Students living in poverty, foster children and youth, and migrant students

It is well-known that children and youth who experience disruptions to their education or are living in potentially stressful situations — such as foster children and youth, students living in poverty, and migrant students (which are often overlapping yet distinct groups) — lack equal access to quality science and engineering learning experiences, and are disproportionately negatively impacted in science academic outcomes. High mobility and insecure housing circumstances may lead to interrupted schooling and access to specialized services designed to help these students overcome their unique challenges. It is critical that classroom teachers know about their students’ educational histories so that they can be sensitive and adaptive to students’ academic and socio-emotional learning needs.

Amplify Science provides guidance to teachers on establishing a positive, affirming, flexible, intellectually stimulating, and collaborative learning environment so that these groups of students are included and adequately supported to learn. Respectful and responsive teacher actions are encouraged in the Differentiation Briefs for each lesson. The Differentiation Briefs help teachers develop appropriate and supportive teacher dispositions and behaviors, which are especially critical for these vulnerable populations of students, in order to mitigate the potential psychologically, emotionally, and physically stressful circumstances that students in these circumstances may face. Teachers can and should seek guidance from and collaborate with school and district specialists, parents and families, and community organizations, who can support them with specific strategies that will benefit students.