All of these factors can adversely affect educational achievement. The achievement gap between White students and Black, Latinx, and immigrant students is present before they begin school as children. 106, No. While particular achievement gaps may vary significantly in degree or severity from group to group or place to place, achievement gaps are defined by their consistency and persistence—i.e., achievement gaps are not typically isolated or passing events, but observable and predictable trends that remain relatively stable and enduring over time. LBGTQ students face these challenges plus outright discrimination both in K-12 and college. Brookings Institute, 2016 Brown Center Report on American Education. In Part 1 of this series on the Achievement Gap, I described how closing the achievement gap may not necessarily mean that children’s academic performances are getting closer to each other. The Achievement Gap: Part 2. Accessed Sept. 18, 2020. "The Gender Gap in Math: Its Possible Origins in Neighborhood Effects," Page 3. Accessed Sept. 18, 2020. "The Financial Returns From College Across Generations: Large but Unequal." Accessed Sept. 18, 2020. The educational achievement gaps are pervasive and expensive. The Achievement Gap Initiative at Harvard University is a university-wide initiative to help raise achievement for all children while narrowing racial, ethnic and socio-economic gaps Yet the causes are often so complex and overlapping that it is nearly impossible to determine all the factors that may give rise to particular achievement gaps or contribute to their persistence. "Separate and Unequal: The Neighborhood Gap for Blacks, Hispanics and Asians in Metropolitan America," Page 5. Much has been written about the achievement gap between students from middle class backgrounds and those from low income backgrounds. It is between groups based on ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical or mental abilities, and income. Some gaps are due to income, some to societal expectations, and some to structural inequality. Part 2 in the series on the Achievement Gap by guest blogger Takeshi Terada (tera0026@umn.edu). The gender achievement gap depends on the subject matter. Achievement gaps for racial minorities are correlated with gaps in income, poverty rates, unemployment rates, and parents’ education level. The term “achievement gap” originated in the 1960s, when researchers began studying the disparity in academic performance between groups of students. An achievement gap refers to the observed disparity on a number of educational measures between the performance of groups of students, especially groups defined by gender, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. Little or no English-language understanding, fluency, or literacy contributing to educational underperformance, decreased academic motivation, or higher dropout rates. The Global Achievement Gap, a new book by Tony Wagner, co-director of the Change Leadership Group, examines the U.S. education system in the 21st century, considers why American students are falling behind their international peers, and proposes methods to begin to correct the downward slide.In this Q&A, Wagner addresses this gap and offers advice on how educators can begin to close it. Journal of Homosexuality. Accessed Sept. 18, 2020. Closely related to learning gap and opportunity gap, the term achievement gap refers to any significant and persistent disparity in academic performance or educational attainment between different groups of students, such as white students and minorities, for example, or students from higher-income and lower-income households. For the most advantaged families, a college degree means an 11% increase in wealth and income over what they would have achieved based on inherited characteristics alone. The “achievement gap” in education refers to the disparity in academic performance between groups of students. An ACT research study found a slight improvement in the gender achievement gap between 1998 and 2009. For the most part, female freshman students continued to outperform male students in all college courses. Higher-income families add to consumer spending, which drives about 70% of the economy. Manufacturers ramp up to meet the added demand, creating more jobs. "The Influence of Peer Victimization on Educational Outcomes for LGBTQ and Non-LGBTQ High School Students." Although disparities in test scores tend to be the most discussed, scrutinized, and reported achievement gaps, educational performance and attainment disparities may appear in a wide variety of data sets, including graduation rates, college-enrollment rates, college-completion rates, course grades, dropout rates, absenteeism rates, and disciplinary infractions, among many other possible categories of student-achievement data tracked by government agencies, districts, and schools. The Glossary of Education Reform welcomes your comments and suggestions. Closely related to learning gap and opportunity gap, the term achievement gap refers to any significant and persistent disparity in academic performance or educational attainment between different groups of students, such as white students and minorities, for example, or students from higher-income and lower-income households. Fortunately for us, the mathematics education community has, within the last two decades, made a determined effort to address the problems of mathematics education. