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 Progress of Education Reform: Hispanic Achievement  PDF - This issue of The Progress of Education Reform summarizes several recent studies and analyses that shed new light on the dimensions, causes, and social and economic consequences of Hispanic underachievement. (Suzanne Weiss, The Progress of Education Reform, vol. 5, no. 3, Education Commission of the States, August 2004)...
The Progress of Education Reform: Closing the Achievement Gap PDF - This issue of The Progress of Education Reform
provides summaries of the latest research on the causes,
dimensions and effects of the achievement gap, along with
links to other sources of information. (Suzanne Weiss, The Progress of Education Reform, vol. 4, no. 1, Education Commission of the States, March 2003)...
 Gauging the Gaps: A Deeper Look at Student Achievement - Using state-level NAEP data, this brief illustrates the pitfalls in one-dimensional appraisals of achievement gaps. Analyzing the gaps from four perspectives is essential to gain a comprehensive, accurate picture of equity. (Anna Rowan, Daria Hall and Kati Haycock, The Education Trust, January 2010)...
Lost Opportunity: A 50 State Report on the Opportunity to Learn in America--National Summary Report - Analysis of state-collected education data reveals that 84% of states fail to provide students access to a moderately proficient public education system. The study analyzed student performance data reported by state departments of education to determine both the quality of and access to instruction provided across the United States. The results clearly show minority and low-income students have only half the opportunity to learn in our public schools as their White non-Latino peers. (Schott Foundation for Public Education, May 2009) ...
Economic Impact of the Achievement Gap in America's Schools - Many discussions have been held on the causes of the achievement gap and on what the nation should do to address it. We know there are four distinct achievement gaps: (1) Between the U.S. and other countries; (2) between white, black and Latino students; (3) between students in different income levels; and (4) between similar students schooled in different systems or regions. This report shines the spotlight on the economic impact of the achievement gap. The authors point out that the persistence of these educational achievement gaps imposes on the country the economic equivalent of a permanent national recession. (McKinsey and Company, April 2009)...
High Schools for Equity - At a time when the achievement gap in California is large and appears unchanging, some high schools are beating the odds. This paper documents the practices and outcomes of five urban high schools in California that do an extraordinary job of preparing their students for success in higher education, productive careers and a fulfilling life. The schools -- both district run and charters -- serve populations that are predominantly low-income students of color in California’s largest cities. This study focuses on policy conditions and supports that help to create and sustain these and other successful urban schools. (The School Redesign Network, November 2007)...
How Far Behind in Math and Reading are English Language Learners? - Based on the 2005 National Assessment of Educational Progress, this report compares standardized test scores of English language learner (ELL) students with white, black and Hispanic students. The data suggests ELL students are among the farthest behind in standardized testing, with about 51% of 8th grade ELL students behind whites in reading and math. Other data show significant gaps between ELL 4th graders and their white peers, and smaller, but considerable gaps compared to black and Hispanics students. The report also examines characteristics of limited English speaking students of different grade levels. (Richard Fry, Pew Hispanic Center, June 2007)...
Beating the Odds Assessment, Results from 2005-06: A City-By-City Analysis of Student Performance and Achievement Gaps on State Assessments - The seventh edition of this report shows that major urban districts continue to make important gains in math and reading scores on state assessments and may be narrowing achievement gaps. The report also looks at the lowest academic performance levels and at demographic data.
(Council of Great City Schools, April 2007)
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Charter High Schools: Closing the Achievement Gap - Closing the achievement gap between low-income, minority, and special needs students and their peers is a high priority for the nation’s schools. This study examines eight charter secondary schools that are having success toward that end. It looks at similarities between the schools and details their expectations such as a rigorous curriculum, college prep, personal accountability and mastery of subjects. (WestEd, U.S. Department of Education Office of Innovation and Improvement, October 2006)
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Achievement Gaps: An Examination of Differences in Student Achievement and Growth - White students in grades 3-8 perform better in reading and math than African-American and Hispanic students, and students from wealthier schools outperformed those from poorer schools, concludes this study. And when the growth of students who begin the school year at the same skill level is compared, minority students grew less than white students and those from poor schools grew less than those from wealthier ones. The study also looked at changes that occur during the summer. Although some students made some progress over the summer, others, especially those with higher skills, lost ground academically. When students with comparable skills at the end of the school year were measured the following fall, African American and Hispanic students grew less or lost more ground than their white peers, and students from poor schools grew less or lost more ground than comparable students from wealthier schools. (Martha S. McCall, Carl Hauser, John Cronin, G. Gage Kingsbury and Ronald Houser. Northwest Evaluation Association. November 2006) A Research Brief also is available. ...
