Attainment Gap Research Articles

Tackling the disadvantaged attainment gap in early years

June O’Sullivan, CEO of the London Early Years Foundation (LEYF) discusses the attainment gap between advantaged and disadvantaged children in early years and how practitioners in LEYF settings are trying to combat it.

Cluster analysis of socio-economic factors and academic performance of school students

The objective of the paper is to examine the academic performance of students’ vis-a-vis socio-economic factors using clustering analysis. The grades obtained in the 10<sup>th</sup> class are taken as the measure of academic performance. The variables such gender, caste, parental education and occupation. are considered as the socio-economic indicators. Three clustering algorithems are employed. The K-medoid performs better in the validation process to form the groupings based on intra-cluster homogeneity and inter-cluster heterogeneity. The clustering analysis results in two interesting groups of the students. One of the clusters is dominated by the students of general category and the other one by the scheduled caste category. Next, the appropriate statistical tests are applied to determine the factors that significantly differ in the two clusters. Cluster analysis shows that caste, parents' education and occupation, and family income are the differentiating factors between the two groups. However, we are unable to establish significant difference between the academic performance of the two groups of students at a 5% significance. The research carried out in this paper may be beneficial for making policies to bridge the gap in the educational attainment of the students from deprived sections of society.

Examining the Black Gender Gap in Educational Attainment: The Role of Exclusionary School Discipline & Criminal Justice Contact

Abstract Black men and women have different levels of average educational attainment, yet few studies have focused on explaining how and why these patterns develop. One explanation may be inequality in experiences with institutional punishment through exclusionary school discipline and criminal justice exposure. Drawing on intersectional frameworks and theories of social control, I examine the long-term association between punishment and the Black gender gap using data from the Children of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 cohort (NLSY-C). Decomposition analyses reveal that about one third of the gender gap can be explained by gender differences in experiences with institutional punishments, net of differences in observed behaviors. These measures are predictive at key educational transition points, including finishing high school and earning a 4-year college degree. Though Black boys and girls have similar family backgrounds and grow up in similar neighborhoods, results suggest that Black girls have a persistent advantage in educational attainment due in part to their lower levels of exposure to exclusionary school discipline and the criminal justice system. In addition, I find that gender differences in early achievement, early externalizing behavioral problems, school experiences, and substance use in adolescence and early adulthood are associated with gender differences in educational attainment. Taken together, these results illustrate the importance of punishment disparities in understanding disparate educational outcomes over the life course of Black men and women.

Investigating the Attainment Gap in Academic Performance of Minoritised Ethnic Groups for a STEM Related Subject

This paper addresses the attainment gap in academic performance for students of Minoritised and non-minoritised ethnicity, studying Discrete Mathematics, an undergraduate university level module, whereby an investigation of the effect of an intervention in one of the assessments is undertaken and statistically analysed. The attainment gap faced by the students of the UK higher education sector is concerning and between students of minoritised ethnic background and their counterparts, there is a sizeable achievement disparity in the education system. These groups' divergent academic performance is referred to as the attainment, and socioeconomic disadvantage, cultural hurdles, and institutional bias have all acted as a setback for the students from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic communities. However, there are obstacles to putting this strategy into practise, such as the need for suitable pedagogical techniques and assistance for students from different ethnic circumstances. Creating inclusive teaching methods in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects that consider the linguistic and cultural diversity of the student is necessary to address these hindrances. Higher educational institutions can contribute to reducing the achievement gap for minoritised ethnic groups and fostering greater equity and social mobility by encouraging the teaching and study of modules in a responsive manner. Continuous analysis and study on the discrepancies faced by the students at their institutions should be performed to reduce this gap whilst promoting diversity. Moreover, a comparison over two academic years relative to the overall academic performance of students, considering the minoritised ethnic cohort, is accomplished so as to measure the approach’s validity. The results from the performance ratio, t-test, hypothesis testing, effect size, chi-squared test, categorical variable analysis and the Cronbach alpha measure, all feed into and confirm the reliability of the study hence validating the positive impact of the intervention.

