THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT GAP: OLD REMEDIES OR NEW

Elin McGuire

Requirement for EDUC 610Summer 2010

The Graduate SchoolHoly Family University

The Academic Achievement Gap Privatization of Schools Ch 10

FOR MAINTAINING EXISTING PROGRAMS POSITION 1

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MAINTAINING EXISTING PROGRAMSThe Academic Achievement Gap

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) testing program established in 1969 Monitored 9, 13, and 17 year olds Reading, Math, Science, and Writing

20th Century Some students incapable of mastering standard

curriculum Students of color genetically or culturally inferior Southerners justified segregation

After World War II Racial attitudes changed Civil rights organizations Discrimination prevented students from similar

education of the white student Over the last 35 years, laws and programs were

designed to make equal opportunity education

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MAINTAINING EXISTING PROGRAMS

The Academic Achievement Gap Stats……

75% of African American and Latino students receive high school diplomas

10% to 12 % of students of color who drop out earn GED

4Xs as many African American and 5Xs as many Latino students take SATs as did in 1996

The number of African American students attending college has doubled in the last 35 years

The number of Latino students attending college has quadrupled

The gap in NAEP reading test results in African American student has decreased by half and in Latino students has decreased by 38%

The gap in NAEP math test results in African American student has decreased by 45% and in Latino students has decreased by 40%

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MAINTAINING EXISTING PROGRAMSIntegration Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas

Law assigning students to schools based on race was unconstitutional Segregated schools could never be equal Violated the 14th amendment that all Americans deserved equal

protection

Students of Spanish heritage were presumed “deficient” since instruction was in English Mendez v. Westminister – desegregation of schools

In the south, school districts closed down rather than integrate

New private schools created exempt from desegregation

Crowd control

Housing patterns

Violent protests

Integration has become difficult to maintain

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MAINTAINING EXISTING PROGRAMSHead Start

In 1965, Congress funded Head Start, a program for poor pre-school children to become school ready Effective – children start school more ready to learn, like school, try

to do their best, and get along with others

Underfunded

Half of the eligible children were enrolled

1 million of the poorest children never received Head Start benefits

In 2003 Head Start was not reauthorized by Congress – funding was frozen for 6 years – by 2008 only 40% of eligible children were enrolled.

Reauthorized bill passed in 2007 – the program had been cut by $10 million and no catch-up money allocated.

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MAINTAINING EXISTING PROGRAMS

Title I

In 1965 Congress passed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act Inequalities in educational opportunities were responsible for

the academic achievement gap between poor and privileged children and between white and students of color

Federal government provided financial assistance to school districts with larger number of low income families

In the 1980s received high levels of growth in funding

In the 1990s Title I was revised to reflect programs that benefit children, i.e. pull-out versus giving extra help

Title I reformed schools and promoted achievement, NCLB Act sets the bar higher and funding for Title I has not kept pace with demand

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MAINTAINING EXISTING PROGRAMSAffirmative Action

Remedy past discriminatory practices

People of color were denied employment and educational opportunities because of race or ethnicity

Equal protection under the 14th Amendment

Affirmative Action is meant to break the cycle of outlawing prejudice and start a process of creating equal opportunity

Helped to narrow the gap of academic achievement and benefited all students Diverse populations experience academic gains Increase number of interactions among racial and ethical

groups leading to greater understanding of people Survey results indicate diversity experience helped

professionally and personally

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FOR INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONSPOSITION 2

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INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS

Reconsidering the Academic Achievement Gap

Differences in academic achievement between white and African-American and Latino has been ongoing

Progress made between 1970 and 1980 – since then has stalled

Gains have been lost

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INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS

Sociocultural

Segregation Discrimination Poverty Parent low level

education Lack of financial

resources Child-rearing practices Linguistic differences

School Related

Racially isolated Forced integration Affirmative Action

programs Obligated to “act white”

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Blaming the Victims

INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS

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Blaming the Victims

Quality and experience of teachers; standards of instruction and accountability; relations between family, community and educational personnel are the most likely explanation

Nearly 2 million of the 5.6 million American children living in extreme poverty are black, and 1.6 million are Latino

INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONSSchool-Related Causes of the Academic