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. The achievement gap is the disparity in educational attainment between different groups. Achievement gaps exist at every level of education. Accessed Sept. 18, 2020. Accessed Sept. 18, 2020. Created by the Great Schools Partnership, the GLOSSARY OF EDUCATION REFORM is a comprehensive online resource that describes widely used school-improvement terms, concepts, and strategies for journalists, parents, and community members. Achievement gaps in the United States are observed, persistent disparities in measures of educational performance among subgroups of U.S. students, especially groups defined by socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity and gender. US2010 Project. English language learners 3. For example, approximately 42 percent of African Americans require remediation after graduating from high school. Accessed Sept. 18, 2020. achievement gap, with teachers citing a lack of access to ed tech tools in the schools that are least able to provide access to technology for individual students. Achievement gaps occur when one group of students (e.g., students grouped by race/ethnicity, gender) outperforms another group and the difference in average scores for the two groups is statistically significant (i.e., larger than the margin of error). The growing use of education data by schools, government agencies, and the media, as well as the increasing sophistication of the technologies used to track information related to the academic achievement and educational attainment of students, have exposed achievement gaps that may have been unidentified, overlooked, or ignored in past decades. Educational performance is measured by standardized tests, diplomas, access to higher education, or employment. The Stanford Center for Policy Analysis found the correlation between achievement gaps and these socio-economic factors was at least 62% for Black communities and 83% for Latinx communities., A 2009 McKinsey study found that the average score of Black and Latinx students on standardized tests was two to three years behind that of White students of the same age.. Accessed Sept. 18, 2020. Income alone doesn’t explain all of the gaps. "Transgender Students." "Students Affected by Achievement Gaps." While it is possible that some educators may use achievement gap in reference to individual student achievement, it is more likely that a term such as learning gap will be used: achievement gap nearly always refers to disparities of achievement between or among student groups. American College Testing. Over the years, the major reasons given for the claimed superior attainments of … Accessed Sept. 18, 2020. Students from high-poverty schools don't receive equal government funding. Neither can a school affect other factors that influence the achievement gap such as family income, the students’ diet, language, and mobility. Accessed Sept. 18, 2020. For example, over half have of LGBTQ students have experienced slurs, sexual harassment, or violence because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. National Girls Collaborative Project. "The Science of Sex Differences in Science and Mathematics." Unfortunately, the growing achievement gaps in Washington, D.C. and Maryland make it even less likely that students attending HBCUs are prepared on day one of college. This article was sponsored by Istation and not written by the EdSurge editorial staff. Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Accessed Sept. 18, 2020. … "How Well Are American Students Learning?" Affluent Women of Color More Likely to Invest in 2020, 2020 Presidential Candidates: Biden vs. Trump and Their Policies, How Equity in Education Impacts the Economy, Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Milestones and Their Impact on Financial Equality, The Economic and Health Impact of Going Back to School, The True Cause of Income Inequality in America, Racial Equity Could Add $5 Trillion to the Economy, How Structural Inequality Stifles the America Dream, Identifying Factors That Contribute to Achievement Gaps, The Economic Cost of the US Education Gap, Comparability of State and Local Expenditures Among Schools Within Districts: A Report From the Study of School-Level Expenditures, Separate and Unequal: The Neighborhood Gap for Blacks, Hispanics and Asians in Metropolitan America, The Role of Schooling in Perpetuating Educational Inequality: An International Perspective, Addressing the Inequitable Distribution of Teachers: What It Will Take to Get Qualified, Effective Teachers in All Communities, Leaving Boys Behind: Gender Disparities in High Academic Achievement, Dynamics of the Gender Gap in High Math Achievement. She writes about the U.S. Economy for The Balance. The gap in achievement across racial and ethnic groups has been a focus of education research for decades, but the disproportionate suspension and expulsion of Black, Latino, and American Indian students has received less attention. In 1989, the National Council ofTeachers of Math ematics issued Curriculum and Evaluation Standards This exposure has not only raised awareness about the existence of achievement gaps, but it has contributed to increased scrutiny of student achievement—specifically, the achievement of students on the lower end of an achievement gap—and growing calls to address the problem. Accessed Sept. 18, 2020. Accessed Sept. 18, 2020. The largest gender achievement gap occurred in English Composition I and College Algebra. | Learn more ». The gap between white and black scores on the LSAT in 2013 was a 1.06 standard deviation. The educational achievement gap in the United States exists in and out of the classroom, and extends from the earliest years of childhood across the lifespan. Accessed Sept. 18, 2020. Accessed Sept. 18, 2020. "Same-Sex Sexuality and Educational Attainment: The Pathway to College." However, the study contradicts research suggesting that socioeconomic achievement gaps have substantially widened in recent years. "Addressing the Inequitable Distribution of Teachers: What It Will Take to Get Qualified, Effective Teachers in All Communities," Page 1. Female students test better than male students in reading, have higher grade point averages, and a higher rate of acceptance into college., The opposite is true for math and science. In the U.S., the