In this week’s podcast, Carole dives into the important issue of the connection between poverty and educational success. She talks with Dr. Walter Tschinkel, renowned myrmecologist, entomologist and Distinguished Research Professor of Biological Science and R.O. Lawton Distinguished Professor emeritus at Florida State University. Dr. Tschinkel applied the same analysis of variants he uses in his biology research to breakdown state school report cards and look for consistent variables. The link between poverty and performance was undeniable. Now the question is… how do we get schools and state government to apply this analysis and make adjustments to their test scores? And will we ever find a way to create a balance in opportunity?

“To ignore the link [between performance and…]  poverty is to beg for failure in any successful use of this testing system.” — Dr. Walter Tschinkel