This book focuses on the relationship between academic achievement and low socioeconomic status (SES). In it, I make the following three claims: * Chronic exposure to poverty causes the brain to physically change in a detrimental manner. * Because the brain is designed to adapt from experience, it can also change for the better. In other words, poor children can experience emotional, social, and academic success. * Although many factors affect academic success, certain key ones are especially effective in turning around students raised in poverty. In this book, I discuss these key factors, highlight real schools that possess these factors, and provide a template for success with specific research-based action steps.
