Perhaps the findings are not surprising, especially in the context of other indicators suggesting the same thing (e.g. school districts where students with A grades in AP courses most commonly score 1 on the AP tests).
But will that motivate people generally to try to improve things for all, or try to improve things for just themselves (by moving to a place with less bad public schools or pay tuition to put kids in less bad private schools)? Of course, the latter is often easier to do in the short term for those with money, since the former often runs into controversy about how to move toward the goal, and sometimes denial that something is actually needed. Someone who tries to do both may succeed in only one.
It is true for sure. In sports people talk about kids hitting the genetic lottery. Let’s face it not everyone will be 6’10. There is also what a co-worker and I call the birth lottery. Kids that have at least middle class parents and in some cases high income parents. Those kids have a better chance to be college ready by graduation for sure. This is nothing new most of all of us moved to our school district partly driven by the schools.
All that being said my youngest and I have come up with a idea. If you can read and do basic math and you have your free library card then you can learn anything. Between books and stuff on the internet anything is possible.