Socioeconomic+Status

= Socioeconomic Status = To view this page in Español

Socioeconomic status or SES is defined as a person's relative standing in society based on income, power, background, and prestige. There are other factors that contribute to a someone's socioeconomic status, such as the parent's education level and occupation. Since there are many factors that contribute to SES, there is not a single variable that is an effective measure of SES. There are several different formulas that researchers use to determine SES. There are four general levels of SES: upper, middle, working, and lower. The characteristics of each level are explained in the table below.
 * What is socioeconomic status? **

**Table of Characteristics of Different Social Classes ** $40,000-$80,000 (1/2) || $25,000-$40,000 || Below $25,000 ||
 * || **Upper Class** || **Middle Class** || **Working Class** || **Lower Class** ||
 * **Income** || $160,000+ || $80,000-$160,00 (1/2)
 * **Occupation** || Corporate, professional, family money || White-collar, skilled blue-collar || Blue-collar || Minimum-wage unskilled labor ||
 * **Education** || Prestigious colleges and professional schools || High school, college, or professional school || High School || High School or less ||
 * **Home Ownership** || At least one home || Usually own home || About half own a home || No ||
 * **Health Coverage** || Full || Usually || Limited || No ||
 * **Neighborhoods** || Exclusive or comfortable || Comfortable || Modest || Deteriorating ||
 * **Afford Children's College** || Easily || Usually || Seldom || No ||
 * **Political Power** || National, state or local || State or local || Limited || No ||

Since your student is affected by almost all of your actions and decisions, SES has a large impact on your student's life and education. Students from poorer families typically have limited access to resources that prepare them for school. On the other hand, a family from a higher SES may not have these same limitations. Research has also shown that students from low-SES households develop academic skills slower than children from high-SES households. This is due to stress in the home and the typically low literacy environment. We believe it is our obligation to close this gap between our students because we want all of our students to have an equal opportunity for education ad success. At Saint Bridget's Elementary we also strive to have all children's needs met, whether they are physically or mentally. This means that no matter what your SES, your child will be treated with the respect they deserve. Our school is blind to these differences amongst the students and their families.
 * [[image:http://departments.bloomu.edu/coe/Images/Diverse_World.jpg width="320" height="208" align="left"]] ** ** How does my SES affect my student? **

At Saint Bridget's Elementary we strive to eliminate any form of discrimination between our student's. We teach our students to appreciate each other for who they are based on other factors rather than their socioeconomic status but for their talents and other aspects they bring to the classroom. We also celebrate and encourage diversity amongst our students. A child will never be turned away from Saint Bridget's Elementary because of their/their family's SES. We open our doors to all students and strive to create a positive learning environment for our students. If you would like to discuss SES with a faculty member please contact Betty Fisher at bfisher@saintbridgets.com.
 * How does Saint Bridget's Elementary respond to SES? [[image:http://sitemaker.umich.edu/356.son/files/marilynkids7.jpg width="368" height="238" align="right"]] **

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 * Watch this video about SES: **

This video has been shown to all of our staff at Saint Bridget's Elementary in order to raise awareness about SES and other issues our students may be facing. This video is intended to inspire our teachers to do something about these issues. Other staff is constantly striving to make our school the best it can be by closing these gaps between our students.

Check out the links below to learn more about socioeconomic status:
 * How can I learn more about SES? **

This link gives a brief overview of SES and student readiness for school regarding SES: []

This link provides more information about SES and education. It also has more tips for what you can do about your SES: []

This link provides a variety of tools to learn more about SES: []

This link correlates socioeconomic status and health: []