The achievement gap is often described as the academic discrepancy in the test scores of minority and other low-income students and the test scores in their White and Asian peers. However the gap in scores affect many different groups across many different walks of life in America. Different groups may trail behind their peers at different points in their academic careers. Classic examples are boys in their early years of schooling and girls in high school math and sciences. The differences between students from various backgrounds are more apparent on the large-scale standardized tests. The gaps in test scores more than often lead to longer-term gaps, including high school and college completion and even in the kinds of jobs these students are able to maintain as adults. The achievement gap has been part of the American school system since the early days of schooling. It used to be that the rich kids would do better because they had time to focus on their studies wherein the poor farm kids would have to go home and help on the farm. These poor kids would not get to study as much as the rich kids and therefore they would not do near as well in the classroom. A lot of the time the parents of the poor children did not understand why their kids were being forced to go to school instead of being made to help them harvest crops which would have been a much better use of their time. Schools have gone through many phases in American history since their debut circa 1635 in the Colonies. First only boys were allowed to go, then only white boys and white girls, then other ethnic groups were allowed to join in, and now it is absolutely mandatory for every single child that inhabits the United States to attend school. You would ... ... middle of paper ... ...% as possible. That should be the way we measure the how good our schools are. That is the true test on how are schools are succeeding. How many students live they improve. The number one role our schools should play in a student’s life is to make them improve themselves. Academically, socially, mentally, physically, all of these are important in making our students better people. Who knows that poor black kid that doesn’t want to try in your class could invent the next life-changing invention? Or, maybe the same kid could go on to be a great athlete, president, CEO, or maybe even you will have such an affect on your life he will want to grow up and be a teacher. So that he can do the same to some other student of his. Isn’t that the best way to improve our school districts for the better? Instill the hunger to learn in our students that will never be sated?
The Achievement Gap in America has separated and divided America's youth into more or less, two different cultures of socioeconomic placement. The first being the predominantly Caucasian students at American elementary schools, high schools, and colleges that excel greatly in their education. Most of the time earning them middle to upper class jobs in the economy, the aforementioned group contrasts significantly with its opposite culture of American youth. The second culture, the population that is mostly made up of the minority races, takes it's place in the American education system as the population of students who are less interested in getting a decent education and taking advantage of the resources that are offered, for various underlying reasons. This in turn manufactures less people of this type of culture to be readily available for higher paying jobs, and often times unemployable for a job at all. The Achievement Gap in America is influenced by many cultural, environmental, and socioeconomic factors that separate lower and higher achieving students based on these factors, and leave a high amount of unemployed Americans as a result, if not incarcerated or deceased.
The achievement gap is defined as the disparity between the performance groups of students, especially groups defined by gender, race/ethnicity, ability and socio-economic status. The achievement gap can be observed through a variety of measures including standardized test scores, grade point averages, drop out rates, college enrollment and completion rates. The Black-White achievement gap is a critical issue in modern society’s education system. Although data surrounding the issue clearly indicates that the racial performance gap exists in areas of standardized tests, graduation rates, dropout rates, and enrollment in continuing education, the causative reasons for the gap are ambiguous—therefore presenting a significant challenge in regard to the most effective way to close the gap. The gap appears before children enter kindergarten and it persists into adulthood (Jencks 1998). Since 1970, the gap has decreased about 40 percent, but has steadily grown since. Theories suggest the Black-White achievement gap is created by a multitude of social, cultural, and economic factors as well as educational opportunities and/or learning experiences. Factors such as biased testing, discrimination by teachers, test anxiety among black students, disparities between blacks and whites in income or family structure, and genetic and cultural differences between blacks and whites have all been evaluated as explanations for the Black-White achievement gap (Farkas 2004). The research that follows will elaborate on these factors as they affect the decline in academic performance of black males—particularly the literacy achievement of black males.
One may believe that the achievement gaps are not improving; however, that is not the case as explained by Diane Ravitch in her essay “The Facts About Achievement Gaps”. The achievement gaps have actually improved over the past decades. The achievement gaps are gaps in the academic level of each student or their ethnicity. The test scores of most minority student have been gradually increasing due to the availability of schools regardless of ethnicity; therefore, it has led to a gradual increase in the students test scores, but now the achievement gap is steady and not increasing or decreasing. In her article Diane Ravitch clearly explains the steps that need to be taken into account in order to close the gaps. She says that it is the schools
A minority student is generally classified as belonging to a lower-income family than the average white American, who is classified by earning a higher income. A student belonging to a low-income family will not have the same opportunities as a student from a high-income background. A student from a high-income family will be able to afford more study aids and supplies. A student from a low-income family, generally a minority, does not have access to these resources. Because they frequently cannot afford the same materials as their white counterparts, they generally do not perform as strongly on standardized tests. Wealthy families are generally very well educated. They have greater knowledge of how to guide their children in the right direction for academic success. Some can afford a private school with better teachers and a more comfortable learning environment. Paying for college is easier, and academics often take greater priority in these well-to-do households. Usually, poorer families have a harder time paying for college and supporting their children. Schools in low-income areas tend to lack funding for good teachers and supplies because of their financial situation. More often than not, the main goal of these families is to have their children get through high school so that they can begin ea...
