Attainment Gap Research Articles

Cultural capital, accountability and equity: Time for a rethink?

I grew up on free school meals and now work as a school improvement adviser. In this article, I address discontinuities within my 'support and challenge' role, a role that can be constrained by educational policy enacted within a performative and panoptic culture of fear. Successive governments have concerned themselves with promoting equity through education, but discourses of levelling up and narrowing the attainment gap have yet to properly tackle inequalities. This article draws on Bourdieu's notion of cultural capital to explore how pupils, especially working-class pupils, continue to be left behind and dehumanised thanks to a performative culture that pervades policy in school improvement and accountability. The Department for Education (DfE) commissioned research in 2019 on high-performing countries whose governments promote an equitable education system. These jurisdictions use collaboration as opposed to competition to achieve equitable educational outcomes, while our government favours accountability rather than collaboration to drive up school standards. I argue that the next government has the power to use such research on the benefits of collaboration rather than competition to genuinely improve outcomes for working-class pupils.

The Grass Ceiling: Hidden Educational Barriers in Rural England

Rurality is rarely integrated into analyses of educational inequalities and this article presents an alternative perspective on rural–urban attainment and highlights the impact of rurality on educational outcomes. The traditional narrative of urban–rural educational disadvantage is that urban pupils do less well in the English exam system. Decontextualised data across different English exam performance measures demonstrate how rural pupils outperform their urban counterparts. Socioeconomic disadvantage (SED) has the most significant impact on attainment and this analysis explores the rural–urban attainment gap through this SED lens. An analysis of the Department for Education (DfE) data explores possible factors that might explain the emerging rural educational gap and presents an argument that rurality is another limiting factor that intersects with SED. This article demonstrates how rural underachievement in England has been hidden by the relative sizes and SED distribution of rural and urban populations.

Information Without Guidance: Managing the College Search Process in Urban Schools

Despite high aspirations, many students do not complete postsecondary education. Some scholars advocate for providing more college information to increase enrollment and reduce attainment gaps but this approach overlooks what school counselors and students do with information. Based on interviews and participant observations drawn from 20 urban high schools, this study explores how counselors and students make use of online college information in postsecondary education guidance. The findings reveal that counselors feel students hold responsibility for many aspects of their college searches. Students easily find college information online but experience challenges in understanding it, which leaves them with unanswered questions. Abundant college information may enable counselors to adopt the role of managing the college search process instead of directly guiding students. Scaffolding, active engagement, and additional resources are needed to support counselors and students in college guidance.

It Takes a Village: A Conceptual Model for Black American Community Partnerships

School counselors underutilize three community entities within the Black American community: the Black Church, salons and barbershops, and Black Greek letter organizations (BGLOs). School counselors can use cultural wealth and multitiered systems of support (MTSS) as frameworks for making these connections to further cultivate Black American student achievement. This conceptual article provides information to aid school counselors in assisting students through data and SMART goals; bolstering student success; and closing the achievement, attainment, and opportunity gaps.

PDA criticises pharmacy regulator for ‘failing to use data effectively’ to bridge attainment gap

PDA criticises pharmacy regulator for ‘failing to use data effectively’ to bridge attainment gap

Differential attainment gap persists for black pharmacy students and trainees, says RPS report

Differential attainment gap persists for black pharmacy students and trainees, says RPS report

Closing the Black Attainment Gap at UK Universities: Do Role Models Matter?

Closing the Black Attainment Gap at UK Universities: Do Role Models Matter?

Gender and Intermediate Microeconomics Course Performance: Does Course Type Matter?

This study examines the effects of gender on performance for students taking one of two different intermediate microeconomics courses: a quantitative, calculus-based course and a non-quantitative, non-calculus-based course. We also assess how gender differences in students’ math and verbal abilities and college achievement affect intermediate microeconomics course grades. Our results indicate gender is not a significant indicator of intermediate microeconomics course performance. Math SAT scores and principles of microeconomics course grades are significant predictors of performance for non-quantitative course students only. Cumulative GPAs have strong, positive correlations with grades for students in both course types. These findings have implications for students’ economics major selection and are positive in the context of closing the gender gap in economics degree attainment. JEL Codes: A20, A22

“Not what I Can, but what I Should”

