Academic Achievement Gap Research Articles

Accumulating advantages over time: Family experiences and social class inequality in academic achievement

Children from different family backgrounds enter schooling with different levels of academic skills, and those differences grow over time. What explains this growing inequality? While the social reproduction tradition has argued that family contexts are central to producing class gaps in academic achievement, recent quantitative studies have found that family experiences explain only a small portion of those inequalities. We propose that resolving this inconsistency requires developing a new measure of family experiences that captures the continuity of exposure over time and thus more closely reflects the logic of the social reproduction tradition. Results using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study – Kindergarten cohort (ECLS-K) show that, consistent with previous quantitative research, time-specific measures of family experiences have little explanatory power. However, cumulative family experiences account for most of the growing inequality in academic achievement between children from different social class backgrounds over time. These findings support claims from the social reproduction tradition, and contribute more broadly to the understanding of how family experiences contribute to social inequality.

Academic Achievement Gap or Gap of Opportunities?

Academic Achievement Gap or Gap of Opportunities?

Race-acting: The varied and complex affirmative meaning of “acting Black” for African-American adolescents

In the field of psychology, deficit theoretical frameworks for studying African-American students dominate mainstream psychological theorizing and research. This is particularly the case within research explaining the academic achievement gap between African-American and White students. The aims of the present study are to adopt a culturally responsive theoretical framework to study one of the most widely used explanations for the African-American achievement gap, “the ‘acting White’ hypothesis,” as well as to further interrogate the more globally generalizable concept of “race-acting” and what specifically it means to “act Black.” The data were generated from an open-ended survey question as part of a larger longitudinal mixed-method study. One hundred and fifteen African-American middle school students participated. Researchers used a thematic content analysis to systematically analyze the data and concluded, based on their multiple interpretations, that the meaning of race-acting is varied and complex. Academic Intelligence was discovered as a prominent and affirmative theme for what it means to these adolescents to “act Black” and, with the exception of two themes (i.e., Ghetto and Superiority), what it means to these adolescents to “act Black” and to “act White” was the same. One implication of the study is that the concept of “race-acting” has utility for guiding future theoretical and methodological development about racialized belief systems of all groups living in racialized societies and culturally specific identity processes for African-Americans.

Education by Any Means Necessary: Peoples of African Descent and Community-Based Pedagogical Spaces

This study examines how and why peoples of African descent access and utilize community-based pedagogical spaces that exist outside schools. Employing a theoretical framework that fuses historical methodology and border-crossing theory, the researchers review existing scholarship and primary documents to present an historical examination of how peoples of African descent have fought for and redefined education in nonschool educative venues. These findings inform the authors’ analysis of results from an oral history project they conducted into how Black Bermudian men utilized learning spaces outside schools, such as the family, Black church, and athletics clubs, to augment their personal and scholastic development. Based on their historical and empirical research findings, the authors argue that educational actors (including teachers, administrators, policy makers, and researchers) focused on school-based issues like the academic achievement gap would do well to recognize the impact learning spaces outside of schools may have on student scholastic success, particularly for minority men.

Can Intensive Early Childhood Intervention Programs Eliminate Income-Based Cognitive and Achievement Gaps?

How much of the income-based gaps in cognitive ability and academic achievement could be closed by a two-year, center-based early childhood education intervention? Data from the Infant Health and Development Program (IHDP), which randomly assigned treatment to low birth weight children from both higher- and low-income families between ages one and three, shows much larger impacts among low- than higher-income children. Projecting IHDP impacts to the U.S. population's IQ and achievement trajectories suggests that such a program offered to low-income children would essentially eliminate the income-based gap at age three and between a third and three-quarters of the age-five and age-eight gaps.

Can Intensive Early Childhood Intervention Programs Eliminate Income-Based Cognitive and Achievement Gaps?

How much of the income-based gaps in cognitive ability and academic achievement could be closed by a two-year, center-based early childhood education intervention? Data from the Infant Health and Development Program (IHDP), which randomly assigned treatment to low birth weight children from both higher- and low-income families between ages one and three, shows much larger impacts among low- than higher-income children. Projecting IHDP impacts to the U.S. population's IQ and achievement trajectories suggests that such a program offered to low-income children would essentially eliminate the income-based gap at age three and between a third and three-quarters of the age-five and age-eight gaps.

