Just thoughts and some ideas for me to continue to ponder.

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Adopting content-rich curriculum can address educational segregation by providing all students with challenging, engaging texts and learning experiences. On page 203, one teacher states that they had been "underselling" ALL of their kids for a really long time because the higher achieving kids were bored and just going through the motions while the teachers were trying to "protect" the lower achieving students from the frustrations they thought they'd encounter due to their lack of background knowledge. In turn, all students were missing out. I feel like low-income schools have a stigma attached to them, regardless of the curriculum. They are frowned up because of the students, sometimes the location, even though they may have some of the best teachers. So, I do not think the author is undercut by the fact that Cannan did not attract more affluent families.
~Sargent

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I believe the fact that Cannan failed to attract affluent families wasn't based on what curriculum they decided to adopt. More so I believe it was most likely the stigma that was associated with the school based on its location and status. Middle class families have more options when it pertains to choosing a school for their children. While leveled reading that leads to tracking is tricky. Students should have access and be able to feel the independence and confidence to read on their level. but at the same time they also need to be exposed to leveled readers that also provide them with an ample amount of exposure to a plethora of knowledge as well.

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teach the Core Knowledge Curriculum class to class based off of their student's needs. If that is the case, then the curriculum itself isn't being taught but the main concepts that school, county, or teacher gleans is necessary for student growth. I think a curriculum could add to the exposure students that are lacking in many life experiences (very much like our own), so a content heavy curriculum could begin to fill in gaps. The fact that a low-income school has such a program without attracting affluent families I think is more focused on the idea that charter schools overall give the impression that those attending are gleaning elite curriculums that low-income schools couldn't possibly replicate. I think that socially, the idea behind it is that low-income schools are set to fail no matter their curriculum which is why more affluent families may not become interested in them. This is much more of a problem, that our society expects certain students to fail no matter what, and it is why I can understand the push to have a "LIST" or set of standards all students clearly have a right to learn. To both hold communities as well as teachers accountable for an equitable education. 
  ~Reinard
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Content rich curricu
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Content rich curriculums provide students with lots of information about  the world.  However,  providing students with life experiences to use when learning that content rich curriculum has always been the struggle in low income schools.  When I first came to Oak Hill I was teaching a math lesson and using a cooking activity to enhance the lesson.  My math lesson came to a screeching halt when a student asked me what a chocolate chip was.  We had to open all the ingredients and touch, taste, and smell.  I was amazed that my students were unfamiliar with everyday baking ingredients. They knew what cookies were, but had no experiences with making the cookies from scratch.  I found it increasingly difficult to teach materials that required some kind of background knowledge. Math word problems about a train ride....they had no concept of the train and how fast it moved to answer questions. It’s the same for students leaving High Point on a field trip.  Many of my students asked if we were in a different state as we drove into Greensboro on the bus.  While we worked hard to provide experiential activities, we were limited to school funds for the trips.  The use of YouTube helps,  it they miss out on the touch, taste, smell, and look of real hands on experiences.  Students in more affluent schools, often have a plethora of background knowledge that they can apply to their learning.  Those experience have come from their home. 
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I don't think so
I think the reasons for educational segregation go much deeper than curricular concerns.   My reason for content knowledge curriculum is to make great students out of the ones we are lucky enough to serve.  Leveled reading that leads to tracking is tough as we want students to feel self-sufficiency while we still stretch them.  That seems to call for both in the school day: Independent leveled reading and group text that is more demanding.  BTW: this is Dr. Simonds
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I struggle with charter schools attracting parents to leave public schools, even if it's in the name of a high-quality curriculum.  I would prefer to fill our public schools with high-quality curriculum that all students can acce