definitions of these groups have changed over the years. Structural inequality is another culprit perpetuating the achievement gap. "Dynamics of the Gender Gap in High Math Achievement." The pandemic could widen the achievement gap. The structure of the American system of public schooling and teacher preparation contributing to lower academic performance in comparison to some higher-performing, Do you know what it means when data is disaggregated? The school can encourage students’ interest in education and involve the family when possible. Accessed August 6, 2020. Over a lifetime, Americans with college degrees earn 84% more than those with only high school degrees., A 2018 Federal Reserve study evaluated the contributions of several demographic factors to family income and wealth. For the 10 year period 1998-2008, U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) would have been $525 billion higher in 2008 if there were no race-based achievement gap. Among Top Math Students, Why Does a Gender Gap Persist? Because Black and Hispanic families are disproportionately impacted by poverty, they too are disproportionately affected by achievement gaps, scoring lower on achievement tests and other academic pursuits. Many other federal, state, and institutional policies—such as universal access to free public preschools or affirmative action in postsecondary admission decisions—represent additional efforts intended to address achievement gaps. It can hire experienced teachers and make sure they are sensitive to cultural issues. "Trends in Achievement Gaps in First-Year College Courses for Racial/Ethnic, Income, and Gender Subgroups: A 12-Year Study," Page 28. Department of Education. Accessed Sept. 18, 2020. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. A privately held, Texas based company, originally called Imagination Station, that delivers an adaptive reading program for students Pre-K through grade 10. The disproportionate representation of minority and lower-income students in the lowest-achieving schools, lower-level academic classes, and courses taught by the least experienced or effective teachers. Accessed Sept. 18, 2020. Achievement gaps are strongly correlated with racial gaps in income, poverty rates, unemployment rates, and educational attainment. As shown in the above chart, the gap in reading performance between the 90th percentile and the 10th percentile of U.S. 12th graders is at its … There are many factors at play in the creation and perpetuation of the achievement gap, including school funding, teacher education, and … Accessed Sept. 18, 2020. The achievement gap is an extremely nuanced and complicated issue that would be impossible to break down completely, but the underlying and overwhelming factor causing the achievement gap is money. The Balance uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. "Identifying Factors That Contribute to Achievement Gaps." By the time children of color are 3 or 4, they are already behind their White and East Asian counterparts. A school can improve class size and school safety. While the controversial legislation is the object of ongoing national debate, one stated intent is to identify, address, and ultimately eliminate achievement gaps. Yet even as landmark government decisions such as Brown v. Board of Educationhelped bring racial minority educational dis… For a related discussion, see. "Racial and Ethnic Achievement Gaps." Half of the states with the 10 best economies also have the best education scores. "Among Top Math Students, Why Does a Gender Gap Persist?" How the Achievement Gap Affects Students (And the Rest of Us), Factors That Influence Educational Achievement, Economic Impact of Educational Achievement Gaps, How to Close the Racial Wealth Gap in the United States, Black and Latinx Home-Value Gaps Smallest Since 2007, Beat High College Costs With a Tuition Waiver, Top 10 States in Education With the Best Education. Almost 60% of transgender students could not use the bathroom that conformed to their gender identity., LGBTQ high school students experience higher truancy, lower grades, and lower expectations to complete high school or college. High-school students who experience same-sex sexuality are less likely to complete college, but men who experience same-sex sexuality in college do not face this gap., A McKinsey study estimates that the achievement gap has cost the U.S. economy more than all recessions since the 1970s combined.. The achievement gap continues to exist in urban public schools. Journal of LGBT Youth. This is because education increases the income that generates greater economic growth. University of Pennsylvania Wharton School. American Sociological Review. Similarly, the states that were wealthier have better education scores. The achievement gap between high- and low-income students was even larger, at $400 billion to $670 billion, 3 to 5 percent of GDP. Find out with the latest Ed Term of the Week:…. 6, May 2001. National Association of Secondary School Principals. "The Role of Schooling in Perpetuating Educational Inequality: An International Perspective." Accessed Sept. 18, 2020. "Girls, Boys, and Reading." The research shows that, although there are brain differences, it doesn’t necessarily mean boys’ brains are "hardwired" against reading. Other research shows that environmental factors also influence neurological predispositions., Some studies indicate that boys avoid liberal arts because society says reading is feminine, and many boys are steered toward sports rather than academics., Similarly, girls have been historically guided toward home economics classes instead of science, math, or economics. Even today, there are many stereotypes that discourage girls from taking STEM classes, and research has found that science and math teachers give boys more help in those areas.. 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