Can Intensive Early Childhood Intervention Programs Eliminate Income-Based Cognitive and Achievement Gaps?

How much of the income-based gaps in cognitive ability and academic achievement could be closed by a two-year, center-based early childhood education intervention? Data from the Infant Health and Development Program (IHDP), which randomly assigned treatment to low-birth-weight children from both higher- and low-income families between ages one and three, shows much larger impacts among low-than higher-income children. Projecting IHDP impacts to the U.S. population's IQ and achievement trajectories suggests that such a program offered to low-income children would essentially eliminate the income-based gap at age three and between a third and three-quarters of the age five and age eight gaps.

Assessment of the Impact of Students’ Mode of Admission into University and their Academic Achievement in Nigeria

The purpose of this research work was to assess the impact of students’ mode of admission into university and their academic achievement in Nigeria. The design of the study was an ex post facto research design. To carry out the study four research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation while four hypotheses were tested using analysis of variance and t-test statistic. The sample for the study consisted of 253 students randomly selected from two universities in Benue State using proportionate stratified random sampling technique. The results indicated that there was no statistical significant difference in the mean academic achievement of students who were admitted into the university through unified tertiary matriculation examination, remedial programme and direct entry admissions. There was statistical significant difference in the mean academic achievement of male and female students and that the academic achievement of male students was higher than their female counterparts based on the three modes of admission. The paper recommends that university authority should continue to admit students into the university through the three modes of admission at reasonable proportion to enhance academic excellence of the citizenry. Efforts should be made by the university authority to ensure that none of the categories of students is discriminated against so as to produce good quality graduates. Above all, attempt should be made to reduce the academic achievement gap between male and female students in the universities as a means of addressing issues of imbalance.

A Framework for Social Justice in Education

Political philopher Nancy Fraser has developed a theory of social justice with three dimensions: Redistribution (economic), recognition (cultural), and representation (political). This article first presents Fraser's theory. Then I describe in her terms the successes and challenges encountered in four primary schools in Australia that were trying to provide educational equity for all students, especially their Indigenous students. That evidence suggests that the dimensions of redistribution and recognition are both essential for "closing the gap" in academic achievement, and that representation is important for school and community relationships.

The relationship between academic achievement gap resulted from family background and performance based assessment

The relationship between academic achievement gap resulted from family background and performance based assessment

Creating the Opportunity to Learn

Creating the Opportunity to Learn

After-School Literacy Engagements With Struggling Readers

Parental incarceration, poverty, urban violence, and drug use can be underlying factors of academic achievement gaps between Black urban males and their counterparts. These risk factors have the potential to position low-income urban students as struggling readers. Two qualitative case studies obtained from a larger mixed methods study illustrate exemplary after-school literacy engagements with Black urban adolescent males, each with an incarcerated parent. Two researchers, a counseling psychologist and a teacher educator, collaborated to create a strengths-based after-school program with culturally relevant literacy instruction as their primary objective. The 2 case study findings reveal the complexities of choosing culturally relevant texts, the need for motivation and engagement in order to build skills, and the fact that relationships are essential in the delivery of culturally responsive literacy instruction. The article concludes with recommendations for teachers working with at-risk Black adolescent males that focus on student empowerment, academic success, and building successful futures.

Shaping Aspirations, Awareness, Academics, and Action

Mixed-method evaluation of two iterations of month-long summer enrichment programs for English-learning secondary students investigated impacts on participants’ beliefs about school and academic achievement, and on actual course choices, test outcomes, and graduation rates. Students ( N = 85) from one ethnically diverse, high-poverty high school in a large school district in Georgia took part in science and academic English-themed summer enrichment programs in 2006 and 2008. Questionnaires, interviews, and transcript analysis demonstrated that after taking part, students aspired to attend college, were aware of the steps necessary, and took steps such as tracking themselves into more advanced courses. Participants also were able to create and sustain peer support groups in their school, fostering a culture of academic achievement. Findings suggest that even such short-term programs can positively influence students’ attitudes, aspirations, and actual behaviors supporting academic achievement, graduation, and postsecondary education, lending promise to goals of ameliorating the academic achievement gap.

