Health disparities reflect the differences in health within different population groups due
to sociodemographic factors such as socioeconomic status (SES), race, and gender. Health
disparities exist also in academia as past research have shown a clear poverty-related trend of a
higher dropout rate of children from low socioeconomic statuses. Despite the similar prevalence
of learning disabilities affecting children from all income levels throughout all races and
ethnicities, minority children of color and low-income children are more susceptible to being
identified as having a learning disability and are three times more likely to dropout of school.
This shows that combined factors of low socioeconomic backgrounds, lack of resources provided
by many school districts, and bias in the underrepresented students create a notable influence on
this particular population.
With the clear health disparity present in education, this study focuses on a new academic
curriculum called Project Change Curriculum, otherwise known as Project CC. Project CC is a
modified curriculum designed to provide the additional accommodations in learning skills to
students with LD. This curriculum is considered to be a preliminary experiment that is targeted at
elementary students as they could be provided the skills for academic success early on as they
progress into higher education. During this preliminary round, our goal to find the ideal
curriculum that aids the improvement of educational success in this certain population and to
alleviate the drop-our epidemic.
II. Method
Twenty participants in the age groups 6-8 were selected to undergo a 4 week study in
order to see the effects of Project CC on their academic performances. All participants were
identified by their guardians or by themselves with LD that ranged from dyslexia, ADD, ADHD,
or difficulty in learning. Participants attended the study with twice a week for 3 hours each with
15 minute breaks in between each session.
The curriculum includes using activities that specifically targets a particular learning
disabilities with the focus of math, writing, and reading. We will conduct weekly tests to assess
the progress of the students with learning disabilities and track the effectiveness of the Project
CC. By assessing the Curriculum’s impact on these students, we can discover the learning
techniques and education style that caters to their needs, ultimately reducing the health disparity
within education.
III. Conclusion
The overall impact of Project CC is to close the gap prevalent in education and to end the
stigma around learning disabilities present in minority communities. By having a curriculum that
is more inclusive of students with learning disabilities, education will become more equitable for
all students and may address further issues such as the low employment rate of adults with LD.
See more of: Invited Posters