Handbook of Research in Education Finance and Policy

Abstract

INTRODUCTION Racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in academic achievement remain a stubborn feature of U.S. schooling. National studies consistently show that the average Hispanic student and non-Hispanic black student scores well below the average nonHispanic white student on standardized tests of math and reading skills. Likewise, the average student from a low-income family scores much lower on such tests than students from higher-income families. Considerable attention has been focused on achievement gaps, particularly the black-white achievement gap. Scholars and educators have suggested a number of possible explanations for the gaps, and policymakers, principals, and teachers have tried a range of remedies. As this chapter documents, however, the gaps persist despite these eff orts. Moreover, our understanding of the causes and patterns of these achievement gaps is far from complete.