The Achievement Gap

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Dylan Ingalsbe
The Gap

According to The Glossary of Education Reform, an achievement gap is defined as “any significant and persistent disparity in academic performance or educational attainment between different groups of students”( Great Schools Partnership ). In America, the achievement gap between the students of higher and lower income level families is far too substantial. In layman's terms, the income achievement gap is how much worse students from less-wealthy families, in the 10th percentile, are doing than children of wealthy families, at the 90th percentile. A study by Stanford University indicates that from 1976 to 2001 the income gap between high and low income families has widened and in response, so has the achievement gap (Reardon, Stanford University, 9). According to a study by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in 2012, 50.9% of low income students who graduated high school attended a 2-4 year college, down from 58.4% in 2007 (Desilver). Here it is evident that the gap is only getting worse over time. This is also assuming that they even graduate high school. According to another study by NCES, 7.4% of low income students dropped out of high school in 2009, 5 times greater than the amount of high income students who dropped out (Chapman, 18). The achievement gap’s grasp on the American education system is prevalent especially in California. According to a study by the organization, Innovate Public Schools, in Silicon Valley, roughly 43% of fourth graders are proficient in Algebra. However only 23% of low income students in Silicon Valley meet this standard (Jacobs 3). This means that 74% of these low income students will not be able to take Calculus level math by senior year and be less abl...

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...ition known as chronic stress ( ASCD, Chapter 2 ). This stress that low-income students are subject to can cause a variety of barriers that inhibit their performance at school. According to ASCD, Chronic stress is known to impair concentration and attention in students. (ASCD, Chapter 2) This means that lower income students will be more likely to not pay attention during class or when the teacher is instructing. As well as this behavior is generally not considered “good” behavior for students, it will make an impact in the student’s test scores. In this way, the effect of the achievement gap that lower income students are stressed and not being able to concentrate in school, will cause the test scores of lower income students will go down. This displays a potential explanation for why low income students students are doing poorly compared to high income students.

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