Educational inequalities associated with differences in social class backgrounds remain stable in many Western societies, where students from lower social classes generally have lower academic prospects. Previous research suggested that psychological barriers could explain part of this social class attainment gap. This study aimed to investigate the role of identity compatibility in explaining the relationship between high school students’ socioeconomic background and their educational aspirations. Identity compatibility is defined as perceived compatibility between students’ socioeconomic background and a stereotype of a university student. A total of 362 high school students from Croatia completed an online survey that measured their subjective socioeconomic status, identity compatibility, educational aspirations, and their school achievement. The results showed positive associations between the students’ subjective socioeconomic status and identity compatibility, which was, in turn, positively associated with their educational aspirations. The parallel multiple mediation model confirmed the significant indirect effect of subjective socioeconomic status on educational aspirations via identity compatibility, while the path via school achievement was not significant. These findings suggest that part of the social class educational aspiration gap could be explained by the perceived lack of compatibility between one’s social class identity and future university student identity, potentially leading to lower university enrolment rates among lower social class students. Practical considerations of study results are discussed in terms of the potential of socio-psychological interventions in reducing the social class educational aspiration gap.

Beyond Teachers: Estimating Individual School Counselors’ Effects on Educational Attainment

Counselors are a common school resource for students navigating complicated and consequential education choices. I estimate counselors’ causal effects using quasi-random assignment policies in Massachusetts. Counselors vary substantially in their effectiveness at increasing high school graduation and college attendance, selectivity, and persistence. Counselor effects on educational attainment are similar in magnitude to teacher effects, but they flow through improved information and assistance more than cognitive or noncognitive skill development. Counselor effectiveness is most important for low-income and low-achieving students, so improving access to effective counseling may be a promising way to increase educational attainment and close socioeconomic gaps in education. (JEL H75, I21, I24, I28)

Improving international medical graduates' understanding of the UK appraisal system: an interventional study

International medical graduates (IMGs) face countless challenges when migrating to a new healthcare system, of which understanding the UK appraisal and revalidation system is one. We investigated whether provision of educational material on appraisals would improve IMGs' confidence in their understanding of the UK appraisal system. A prospective pre-post interventional study aimed at IMGs was carried out between 25 February 2022 and 9 March 2022. A mixed-methods survey was undertaken pre (n=519) and post (n=63) intervention. The pre-interventional survey highlighted IMGs' lack of experience and knowledge of the General Medical Council (GMC) appraisal and revalidation process. Postinterventional responses showed a significantly higher confidence rating in IMGs' understanding of the UK appraisal process (p<0.001). Utilising simple educational tools can be beneficial for IMGs to gain confidence in navigating appraisals and help bridge the attainment gap when entering a new healthcare system. Barriers, such as lack of knowledge, can be easily rectified without the need for significant investment.

Coherent lives: Making sense of adoptees’ experiences in education through narrative identity

AbstractChildren adopted from care become part of a hidden, but no less vulnerable, group in the education system and may be overlooked for allocation of additional support and guidance. Adoption is a relatively unique experience and adds layers of complexity, difference and vulnerability to young people's lives that are poorly understood and under‐researched. Adopted adolescents face significant challenges in social, emotional and behavioural aspects of school life. An attainment gap persists throughout their educational career. Adoptees are strikingly absent from many conversations regarding care‐experienced young people yet their needs and challenges are comparable with those of their peers remaining in the care system. Assumptions are made about adoptees’ opportunity and capacity to recover, concealing challenges faced in adjusting to adoptive life, including education. The impact of adoptees’ early experiences could lead to complex identity formation processes during adolescence, with potential implications for education experience and performance. This paper explores the potential of applying a narrative adoptive identity perspective to answer questions about how adopted children and young people experience school as an adopted person, i.e. how does their lived experience as an adopted member of a school community impact on their engagement with school, schoolwork and peer networks? The concept of ‘communicative openness’ is used to illustrate the vital role the school community plays in enabling adopted children to transition into and thrive in school. Taking a narrative adoptive identity approach may enable teachers to better meet adoptees’ specific learning and teaching needs as dictated by their unique experiences and enhance opportunities for better educational progress.

Bridging the gap: Understanding the barriers and facilitators to performance for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic medical students in the United Kingdom.