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I think that by adopting a content-rich curriculum would begin to address the problems noted in The Knowledge Gap, but I don't think one curriculum will be the end-all-be-all answer. Even the book notes that teachers could adjust how to teach the Core Knowledge Curriculum class to class based off of their student's needs. If that is the case, then the curriculum itself isn't being taught but the main concepts that school, county, or teacher gleans is necessary for student growth. I think a curriculum could add to the exposure students that are lacking in many life experiences (very much like our own), so a content heavy curriculum could begin to fill in gaps. The fact that a low-income school has such a program without attracting affluent families I think is more focused on the idea that charter schools overall give the impression that those attending are gleaning elite curriculums that low-income schools couldn't possibly replicate. I think that socially, the idea behind it is that low-income schools are set to fail no matter their curriculum which is why more affluent families may not become interested in them. This is much more of a problem, that our society expects certain students to fail no matter what, and it is why I can understand the push to have a "LIST" or set of standards all students clearly have a right to learn. To both hold communities as well as teachers accountable for an equitable education.
~Reinard

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Content rich curriculums provide students with lots of information about  the world.  However,  providing students with life experiences to use when learning that content rich curriculum has always been the struggle in low income schools.  When I first came to Oak Hill I was teaching a math lesson and using a cooking activity to enhance the lesson.  My math lesson came to a screeching halt when a student asked me what a chocolate chip was.  We had to open all the ingredients and touch, taste, and smell.  I was amazed that my students were unfamiliar with everyday baking ingredients. They knew what cookies were, but had no experiences with making the cookies from scratch.  I found it increasingly difficult to teach materials that required some kind of background knowledge. Math word problems about a train ride....they had no concept of the train and how fast it moved to answer questions. It’s the same for students leaving High Point on a field trip.  Many of my students asked if we were in a different state as we drove into Greensboro on the bus.  While we worked hard to provide experiential activities, we were limited to school funds for the trips.  The use of YouTube helps,  it they miss out on the touch, taste, smell, and look of real hands on experiences.  Students in more affluent schools, often have a plethora of background knowledge that they can apply to their learning.  Those experience have come from their home.

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I think the reasons for educational segregation go much deeper than curricular concerns.   My reason for content knowledge curriculum is to make great students out of the ones we are lucky enough to serve.  Leveled reading that leads to tracking is tough as we want students to feel self-sufficiency while we still stretch them.  That seems to call for both in the school day: Independent leveled reading and group text that is more demanding. BTW: this is Dr. Simonds

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I struggle with charter schools attracting parents to leave public schools, even if it's in the name of a high-quality curriculum. I would prefer to fill our public schools with high-quality curriculum that all students can access. Even if a school has racial diversity on paper, the groups of students sitting in classrooms can still be homogenous due to tracking. That was my high school experience in GCS. -Polito

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If a school is "socioeconomically diverse" , it does not mean it is the best place to learn.  If they are still stuck on teaching only the basics and skills, the gap will increase.  All students need the same background knowledge to be on a level playing field.  Don't get me wrong, I believe that there is a time to work on skills and allow students to read books at their level, but we must also provide the background knowledge at grade-level at the same time.

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Delinda Otto:   When the Westergard school adoopted the Core Curriculum, they believed that they were decreasing education segregation by giving all levels of readers the same background information.  I don't believe that the lack of affluent families flocking to Cannan undercuts the author's argument.  It takes time for the scores to show the improvement.  A;os people like to stay at schools in their area..

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Delinda Otto

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Kailey Childress: Westergard's experience suggests that focusing on content rich curriculum rather than skills could reverse the increase of school segregation.  What I understood from this chapter is that content rich curriculum would expose all students to the same knowledge base, discussions, and deeper level questioning that they might not be able to access on their own reading levels. This made think of the Matthews effect in reading, "the rich get richer and the poor get poorer". Students who struggle with reading may not ever be exposed to the deeper content as students who are affluent in reading. Moreover, Westergard's experience suggests than focusing on skills for struggling readers could limit their exposure to content, unlike affluent readers thus widening the educational gap/segregation further. Westergard goes on to suggest that this content rich curriculum would attract a diverse population of students to increase integration and decrease segregation. What confused me about this the most is how are the struggling readers supposed to develop those skills that affluent readers already have without directly teaching them? Maybe with continuous exposure to the content they could develop deeper knowledge, but I am still not sure how they would develop the reading skills to read those complex texts on their own. Hhhmmmm really has me thinking!!!