Furthermore, according to his article, there are substantial differences in standardized testing performance between low and high income students. He writes that [a]t the high school level, being in a district at the top of the funding scale translates to 00 additional points on the SAT and [a]t the elementary level, students in districts that rank in the top 20% of the funding scale are more than twice as likely as students in the bottom 20% to meet state standards on math (Hancock). Those with higher standardized testing scores will most likely find it easier to get into top universities that yield better student outcomes. The current method of school funding, giving more resources to districts with high property values, puts low-income students at a disadvantage when it comes to higher education which may impact their financial statuses later on in life.
Different opportunities for early childhood education may provide further reasoning for the wealth gap that exists in Chicago. The impacts of early childhood education is demonstrated in the Perry Preschool Project con
ducted in Michigan in which at-risk African American children were split into two groups: those who received high quality early childhood education and those who did not. Those students who were placed in better education scored higher on achievement test, attained higher levels of education, required less special education, earned better wages, had better physical health, were more likely to own a home, and were less likely to go on welfare or be incarcerated than other children of similar backgrounds (Early Childhood Education Can Pay Big Rewards to Families, Society). Low-income families may not have the resources to send their children to higher quality preschool compared to those who have higher incomes, and if the type of school has been shown to make a difference in a childs life later on, then low-income children are put at a disadvantage. Higher wages and home ownership can increase the quality of life for many individuals and the influence of quality of preschool education demonstrates how some children cannot attain wealth as easily as their white counterparts.