Differential attainment is a well-known phenomenon in medical education. Despite a strong impetus for institutions and researchers to move away from a 'student deficit model' when exploring the attainment gap, little attention has been given to understanding the experiences of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) medical students. Informed by the social construction of learning theory, this is the first national study to explore how multiple dimensions of the medical school environment impact academic performance of BAME undergraduate medical students across the UK. Using a sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach, the authors conducted a survey and facilitated three focus groups across medical schools in the UK between 2020-2021. Participants self-identified as being from BAME backgrounds. Quantitative analyses included descriptive statistics and bivariate analyses. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis, subsequently identifying inductive themes. Three hundred sixty-two respondents completed the Phase 1 survey, and 17 participants participated in the Phase 2 focus groups. Although both survey and focus group participants identified facilitators to learning such as supportive relationships, students reported facing numerous barriers that they felt impeded their learning and performance. These barriers included limited access to educational resources, and undiversified curricula and medical school populations. Students also described both experiencing and witnessing various forms of racism throughout their educational journeys. Students encountered various difficulties throughout their medical training that they felt impacted their learning and performance. This study offers novel insights into the experiences of BAME students and builds upon previous research. It also reveals the pervasive nature of racism within medical schools, highlighting the urgent need for institutional changes. Educators and institutions must go beyond merely recognising these barriers and facilitators; they must proactively innovate and adapt. In doing so, they pave the way for inclusive learning environments that truly foster a sense of belonging for BAME students.

Impact of Cultural Norms and Social Expectations for Shaping Gender Disparities in Educational Attainment in Pakistan

This quantitative study explores the complex phenomenon between societal expectations and cultural norms for shaping gender discrimination and further investigates the factors that affect gender differences in educational attainment in Pakistan. There are still large gender differences in the educational environment in Pakistan, and these issues have been raised with time. The goal of this research is to present a thorough investigation of the underlying causes of these differences, with an emphasis on the influence of societal standards and cultural expectations. This study is based on a quantitative approach with pertinent primary data gathering through surveys. Data on attitudes, beliefs, and practices about gender and education have been collected through a survey of a representative sample of Pakistani families and educational institutions. In addition to this quantitative data for collecting the gender gaps, qualitative interviews with important stakeholders were also conducted. This research tries to discover significant drivers of gender gaps in educational attainment by examining the links between variables such as parental expectations, cultural attitudes regarding gender roles, access to resources, and educational results. The results of the study anticipated and concluded that social norms and cultural standards affect Pakistani students' decisions and performance in school. Additionally, the study recommended insightful information to educational institutions and policymakers for the purpose of creating focused interventions that will address these discrepancies and solve the gender equality issues in education.

Leveraging Experimental and Observational Evidence to Assess the Generalizability of the Effects of Early Colleges in North Carolina

Abstract Early college high schools (ECHSs) in North Carolina are small public schools of choice on college campuses that seek to promote attaining postsecondary credits in high school, college readiness, and postsecondary enrollment for underrepresented groups. Evidence from randomized control trials (RCTs) has shown positive effects of the ECHS model on important high school and postsecondary outcomes but appear to be underpowered to detect moderation effects. Furthermore, RCTs rarely address the key question of primary policy interest: Is the program effective on average across the population? This leaves us uncertain about (1) whether the early college intervention is a good strategy for helping to close enrollment and attainment gaps between under- and overrepresented groups, and (2) whether the expansion of the ECHS model will lead to the positive results that the RCT studies suggest. This study uses administrative data on all ECHSs in North Carolina including those that were part of a lottery study. This allows us to generate RCT estimates for the ECHSs in the lottery sample and quasi-experimental estimates for both the lottery and non-lottery ECHSs. We leverage this unique circumstance to generate estimates of the effect of ECHS on postsecondary outcomes that simultaneously maximize both internal and external validity. Specifically, because generalization depends on both moderation and sample selection, we (1) investigate sample selection, (2) conduct a moderation analysis to determine whether the effects of the intervention vary by key factors that also predict sample selection, and (3) produce a pooled estimate by extending a method called cross-design synthesis to incorporate both RCT evidence and quasi-experimental evidence. We find strong evidence that the positive results of the RCTs generalize to the full sample of ECHSs, which provides stronger evidence of effectiveness.