The Intersectional Disadvantages for Disabled Women Students in UK Higher Education

In a recent systemic review of research on Disabled*1 students in Higher Education (HE), Kutscher and Tuckwiller (2019) highlighted the lack of any intersectional examination of disability and argued that research examining the intersections of disability and gender, race, sexuality, et cetera. are urgently needed. In the UK, a House of Lords Committee released a report that highlighted the many disadvantages still faced by Disabled students in UK HE, highlighting issues around access, support, and performance –finding that there is an attainment gap for Disabled students in UK HE (Hector et al., 2020). This article uses intersectionality as critical social theory (Collins, 2019) in the examination of the success (or otherwise) of Disabled women in HE in the UK. Defining “success” as completing a degree and attaining “Good Honours”, the aim is to identify how the success of Disabled women students in the UK compares to non-disabled women, Disabled men, and non-disabled men. The findings suggest that there are intersectional disadvantages for Disabled women students; suggesting that there is an attainment gap for Undergraduate students and differences in the likelihood they continue and gain their intended award at postgraduate taught level. This paper is the first to examine the intersectional effects of gender and disability in UK HE students, and as well demonstrating this it highlights areas for future research.

How you teach and who you teach both matter: lessons from learning analytics data

ABSTRACT To explore potential effects of disadvantage on engagement and attainment under different teaching and assessment regimes, the influence of pedagogic changes implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic on attainment and engagement of students from different backgrounds were compared using a cohort-study design. Learner analytics and attainment data from first year undergraduate students during three learning regimes were compared: (i) in-person teaching and assessment, (ii) in-person teaching with online assessment, and (iii) online teaching and assessment. The gap in end-of-year mark between disadvantaged students and their peers was widest when teaching and assessment was online, with poorer outcomes for disadvantaged students, although the gap in the percentage of students passing all their modules did not change. Overall, online teaching and assessment during the pandemic was associated with a widening attainment gap between disadvantaged students and their peers. Possible explanations for this are discussed, including the relationship between attainment and engagement. Higher Education providers should monitor and review the potential implications of their chosen education strategy on different groups of students: how you teach and who you teach are both important.

Building Numeracy Skills: Associations between DUPLO® Block Construction and Numeracy in Early Childhood.

Research shows that children's block construction skills are positively associated with their concurrent and later mathematics performance. Furthermore, there is evidence that block construction training is particularly beneficial for improving early mathematics skills in children from low-Socio Economic Status (SES) groups who are known to have lower maths performance than their peers. The current study investigates (a) the association between block construction and mathematics in children just before the start of formal schooling (4 years-of-age in the UK) and (b) whether the association between block construction and mathematics differs between children from more compared to less affluent families. Participants in this study included 116 children (M = 3 years 11 months, SD = 3 months) who all completed numeracy, block construction, and receptive vocabulary tasks. Socio-economic status and demographic information (child age, gender, ethnicity) were also obtained from parents. Findings show a strong positive association between block construction and early numeracy skills. Block construction skills explained approximately 5% of the variation in numeracy, even after controlling for age in months, household income, and child receptive vocabulary. When separated by SES group, for children from less affluent families, block construction explained a significant amount of variability (14.5%) in numeracy performance after covariates. For children from more affluent families, block construction did not explain a significant amount of variation in numeracy. These findings suggest that, interventions involving block construction skills may help to reduce SES-based attainment gaps in UK children's mathematics achievement.

Drivers of the socio-economic disadvantage gap in England: Sequential pathways that include the home learning environment and self-regulation as mediators.

Socio-economic status (SES) is a powerful predictor of attainment. Research has identified multiple mechanisms that underpin the effect of SES on attainment. For example, self-regulation (processes through which individuals direct and control their attention, emotion and behaviour) has been identified as one mechanism mediating the SES attainment gap. However, previous studies have not directly tested the statistical pathways by which children from lower SES backgrounds develop low self-regulation skills and subsequently poor attainment at the end of primary school. Adding the home learning environment, which is associated with both SES and self-regulation, further fleshes out the longitudinal pathways. We propose and test a new model where the relationship between SES and school attainment is sequentially mediated by the family home learning environment and the child's self-regulation. This study uses the Effective Pre-school, Primary and Secondary Education data set to study 2311 English children. We measured SES (via socio-economic disadvantage) based on an index of low parental education, occupation and income at age 3+. The home learning environment was measured by the Home Learning Environment Index at age 3+; self-regulation was a teacher report on the Child Social Behaviour Questionnaire at age 4+ and attainment was measured via scores on national assessments of English and Maths at age 11. Our measure of disadvantage predicted attainment. The home learning environment predicted children's self-regulation skills. The relationship between disadvantage and attainment was sequentially mediated by the home learning environment and self-regulation. These findings suggest that home learning environment and self-regulation may play a sequential role in perpetuating socio-economic disparities in education.