Influences of Social and Educational Environments on Creativity During Adolescence: Does SES Matter?

It is well established that there is an academic achievement gap between students from high and low socioeconomic family backgrounds. However, how being brought up and living in different socioeconomic backgrounds impacts adolescent development, particularly their creative capabilities and creativity-related personality traits, is not well understood. This study compared creative capabilities and traits of 8th grade students of 2 school districts: a suburban, upper-middle class community and an urban community with a large proportion of families under poverty, located in a northeastern state. The results provide compelling evidence for a creativity gap. The study also found a possible mediating role of academic achievement and intrinsic cognitive motivation, suggesting that the psychosocial processes and mechanisms leading to the creativity gap are tractable. Implications of the findings for optimal adolescent development and social interventions are discussed.

An Academic Curriculum Will Close the Academic Achievement Gap

America's unyielding academic achievement gap has been a national priority for a long time; yet, some schools have succeeded with academically disadvantaged youth. Usually, these institutions embrace a culture of success and follow an academic curriculum that is grounded in core knowledge and scholastic vocabulary. Academically disadvantaged students need school-wide programs that meet their distinct needs. These programs emphasize basic knowledge, grounded in contextual references. Students are taught to decode and comprehend domain specific and academic vocabulary. They learn skills and content that will help them achieve as successful adults. These schools are the antithesis of “mean streets.” They welcome disadvantaged students and provide the intellectual and emotional tools they need to thrive, while instilling self-discipline and hope in their pupils.

Increasing Latino Parents’ Verbal Interactions with Their Preschool-Aged Children

The rapidly growing Hispanic American population is experiencing an academic achievement gap that seems to be rooted in disparities in early childhood education and literacy development. Children of non-English-speaking immigrant parents are at greatest risk of poor school performance, but there is potential to capitalize on immigrants’ drive by encouraging them to engage with their children in dialog while reading native-language storybooks. This paper reports on a community-based randomized controlled trial () delivered to mostly Mexican immigrant parents of preschool-age children. Intervention group parents attended three monthly 60-minute sessions based on the Dialogic Reading Model—C.A.R. (Comment and Wait, Ask Questions and Wait, and Respond by Adding More), which teaches parents to have a conversation about pictures in books, with the goal of enhancing verbal exchanges with the child in the parent’s native language. After the 3-month intervention, parents in the bilingual early language development intervention reported placing greater value on children’s active verbal participation in reading compared to control group parents who participated in a healthy lifestyle intervention. These results suggest that Hispanics’ educational outcomes may be improved by educating parents on the value of playful conversations with young children while reading books in one’s native language.

Rural‐urban gaps in academic achievement, schooling conditions, student, and teachers' characteristics in Pakistan

PurposeRecent educational research has demonstrated rural‐urban gaps in achievement and schooling conditions. Evidence from developing countries is still sparse. This study seeks to report rural‐urban disparities in achievement, student, teacher, and school characteristics based on a nationally representative sample of grade four students from four provinces of Pakistan. The study aims to take into account the limitations of previous research, mainly the issues of non‐representative samples and inadequate sampling techniques, by using proportionally adequate sample to address the potential differences in achievement of rural and urban students and how schooling, students and teacher‐related factors account for gap in achievement.Design/methodology/approachThe primary data source for the study was the 2006 national assessment survey of year four students in government school across four provinces in four core subjects. The sample design included a two‐stage stratified random sample, where the major strata of national interest were student and school gender, geographical location and region. First stage involved selecting schools and in the second stage students were selected from schools. The procedure of estimation involved computing the average of each group's achievement scores and attached standard errors, the gap of standard errors and statistical significance of standard errors at 0.05 level.FindingsThe results show that rural and urban students had comparable levels of achievement in some of the tested learning areas. In Balochistan province, rural students outperformed their urban counterparts in three out of the four tested subjects. In Punjab and Sindh, urban students performed significantly better in social studies and language tests; scores on social studies and language did not differ significantly across location in the North West. The differences appeared to be partly explained by variation in schooling conditions, students' home background, and teachers' characteristics. Teachers' training turned out to be decisive in determining students' achievement, whereas availability of resources and multi‐grade teaching was less important.Originality/valueRecent educational research from around the world has demonstrated rural‐urban gaps in achievement and schooling conditions. Evidence from developing countries is still sparse. This study is the first attempt to report rural‐urban disparities in academic achievement, student, teacher, and school characteristics based on a nationally representative sample. The study has employed an appropriate sampling strategy and proportionally adequate sample to address the potential differences in achievement of rural and urban students in four provinces. The findings could therefore be used to guide policy interventions in areas of curriculum differences, schooling conditions, teachers' training and multi‐grade teaching across provinces.