Achievement Gap

Teachers had low expectations of students of color

Teachers did not search for instructional strategies

Attended schools preparing students of color for industrial jobs that may no longer exist

Less likely to attend schools preparing students of color in math and science

Lack of parent involvement due to school practices

High mobility rates

Cultural differences

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INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONSClosing the Academic Achievement Gap:New Solutions

NCLB Use the federal government to help all students meet more

challenging standards State and local accountability for student progress Greater freedom for innovation where students receive

instruction and support they need to meet high standards Highly qualified teachers Allows for funding to improve communications improving

the connection between families and schools

More students in low-poverty schools are being taught by high qualified teachers

Long-term trend National Assessment of Education Progress is closing

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POSITION QUESTIONS

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Do we have a social responsibility to maintain and support programs that will close the academic achievement gap?

Does eliminating “old remedies” mean we may be taking a step backwards or are old remedies no longer viable?

Is changing to new innovative solutions, changing with the times?

THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT GAPTHE J. MCDONALD WILLIAMS INSTITUTE HTTP://WWW.THEWILLIAMSINSTITUTE.ORG/PORTALS/10/EDUCATION/ACADEMIC%20ACHIEVEMENT%20GAP.PDF.

Fourth and Eighth Grade Standardized Test Scores The most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) data for mathematics and reading assessments indicate marked achievement gaps at both the fourth and eighth grade levels across racial and ethnic groups. Throughout the United States, as in Texas (Figures 1 and 2), African Americans and Hispanics score lower on standardized assessments than White and Asian students.

However, the minority achievement gap is not present only in underfunded urban schools. Rather, minorities in suburban schools, which are presumably well funded, perform at lower levels than non-minorities in reading proficiency exams taken by 13-year-olds (Levine & The Academic Achievement Gap 4 Eubanks, 1990). The gap was even present when parents’ college attendance was held constant, which suggests a more multifaceted relationship.

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THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT GAPTHE J. MCDONALD WILLIAMS INSTITUTE HTTP://WWW.THEWILLIAMSINSTITUTE.ORG/PORTALS/10/EDUCATION/ACADEMIC%20ACHIEVEMENT%20GAP.PDF.

Self Identification Verbal

Math

American Indian or Alaskan Native 483 488

Asian, Asian American, or Pacific Islander 507 577

Black or African-American 430 427

Mexican or Mexican-American 451 458

Puerto Rico 457 452

Latin American, South/Central American, Other Hispanic, Latino

461 465

White 528 531

Other 494 508

No Response 522 535

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RESOURCESCharles, C., Fischer, M., Mooney, M., & Massey, D. (2009). Affirmative-Action Programs for Minority

Students: Right in Theory, Wrong in Practice. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 55(29), A29-30. Retrieved July 25, 2010, from H. W. Wilson database (Education Full Text).

Cobb, C., & Glass, G. (2009). School Choice in a Post-Desegregation World. Peabody Journal of Education, 84(2), 262-78. doi: 10.1080/01619560902810187,,Retrieved July 25, 2010, from H. W. Wilson database (Education Full Text).

Metz, S. (2010). Closing the Academic Achievement Gap. The Science Teacher, 77(3), 6. Retrieved July 25, 2010, from H. W. Wilson database (Education Full Text).

Nelson, J.; Palonsky, S. & McCarthy, M. Seigel, B. (2010). Critical Issues in Education. New York: McGraw Hill.

NGA Center for Best Practices (2010). Closing the Achievement Gap. Retrieved July 25, 2010, from http://www.subnet.nga.org/educlear/achievement/.

The J. McDonald Williams Institute (2006). The Academic Gap. Retrieved July 25, 2010, from http://www.thewilliamsinstitute.org/Portals/10/Education/Academic%20Achievement%20Gap.pdf.

Viadero, D. (2010). Researchers Argue Head Start Study Delayed, Ignored. Education Week, 29(28), 12. Retrieved July 23, 2010, from H. W. Wilson database (Education Full Text).

Vinci, Y. (2010). The Head Start Study: A Closer Examination. Education Week, 29(27), 27. Retrieved July 25, 2010, from H. W. Wilson database (Education Full Text).

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