Equalities analysis of post-pandemic results in general and vocational and technical qualifications

ObjectivesWe exploited linked administrative data to study attainment gaps in GCSEs, A level, and vocational and technical qualifications. Our aim was to compare how grades for groups of students with different protected characteristics and socio-economic status have changed in 2022 compared to previous years.&#x0D; MethodsWe used a multilevel regression modelling to evaluate the impact of each demographic and socio-economic characteristic on students’ results, once other factors are controlled for. The purpose was to examine how the relationship between students’ attainment and their characteristics has changed between 2018 and 2022. The characteristics analysed were:&#x0D; &#x0D; ethnicity&#x0D; gender&#x0D; special educational needs and disabilities statusfree school meal eligibility&#x0D; Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index score&#x0D; prior attainment&#x0D; first language&#x0D; region&#x0D; centre type&#x0D; &#x0D; We collected results and prior attainment data from awarding organisations and linked it with data from the Individual Learner Record and the National Pupil Database.&#x0D; ResultsOf the many different comparisons between groups of students, the majority showed no notable change in attainment gaps in 2022, compared with both pandemic and pre-pandemic years. Some degree of minor fluctuation is always to be expected.&#x0D; Attainment gaps and changes over time differ across qualifications. At A level, the analysis highlighted some key changes in results in relation to gender (the difference between boys and girls reversed during the pandemic), ethnicity and school and/or college type.&#x0D; At GCSE, the analysis showed notable changes for ethnicity, with Gypsy and Roma students narrowing the gap compared to White British students, school and/or college type and socio-economic background.&#x0D; For vocational and technical qualifications, we found fewer notable changes than for GCSEs and A levels.&#x0D; ConclusionThe use of linked administrative data helped to gain better insights in attainment gap changes over time. Many gaps remained the same, some gaps widened, and others narrowed. The findings make it difficult to draw firm conclusions about the cause of these differences, many of which existed before the pandemic.

Evaluating teacher grading during the pandemic: An analysis of how teacher grades in 2020 compared to exam grades during ‘normal times’

The aim was to evaluate teacher grades awarded in 2020 after GCSE and A-level exams were cancelled due to the pandemic. We identified if there were changes in the relationships between student, school and subject-level features and grades awarded by teacher judgement in 2020 when compared to pre-pandemic years.&#x0D; A multi-level modelling analysis was conducted using the GRADE dataset which links data on pupil characteristics with results data and university application data. The model outputs identifying the relationship between student, school and subject characteristics and GCSE and A-level results were compared between 2020 and normal exam years to identify any notable changes.&#x0D; A further study focussed on whether university application patterns had an influence on teacher judgements at A-level, since teachers may have known students’ application decisions when deciding on grades. For this analysis university tariff and the degree subject applied to by each student were key variables.&#x0D; Analysis showed that across both GCSEs and A-levels there was an average increase in results by around half a grade in 2020. There was also less variation in grades in 2020. However, the majority of relationships between grades and other features studied had not substantially changed.&#x0D; Prior attainment was by far the strongest predictor of grades, but this relationship was slightly stronger in 2020 compared to previous years.&#x0D; Subjects with more non-exam assessment tended to be those with the largest increase in grades, as well as ‘facilitating’ subjects at A level. There was also a decrease in the attainment gap between male and female students at A level.&#x0D; The follow up study indicated that teachers were not influenced by student’s application decisions when allocating grades.&#x0D; Findings suggest that teacher grades did not introduce any substantial sources of bias or different patterns of grading in 2020. This research helped to inform policy decisions around national assessment in England in 2021, as well as contributing to the broader understanding of direct grading by teachers.

Out‐of‐school suspension among young persons in care: The need to respond to attachment needs and provide a secure base that promotes learning

AbstractChildren in care from backgrounds of maltreatment often struggle to perform to their full potential in school. Although the English government has put education at the top of its agenda for children in care, there remains a high risk of children in care being excluded from school, undermining their chances of closing the attainment gap. This study examined how young persons in care and their foster carers perceive and experience out‐of‐school suspension and the factors surrounding it. While analysing interviewees’ accounts attachment theory emerged as a useful analytic lens through which to explore the school experiences of young persons. The study draws on 18 interviews with young persons in care aged 14–18 (nine interviews) who had been suspended from secondary school in the previous 2 years and their foster carers (nine interviews). Findings showed that despite the great importance of school for these young persons, it was generally experienced as a hostile environment where they felt they were not listened to, cared for or respected. These feelings marked a breakdown of communication between children and school and were a central factor in the process that led to their exclusion. Drawing on attachment theory, these dynamics are discussed as reflecting the failure of educational staff to respond to young persons’ attachment needs and provide them with a secure base. Specifically, the Secure Base model for foster carers’ caregivingis offered as a useful perspective to frame teachers’ relationships with young persons in care.

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&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; 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.