Front Page / Issue Briefs / Education & Children, Youth and Families / Achievement Gap / USA
Issue Brief
Achievement Gap - USA
Scope of the Problem factual statements on the extent of the problem in the past, current, or future
Long-term trends of reading levels -- age 9(light grey), age 13(dark grey), age 17(black)
Data
Such disparities are also evident in graduation rate and college success statistics. While 72 percent of white students enrolled in 9th grade graduated from high school on schedule in 2001, this was true for only just over half of the same group of black and Hispanic students (Greene, 2003). According to the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (2001), while 30 of every 100 white kindergartners go on to graduate from college, only 16 of every 100 black kindergartners later earn bachelor's degrees. In 2000, the U.S. Department of Education released data showing that black and Hispanic kindergartners already trailed their white and Asian-American counterparts on tests of general knowledge and early-reading and math skills (U.S. Department of Education, 2000b).
Problems within Schools
Schools have different tracks or levels of lessons within grades that are supposed to be tailored for different types of learners. While the tracking system helps some students, it proves to be detrimental to others.
- Emphasis is put on socioeconomic status and minority students are often over-represented in the lower tracks
- Hispanic and African American students are often placed at the bottom of the track because of preconcieved expectations of their potential
- this expectations are called institutional racism
- modern researchers are labeling these tracking systems to a new type of segregation within schools
- Once students are on lower tracks they generally have less-qualified teachers, a less challenging curriculum, and fewer opportunities to advance to a higher track
Past Policy & Program Milestones key legislation and milestones including significant policy and funding shifts, major studies, etc.
- No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (National Level).
Current Policy & Programs summary of current policies in the form of legislation, programs, and funding
- Recent changes in Federal education policy have put the spotlight on the achievement gap. The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) requires states to set the same performance targets for children:
- From economically disadvantaged families
- With disabilities
- With limited English proficiency
- From all major ethnic and racial groups
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Within a school, if any student subgroup persistently fails to meet performance targets, districts must provide public school choice and supplemental services to those students – and eventually restructure the school's governance. This is required even if the school performs well overall.
Key Organizations contacts for public and private organizations
- Government
- Executive Branch
- Legislative Branch
- Judicial Branch
- Non-Profit
- Service Providing
- Advocacy/Membership/Network
- Foundation
- Other these need to be organized into the above categories - Landis
- The Center for Educational Reform — Jeanne Allen, Founder and President 800-521-2118
- Teach for America — Wendy Kopp, Chief Executive Officer and Founder | Matthew Kramer, Chief Program Officer and President 800-832-1230
- Afterschool Alliance — Jodi Grant, Executive Director
- Boys and Girls Club of America — Roxanne Spillett, President and CEO, contact regional office
- National Center for Education Statistics — Stuart Kerachsky, Commisioner 202-502-7300
- US Department of Education — Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education in the Obama Administration 800-872-5327
- American Association of School Administrators — Daniel A. Domenech, Executive Director 703-528-0700
- The Education Trust — Kati Haycock, President 202-293-1217
- The Achievement Gap Initiative at Harvard University — Ron Ferguson, Director and Co-chair
- Pathways to College Network — Ann S. Coles, Director 202-861-8223
Bibliography web sites, reports, articles, and other reference material
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