Poverty and Culture in Education: Separate but Equal

The purpose of this article is to separate and clarify the impact of poverty and cultural background on the educational attainment of children. The effects of poverty and culture on educability are examined separately. It is concluded that each factor uniquely influences mediating variables which determine educability and, ultimately, educational attainment. Clear separation of the effects of poverty and culture is required in order to plan and interpret research and evaluate interventions.