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of three digital obstacles to their schooling, such as a lack of reliable internet at home, no computer at home, or needing to use a smartphone to complete schoolwork" (Vogels). Easily, DeFanti 2 these seeming inconveniences can present students with major problems. Lack of reliable internet could result in assignments not loading or submitting, instruction missed, or constant disruptions that would challenge focus. For school districts that don't provide computers, not having one could mean that a student misses zoom classes, assignments, and any materials accessed on a computer. Even in non-covid times, these obstacles would make studying and turning in assignments far more challenging and time consuming. In low income areas, the schools do not typically have enough money to compensate for the differences the students face at home. Instead, high income schools provide rich students with more resources. The Hechinger Report states "the Trump administration documented that the funding gap between rich and poor schools had increased slightly to $473 per student between the 2014-15 and 2015-16 school years" (Barshay). Rich students have advantages at home and in the classroom, while poorer students have disadvantages in both. A lot can be done with $473, and with this funding, considerable resources are allocated to already advantaged rich students. This widens the inequality between rich and poor students. It is unrealistic to expect students who are already underprivileged at home to succeed as well as rich students when their school systems are unable to make up for the lack of resources. Students in low socioeconomic classes experience detrimental effects on standardized test performance. Lower income students are unfairly set up to perform lower on standardized tests, and have far less access to resources to aid them. "A 2015 analysis from Inside Higher Ed found that in each of the three parts of the SAT ... the lowest average scores were among students from families who make less than $20,000 in family income, while the highest averages were among students from families who make more than $200,000 (Barshay)". Much of these dramatic score differences can be attributed to the resources available. For example, SAT preparation classes are DeFanti 3 expensive, as are textbooks and tutors. Assessments such as the SAT require money, and many lower income families cannot afford to allow their child to retake the test. With the increase of practice opportunities comes the increase of scores. From US News, "Many low-income students are provided fee waivers that cover two free SATs, with or without the essay, and six free SAT subject tests. But wealthy students are still more likely to have taken standardized tests like the SAT more than once" (US News). This leaves wealthy students with an advantage, as they already have access to resources that will set them up for success, such as extra practice. Standardized tests such as the SAT are designed to be a widespread base point to see how students score, and how much they have learned from their education. The point of the SAT is to measure students fairly, without the influence of how school systems might grade differently, which could cause a difference in GPA. To this design, if economically disadvantaged students were receiving equal education to higher income students, they would be scoring similarly. In a country that preaches equality for all, we fail to provide equality in a basic right, the right to an education. Economic privilege, or lack thereof, is something a student cannot change, something they are either born with or without. How can the United States claim a true education for all when it is obvious that economically disadvantaged students are not performing to the same quality of education? For all students to receive a true education, they must be receiving an equitable education, regardless of economic status. Advantages such as access to resources of technology and standardized testing preparation unfairly set up economically privileged students to perform better. This becomes a dangerous cycle for the nation as rich kids get into higher level colleges easier, eventually taking high paying jobs and continuing the cycle of economic inequality. For poor students who performed lower, high school dropout rates are higher, and students who do graduate have a harder time getting into high level schools. This education inequality is more than a short term issue, it holds a cruel impact on individuals throughout their lives. Works Cited DeFanti 4 Barshay, Jill. "A Decade of Research on Education Inequality in America." The Hechinger Report, 29 June 2020, https://hechingerreport.org/a-decade-of-research-on- the-rich-poor-divide-in-education/. Income Inequality Exacerbates the Achievement Gap ... https://www.usnews.com/news/education-news/articles/2018-05-28/income-inequality- exacerbates-the-achievement-gap. Vogels, Emily A. "Digital Divide Persists Even as Americans with Lower Incomes Make Gains in Tech Adoption." Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 10 Sept. 2021, https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/06/22/digital-divide-persists-even-as- americans-with-lower-incomes-make-gains-in-tech-adoption/.