Developing a Master Data Sharing Agreement: Seeking Student-Level Evidence to Support a Collaborative Community Effort in Education

· A private foundation, a public school system, and a state university joined forces to address a difficult, long-standing challenge: closing the academic achievement gap between urban and suburban students. · All parties agreed that sharing of longitudinal, student-level data was required to drive and evaluate multiple efforts to close the gap, but significant technical, regulatory, and political obstacles stood in the way. · The parties worked through multiple challenges and forged a Master Data Sharing Agreement (MDSA) that will facilitate both daily intelligence for program staff and powerful post-hoc research capacity. · This MDSA text has been released online for your use under the Creative Commons license (Community Research Institute, 2011a). · Reaching the agreement required a shared vision, definitive research, genuine trust, true alignment, dogged patience, ample investment, iterative development, selfless collaboration, careful coordination, and fidelity to a common language: data.

College-Readiness Rates in Texas

In this study, we examined the college-readiness rates of Black, Hispanic, and White Texas public high school graduates using archival data from the Texas Education Agency Academic Excellence Indicator System. An examination of the state college-readiness rates across a 3-year period was conducted to determine the extent to which academic achievement gaps had increased, decreased, or remained relatively large and stable among Black, Hispanic, and White high school graduates in Texas. For the 3 years of data, college-readiness rates of White students were higher than the college-readiness rates of Black and Hispanic students in reading, math, and both subjects by large margins. Of the 27 statistical analyses of college readiness, statistically significant findings were present, revealing 19 large effect sizes, one near-large effect size, one moderate effect size, and six small effect sizes. Although Black and Hispanic students increased their college-readiness rates, White students also increased their college-readiness rates in reading, math, and both subjects to maintain the status quo for student academic achievement.

A New Protocol For Teaching English Language Learners In Middle And Secondary Schools

In the United States, the population of minority students in 2005 increased to 42 percent of public school enrollment (Echevarria & Short, 2010). English learners (ELs) are the fastest growing population of students enrolled in public school across the United States. California alone has 1.5 million ELs attending public schools (Echevarria, 2008). During the 2007-2008 academic year, only 11 states met their accountability goals for ELs under the No Child Left Behind Act (August, and Shanahan, 2006, Zehr, 2011). If an EL speaks English with difficulty, 82 percent will not graduate from high school. A recent Texas study reported that 80 percent of ELs did not graduate from high school (Echevarria, Vogt, and Short, 2008). The gap in academic achievement between Caucasian students and those from culturally and linguistically diverse groups has widened primarily because many middle and secondary classroom teachers are under prepared to make content comprehensible for ELs or to teach content-area literacy to a forgotten population of middle and secondary ELs (Echevarria and Short, 2010). The result is that ELs enrolled in middle and high schools have become long term ELs, who's specific learning needs for success in school are largely, ignored thus creating a large EL underachieving group (Olsen, 2010). Many middle and secondary schools engage in the common practice of segregating students in what some educators have called the “EL ghetto.” The ELs middle and secondary school curriculum typically consists of a sequence of courses that keep them together over multiple years in classes that do not enable them to complete prerequisites for higher tracks of college (Darling-Hammond, 2010). The overarching question addressed in this presentation is; what do teachers need to know and be able to do to provide ELs with systematic language development, academic literacy skills, successful experiences in mainstream classes, meet content standards, and pass standardized assessments in their second language?