Closing the Achievement Gap Series: Part II Response to Intervention (RTI) Basic Elements, Practical Applications, and Policy Recommendations - Response to Intervention (RTI) refers to an integrated, schoolwide method of service delivery across general and special education that promotes successful school outcomes for all students. This brief provides a broad overview of RTI, beginning with a discussion of the impetus behind RTI, which stems from flaws in the current special education system and specifically in the ability-achievement model for identifying learning disabilities. Next, the authors describe the principal components of RTI and highlight several model RTI programs around the country and provide policy recommendations for the implementation of RTI in Indiana. (Rebecca S. Martínez, Leah M. Nellis, and Kelly A. Prendergast, Center for Evaluation and Education Policy, Fall 2006)
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Yes We Can: Telling Truths and Dispelling Myths About Race and Education in America - This report soundly rejects the myth that low academic achievement is inevitable among children of color and students from low-income families and provides examples of high-minority and high-poverty schools where children perform at high levels. (The Education Trust, September 2006)
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Closing Educational Achievement Gaps for Latina/o Students in Utah - At a time when diversity in Utah’s communities and schools has increased to historically high levels, particularly among the Latina/o community, current federal mandates require greater state, district and school accountability for addressing gaps in performance. The two sections of this paper: (1) describe the Utah political context, delineating the burgeoning Latina/o student populations across the state and reporting achievement gaps data; and (2) argue for more effective leadership, a centering of a social justice culture and values and call for a comprehensive policy framework aimed at initiating a discourse amongst policymakers, educational and community leaders and parents. (Enrique Aleman and Andrea K. Rorrer, Centro de la Familia de Utah, September 2006)
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Effective Preschool Curricula and Teaching Strategies - This report features lessons from research and practice about curricular and teacher support strategies that are key to reducing the achievement gap for young, low-income children. The report argues that a special focus on curriculum and teaching strategies in preschool programs is important for two reasons: (1) many low-income children in early learning settings fall behind early and remain very much behind their peers in reading and math; (2) closing the achievement gap depends greatly on providing teachers with the professional development and supports that can help them more effectively promote early literacy and early math in the context of nurturing and emotionally supportive classrooms. Also available online is an executive summary. (Lisa Klein and Jane Knitzer, National Center for Children in Poverty, September 2006)
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Reforms That Could Help Narrow the Achievement Gap - Policymakers almost universally conclude that persistent achievement gaps must result from wrongly designed school policies – either expectations that are too low, teachers who are insufficiently qualified, curricula that are badly designed, classes that are too large, school climates that are too undisciplined, leadership that is too unfocused or a combination of these. This report argues that an exclusive focus on schooling is wrong, and that without complementary investments in early childhood preparation, health care, housing, after-school and summer programs and other social and economic supports, the achievement gap will never be closed. (Richard Rothstein, WestEd, 2006)
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Helping Children Move from Bad Schools to Good Ones - This brief summarizes the challenges related to educating students in schools with high concentrations of poverty, reviews local efforts to address these challenges and offers a guide for specific changes to the No Child Left Behind Act that would provide the opportunity for more children to attend economically integrated middle-class public schools. (Richard D. Kahlenberg, The Century Foundation, June 2006)
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Closing the Achievement Gap: An Overview - This Infobrief is part of a series intended to provide guidance for policymakers and practitioners seeking to successfully address achievement gap issues. The "overview" examines the achievement gap and its many causes and presents a set of policy recommendations. According to the author, such an examination hopefully will lead to a deeper understanding of what is needed to close the gap — namely, a comprehensive set of strategies that consider the whole child: developmental years, physical and emotional health, and supportive family and community structures, as well as schooling issues. (Anne Rogers Poliakoff, Association of Supervision, Curriculum and Development, January 2006)
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Parsing the Achievement Gap: Baselines for Tracking Progress - Gaps in school achievement among racial and ethnic groups and between low-income and higher-income students are well documented. This publication examines the conditions that help create and perpetuate these gaps and identifies 14 factors that correlate to student achievement. "Before and Beyond School" factors include: birth weight, lead poisoning, hunger and nutrition, reading to young children, television watching, parent availability, student mobility and parent participation. "In School" factors include: rigor of curriculum, teacher experience and attendance, teacher preparation, class size, technology-assisted instruction and school safety. Statistical data indicated that children's experience with each factor differed based on race/ethnicity and income. A larger purpose of this framework is to encourage a periodic assessment of progress in closing gaps on each factor between student groups. (Paul E. Barton, Educational Testing Service, October 2003)...
