That is, poor families and those from underrepresented groups are much less likely to have sufficient familiarity with the social and educational systems, and to have access to important information and resource networks, to adequately represent their children's interests. Inequality of resources in neighborhoods and communities. Poor communities have fewer local resources such as libraries, parks and museums, and fewer adult role models, to support the academic aspirations of underrepresented youth. Lack of peer support for academic achievement. Peers who shun academic achievement are common in poor, inner city and rural schools where students of color feel systematically excluded from white, middle class society.
Racism is still a significant factor in educational mobility for students of color.
Although most Americans no longer concede that they believe black and Hispanic students are innately intellectually inferior, they do attribute these students' school problems largely to their own lack of desire to do better, rather than to structural factors that might impede their advancement. Thus, most middle- class voters are reluctant to vote for policies that would ameliorate vestiges of racism. Racism also works to undermine the self-confidence of students of color and can cause them to doubt their abilities and thus remove themselves from academic competition with mainstream students. Poor children tend to go to poor schools that are attended largely by other poor children. These schools, largely in the overcrowded urban centers, have been shown to enjoy fewer resources and less qualified teachers, and have more disciplinary problems and higher turnover of both students and staff.