Exploring the Transformative Potential of Technology in Overcoming Educational Disparities

The function of technology in fostering fair access to high-quality education and closing educational gaps. The main objective is to give a thorough overview of the role that educational technology plays in establishing inclusive and productive learning settings, as well as the difficulties it faces. The essay is broken up into a number of sections that explore various facets of technology integration in education. The relevance of technology as a driver for fair educational possibilities is emphasized in the first section, which explores the idea of bridging educational differences. It emphasizes the necessity of using technology-driven solutions to address inequalities in access, resources, and learning outcomes. The sections that follow examine various facets of technology integration. Personalized learning, connecting students from around the world via virtual platforms, overcoming resource limitations, equipping instructors with technology, gauging the success of technological interventions, and exploring future views in educational technology are some of these themes. Using pertinent research, examples, and case studies, each part offers a thorough treatment of the subject. The paper addresses how technology-enabled individualized learning techniques can meet a range of learning demands and improve educational experiences for all students. It also emphasizes how virtual learning environments could link students from all around the world, promoting collaboration and intercultural understanding. The report also looks at how technology may assist digital assessment and feedback, improve access to educational resources, and offer cost-effective ways to address resource limitations. It also looks at how technology integration strengthens teachers' pedagogies, supports professional growth, and streamlines administrative work. The article also underlines how crucial it is to evaluate how technology might be used to bridge gaps in educational attainment. The discussion centers on issues including accessibility, equity, bridging the achievement gap, teacher professional development, and long-term sustainability as it addresses the evaluation of technology interventions using quantitative and qualitative assessment approaches. The article examines promising developments in educational technology, such as gamification, data analytics, social and emotional learning, artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, mobile learning, and block chain technology. It talks about how they could influence how education develops in the future, create inclusive classrooms, and get kids ready for success in the digital era. Overall, this essay offers a thorough examination of how technology might help close gaps in educational attainment. It draws attention to the transformative impact of technology in fostering fair access, improving learning opportunities, and empowering students and educators. Policymakers, educators, and stakeholders can cooperate to create an educational environment that is more inclusive and fair by utilizing the opportunities provided by technology.

The cumulative impact of socioeconomic disadvantage on educational attainment during austerity: a comparative cross-cohort approach

ABSTRACT Despite much empirical evidence highlighting the harmful effect of socioeconomic disadvantage on educational outcomes, there is a relative lack of understanding of how different risk factors impact upon attainment. Importantly, it has yet to be established what effect, if any, austerity cuts have had on the most disadvantaged students. Using rich data from two British cohort studies (Next Steps and MCS), this cross-cohort study explores how educational inequalities impact on attainment in distinct cohorts of students at identical age-points, whilst also examining the role of wider political and socioeconomic circumstances. The analysis reconfirms the detrimental effect of exposure to socioeconomic risk factors on attainment, highlighting the relative importance of some (e.g. social housing) over others, and emphasising the disproportionate association of exposure to multiple risks with poorer outcomes. For both cohorts, the attainment gap is already clear at age 11, and widens at every level of risk across secondary education. Despite the implementation of austerity, no evidence is found for worsening inequalities at an individual level. However, the persistent link between disadvantage and attainment means that, on a cohort level, increasing levels of disadvantage during austerity will inevitably lead to greater proportions of young people facing an attainment ‘penalty’.

