The Achievement Gap

rothl — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 01:55:41 +0000

The achievement gap has been an issue in the United States for some time. By many measures, white students fare better in school than African American and Latino students. The National Governors Association web site states that, “’Indeed, 17 year-old African American and Latino students have skills in English, mathematics and science similar to those of 13-year-old white students.’” These students have higher high school dropout rates, lower participation in gifted programs, lower rates of attending college, and for those who do begin college, lower rates of completing a degree. Even when socio-economic status is factored out of the equation, children of color achieve at a lower rate than their white counterparts.
Though many intelligent people have done research which has been publicized in the mass media, states have focused time and attention on the issue, and No Child Left Behind demands that every subcategory of student must achieve for a school to be successful, the achievement gap persists.
Currently, minorities make up about one-third of the United States population, but some predict they will make up the majority of United States citizens by 2042. Those people who don’t think this is a pressing issue or who try to deny it will be forced to confront it when it affects the majority of our children and the imminent future and well being of our country.
My school district has worked with Ron Ferguson and his Tripod Project and Glen Singleton and his Pacific Educational Group for years, but our students of color continue to score lower on standardized tests, take fewer high level courses, get referred to our alternative schools at higher rates, drop out of school at higher rates, and get suspended at higher rates than their white counterparts. What are your schools doing to address this issue and what strategies have you found to be successful in helping all students achieve?

GeoBlog » African Americans

The Achievement Gap