Achievement Gaps and Correlates of Early Mathematics Achievement: Evidence from the ECLS K–First Grade Sample - In light of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, this 2005 study estimates mathematics achievement gaps in different subgroups of kindergartners and first graders, and identifies child and school-level correlates and moderators of early mathematics achievement. This is the latest volume of Education Policy Analysis Archives published by the University of South Florida’s College of Education. The study found significant mathematics achievement gaps in Hispanics, African Americans and high-poverty students at the end of kindergarten. At the end of grade 1, mathematics gaps were significant in African-American, high-poverty, and female subgroups, but not in Hispanics. (Madhabi Chatterji, College of Education, University of South Florida, 2005)...
Examining Gaps in Mathematics Achievement Among Racial-Ethnic Groups, 1972-1992 - This report examines several nationally representative senior high school student cohorts between the early 1970s and early 1990s to understand trends in mathematics scores among black, Latino and white students. Main research questions addressed include: (1) test score changes of blacks, Latinos and whites between the early 1970s and early 1990s; (2) changes in selected family and school measures; (3) the extent to which changes in these measures associated with convergence of the black-white and Latino-white test score gaps occurring during this period; and (4) the policy implications arising from the empirical analysis. A summary of the report also is available. (Mark Berends, Samuel R. Lucas, Thomas Sullivan and R.J. Briggs, RAND, June 2005)...
Names, Expectations and the Black-White Test Score Gap - This paper examines the role of teacher expectations in affecting the black-white test score gap, investigating whether teachers treat children differently on the basis of factors other than observed ability – specifically student names - and whether this differential treatment translates into differences in student outcomes. The author finds that students with names having attributes of lower socioeconomic status score lower on standardized tests, even when compared to siblings whose names have fewer indicators. This outcome negatively affects black children more frequently, as they tend to have names with more attributes associated with lower socioeconomic status. The author makes a comparison to Asian children, finding that students with identifiable Asian names tend to face higher teacher expectations and also tended to score higher on examinations. (David N. Figlio, University of Florida and the National Bureau of Economic Research, March 2005)...
Middle School Practices Improve Student Achievement in High Poverty Schools - The purpose of this study is to establish a relationship between team and classroom practices and student achievement as measured by standardized test scores. The authors find that income level of student families is the predominant influence on student achievement, but that schools can ameliorate this through several combined factors: (1) implementation of interdisciplinary teaming and common planning time; (2) higher levels of team and classroom practices; and (3) sustained engagement in teaming by teachers. (Steven B. Mertens and Nancy Flowers, Middle School Journal, September 2003)...
Closing the Gap: High Achievement for Students of Color - This four-page brief summarizes the research on causes of the achievement gap and provides examples of successful programs—all offering “a demanding curriculum and a strong social support system”—that are closing the gap at the elementary, middle, high school and postsecondary levels. Graphics on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading scores for grades 4 and 8 from 1994 to 2002 indicate gains have been made in narrowing the achievement gap, but also that more work remains to be done. (American Educational Research Association, Research Points, Fall 2004)...
Inside the Black Box of High-Performing High-Poverty Schools - This report studies the characteristics and practices of eight schools in Kentucky whose student populations were at least 50% free/reduced lunch and who had a small or nonexistent achievement gap while faring well in the state’s testing and accountability system. The auditors identified seven shared attributes among these schools —including collaborative decision-making by non-authoritarian principals and strong academic, instructional focus — as well as some unexpected results. One unexpected finding: “the ratings of low-performing schools on leadership did not differ appreciably from those of high-performing schools.” (Patricia J. Kannapel and Stephen K. Clements, with Diana Taylor and Terry Hibpshman, The Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, February 2005)...
Closing the Racial Achievement Gap: The Role of Reforming Instructional Practices - This study applies the technique of Hierarchical Linear Modeling to a nationally representative sample of 13,000 fourth graders who took the 2000 National Assessment of Educational Progress in mathematics to identify instructional practices that reduce the achievement gap. The author concludes that instructional practices can affect within-school gaps but not between-school gaps and that the practices that make the most difference are in specific topic areas, such as instruction on measurement and working with data. (Harold Wenglinsky, Education Policy Analysis Archives, November 2004) ...
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Selected Research & Readings