Evaluating a transitional support intervention to improve educational outcomes and experiences for students registered with disability and inclusion services

ABSTRACT This study focuses on an intervention for students experiencing disabilities to reduce the reported statistical negative gaps in continuation and attainment. This study established how targeted interventions, alongside inclusive practice, can be effective in reducing these gaps. To collect data from the students, the study’s design used questionnaires containing questions with pre-set answers choices, Likert scale questions and free text options. 1003 students known to disability services at an English university were invited to take part, 47 responded to the pre-programme questionnaires and 51 responded to the post-programme questionnaire. 11 students attended enough sessions to participate, these students were tracked during their studies to assess the impact of the transition programme, in terms of retention and progression. Student satisfaction with the transition programme was statistically significant and improved the students’ experience of joining the university. An unexpected outcome of the programme was that 10.5% more students obtained a support plan with the university and 6.6% more students were awarded the Disabled Students’ Allowance. The study concludes that further development of transition programmes, at key points in the students’ life cycle, would be beneficial to individual students and reduce the reported gaps in outcomes.

The pattern of socio-economic segregation between schools in England 1989 to 2021: The pupil premium, Universal Credit, and Covid-19 eras

This paper presents an analysis of the extent to which poor pupils in England are clustered in schools with others like them. It is based on a segregation index of pupils eligible for free school meals for every year for which official national data is available. The trend over time has been published before up to 2019, and this paper extends the analysis to 2021, covering both the Covid-19 era so far and the beginning of transitional arrangements for Universal Credit, which have led to a substantial increase in the number of pupils eligible for free school meals. Results show that the segregation of poor pupils between secondary schools has continued to decline annually – a decline that started with the onset of Pupil Premium funding. This decline in segregation has not occurred for other possible indicators of disadvantage, such as pupils having a special educational need or disability, which are not addressed by Pupil Premium funding. Clustering disadvantaged pupils together in parts of a national school system has been linked to worse pupil outcomes overall, lower aspirations, less ethnic cohesion, and reduced trust in society by students. So, this ongoing reduction is encouraging, and is likely to lead to a lower poverty attainment gap in academic outcomes. However, the reduction in 2020 and 2021 is “false” to some extent, based mostly on a sudden increase in the number of pupils officially classed as poor, rather than an improvement in their distribution or evenness. It is, therefore, important to retain Pupil Premium funding or something like it for the time being to see what happens to the attainment gap. And the apparent success of this funding scheme could have implications for school systems worldwide that value fairness in the provision of national opportunities for education.

An analysis of gender differences in industry-based certification attainment rates of Texas high school graduates

In this statewide, multiyear study, industry-based certification attainment rates were examined by gender for Texas high school graduates. Industry-based certifications included in the study were vetted by the Texas Education Agency and reported through the Texas Academic Performance Reports for the 2019-2020, 2020-2021, and 2021-2022 school years. Inferential analyses revealed statistically significant differences in industry-based certification attainment rates for each of the three school years of data analyzed. Both boys and girls demonstrated increases in certification attainment across the years analyzed; however, the attainment rate of Texas male high school graduates increased at a faster rate than the attainment rate of Texas female high school graduates. Differences in attainment rates and associated attainment gaps between male and female graduates are presented for each of the three school years of data analyzed, as well as recommendations for future research.

How do socioeconomic attainment gaps in early mathematical ability arise?

Socioeconomic attainment gaps in mathematical ability are evident before children begin school, and widen over time. Little is known about why early attainment gaps emerge. Two cross-sectional correlational studies were conducted in 2018-2019 with socioeconomically diverse preschoolers, to explore four factors that might explain why attainment gaps arise: working memory, inhibitory control, verbal ability, and frequency of home mathematical activities (N = 304, 54% female; 84% White, 10% Asian, 1% black African, 1% Kurdish, 4% mixed ethnicity). Inhibitory control and verbal ability emerged as indirect factors in the relation between socioeconomic status and mathematical ability, but neither working memory nor home activities did. We discuss the implications this has for future research to understand, and work towards narrowing attainment gaps.

Birth order, socioeconomic background and educational attainment

ABSTRACT This paper examines the effect of birth order on educational attainment in the United States and the underlying mechanism producing these effects. Using a family fixed effects model, we find negative birth order effects on educational outcomes. However, this effect varies depending on the household's income, being the strongest for households with the highest income and diminishing as households' income decreases. In addition, we show that the timing of income across childhood is important for completed education, as the largest gap in educational attainment between siblings emerges between those who were born and spent their early childhood in wealthier households.