Tests measuring students’ achievement demonstrate that particular groups of students score far below students of other groups. Records indicate that the discrepancy in the academic dominance of certain groups over other groups is strongly associated with socio-economic status, with lower achieving students typically hailing from increased poverty-stricken backgrounds. While poverty is exclusive to no one particular ethnicity, it exists in disproportionately high rates among Hispanic and Black communities and their students. The root of this gap in educational achievement has been shown to be multi-faceted, with origins undoubtedly dating back centuries (EdSource, 2003).
The issue of equality in education is not a new problem. In 1787, our federal government required all territories petitioning for statehood to provide free education for all citizens. As part of this requirement, every state constitution included, “an education clause, which typically called for a “thorough and efficient” or “uniform” system of public schools” (School Funding 6). Despite this requirement, a “uniform” system of schools has yet to be achieved in this country for a variety of reasons, many of which I will discuss later on. During the early part of th...
One important lesson of the past decade, however, is just how difficult it is to close longstanding achievement gaps experienced by students from low-income families, students with disabilities, English Learners, and racial and ethnic minorities. We know from research that these gaps often start during the first years of life, even before children enter our education system, with children from low-income families starting kindergarten, on average, 12 to 14 months behind their peers in language development and pre-reading skills.
...it, set higher aspirations, have better attendance, come to class more prepared to learn, and have fewer behavior problems” (Robbins and Alvy, 2009, p.178). These achievable improvements should be priority for school districts.
Perry, E and Francis, B., 2010. The social class gap for educational achievement: a review of the literature. [online] RSA projects. Available at: [accessed 12 January 2014].
. . . African American, Latino/a, and Native American students score less well on standardized tests. [Achievement] gaps persist in additional levels of achievement, such as grades and class rank. . . . In addition, African American students are more likely to be placed in special education classes and, once placed, are less likely to be mainstreamed or returned to regular classes (Davis, 96).
What role do you believe a counselor should take in closing the achievement gap? Is this an issue strictly for teachers and administrators? What specific strategies could a counselor use to be a part of closing the achievement gap? Use information from the required reading (as well as other research you can find), but also try to be creative and think of a strategy in addition to the ones you have read. Locate, read, and cite at least three journal articles in your response to these assignments.
Inequality between male and female existed from the beginning of human civilization and still not be solved in today’s modern society. Discrimination is coming from social classes, and people always look down upon others in lower level. Although women are doing well in education and schooling, they are still facing inequality in work and society. So women will be in lower classes and be discriminated. The government and women still need work on this.
World renown education reformer John Dewey once said "Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself." Such a statement holds quite the deal of weight when put on the scale of betterment. Although, research would tell a story of educational inequality that could be a death-blow to the lives of the very children caught in the midst of social discrepancies if Dewey 's quote is anything to refer to. Sociologist James Coleman and journalist Jonathan Kozol went out into the world of social variations at two drastically differing time periods in America in many walks of life. However, their findings would release the inhibitions and enlightenment within people living in wealthy communities with the assumption that education is an
In society, education can be seen as a foundation for success. Education prepares people for their careers and allows them to contribute to society efficiently. However, there is an achievement gap in education, especially between Hispanics and Blacks. In other words, there is education inequality between these minorities and white students. This achievement gap is a social problem in the education system since this is affecting many schools in the United States. As a response to this social problem, the No Child Left Behind Act was passed to assist in closing this achievement gap by holding schools more accountable for the students’ progress. Unsuccessful, the No Child Left Behind Act was ineffective as a social response since schools were pushed to produce high test scores in order to show a student’s academic progress which in turn, pressured teachers and students even more to do well on these tests.
...ke school something that the students can look back on and think that it was a meaningful time where they learned a lot about life instead of a time where they thought they would have a break down because they got a low score on a test. School should be a time to make mistakes in a safe environment that they can learn from, not a place that they are petrified to make a mistake for fear of retribution on their grade cards. Its time to change the school system to save future students from becoming stress crazed and to let them know that there is more to this world than a grade card and in the long run it is a very small fraction of life.