Longitudinal educational attainment among children with isolated oral cleft: a cohort study

Objectives(1) To explore differences in educational attainment between children born with isolated clefts and the general population at ages 5, 7 and 11 years; (2) to describe longitudinal changes in...

Educational Expectation-Attainment Gaps and Mental Health over the Early Adult Life Course

We advance research on the association of educational expectation–attainment gaps with mental health by asking two questions that derive from the stress process and life course frameworks: (1) How does the association change over the early adult life course? and (2) To what extent is the association attributable to adult social roles and socioeconomic attainment? Using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, we find that close to the time when the expectation would have been realized, educational attainment is associated with mental health but expectations and the interaction between expectations and attainments are not, independent of selection factors. As respondents age, expectations themselves become more consistently associated with mental health. Adult social roles and socioeconomic status contribute little to explaining these associations. We discuss the implications for the stress process framework and life course research.

Making an impact on early years special educational needs and disabilities support

Early Years EducatorVol. 23, No. 21 OpinionMaking an impact on early years special educational needs and disabilities supportSian MarshSian MarshProgramme director, Early Years and ITT, at Best Practice NetworkSearch for more papers by this authorSian MarshPublished Online:16 Mar 2023https://doi.org/10.12968/eyed.2023.23.21.6AboutSectionsView articleView Full TextPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail View article References Early Years Alliance. (no date) Concern for disadvantaged children as Covid-19 disruption risks widening attainment gap, survey finds. Available at: https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/concern-disadvantaged-children-covid-19-disruption-risks-widening-attainment-gap-survey-finds (accessed 1 March 2023) Google ScholarLepper J. (2022) Campaigners call for urgent action to plug SEND workforce gaps. Available at: https://www.cypnow.co.uk/news/article/campaigners-call-for-urgent-action-to-plug-send-workforce-gaps (accessed 1 March 2023) Google Scholar FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails 2 April 2023Volume 23Issue 21ISSN (print): 1465-931XISSN (online): 2052-4617 Metrics History Published online 16 March 2023 Published in print 2 April 2023 Information© MA Education LimitedPDF download

Beyond the Glass Ceiling: Panes of Equity Partnership

This Article, prepared for a “micro-symposium” on Professor Kerri Stone’s monograph Panes of the Glass Ceiling (2022), explores the partnership pay gap in large law firms and the role of high-profile litigation in facilitating pay equity. There is a rich literature and extensive data on the gender attainment gap in elite law firms, particularly with regard to women’s attrition from practice and poor representation within the partnership ranks. Less attention has been paid to the way in which the exceptional women who achieve equity partner status continue to lag behind their male peers. This Article explores “Women v. BigLaw,” a cluster of equal pay cases brought by women partners in the late 2010s against elite firms. Using Stone’s work as a lens, it reveals how the same unspoken beliefs that underlie the law firm glass ceiling operate above it, placing women partners at the bottom of a new compensation hierarchy centered on origination credit. Due to historical allocations, a culture of deference toward male rainmakers, and implicitly biased attorney development and evaluation practices, origination operates as a form of “legacy credit” that locks in preexisting entitlements favoring male partners. Despite this, gender equity in law practice has been framed principally as a professional value, not a legal imperative. Women v. BigLaw and the unprecedented use of the court system by women lawyers reveals, however, that partnership pay practices pose a liability risk to firms. This new reality may incentivize structural change in ways that attention to gender equity as a managerial and professional goal could not.

Readiness assessments, portfolio and peer support – a panacea for achieving the EDI agenda and student engagement? A reflection and preview

Having taught and supported international students in higher education (HE) for several years, I continually observe the uniqueness and dynamism of every new cohort. My role spans being an Induction tutor to offering pastoral support as an Academic and Personal Tutor (APT) Lead, a Module leader, an Academic Conduct Officer, and a Course director. I know you will say – isn’t that so much to do? Well, it is. However, these roles have offered me the opportunity to appreciate the diversity that exists within higher education in the UK and reiterates the need for equality and inclusion within my teaching practice. The Advance HE’s (2020) Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) agenda advocates support for all students irrespective of who they are and where they come from, a call to minimise the widening attainment gap which was actually negatively impacted during the Covid-19 pandemic (Goudeau et al., 2021).