Reducing Achievement Gaps Research Articles

Intentionality, Pygmalion, and Cognitive Fun Redirects Elementary School Children in Pull-Out Neural Enrichment

This study describes an academic enrichment intervention for 15 ‘high risk’ children who were pulled out of General Education classrooms in Bangalore India for 40 minutes four-times a week during a typical school year. Could a brain-based intervention reduce achievement gaps that showed up for these children in terms of below-grade academic outcomes and impoverished social and emotional wellbeing? The null hypothesis stated that a teacher’s mental model that shifted to brain-based methodology would have no perceivable effect on (i) children’s academic achievement or (ii) their social and emotional engagement. This study was grounded in teacher education literature involving mental models that illuminate classroom management techniques. Subjects were drawn from second grade students (mean 6.7 years; n = 15). Study was an opportunistic quasi-experimental design reflecting school life across India. Qualitative ethnographic data using grounded theory were triangulated with quantitative measures that best account for observed outcomes. Findings highlight significant academic, and social and emotional growth, which dramatically reduced the achievement gap for all participants.

Impacts of a Summer Transition Program on Kindergarten Readiness for Children from Disadvantaged Backgrounds

ABSTRACT Kindergarten transition programs support successful school transitions for families and may reduce disparities in academic readiness upon school entry. Yet, access and participation in high-quality summer transition programs are lower among children from disadvantaged backgrounds. This study examined the impact of a summer kindergarten transition program on children’s readiness in language and literacy, mathematical thinking, and social foundations and the strength of their home-school relationships. Assessment scores of 416 kindergartners within 30 classrooms in 28 elementary schools in one southeastern state were analyzed. Children who participated demonstrated significantly more readiness in their language and literacy, mathematical thinking, and social foundation skills compared with children who were eligible but did not participate in the program. Further, children who participated in the program had significantly stronger home-school relationships compared to children who were eligible but did not participate and those who were not eligible to participate in the program. The findings provide preliminary evidence that summer transition programs are an equitable strategy to reduce achievement gaps upon kindergarten entry. School administrators should consider implementing summer transition programs to support academic readiness and develop strong home-school relationships in communities with a high population of children who are at risk for later school difficulties.

What factors are related to the socioeconomic gaps in school achievement between boys and girls in Bogotá, Colombia?

Debate on student achievement, as measured by performance on national and international assessments, has gained worldwide attention because of its relationship to social and economic development. As such, multilateral organizations such as the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank have recommended that countries intensify current investments in education to improve school quality and reduce achievement gaps if they wish to boost equity and attain sustainable growth. This paper looks at the relationship between socioeconomic disparities and student achievement in a standardized test administered in 2017 to 5th grade students in Bogotá, Colombia. By using a two-level hierarchical linear model, it is possible to estimate not only the relationship between individual characteristics of the students (sociodemographic information) and performance on the test, but also account for the effect of the characteristics of the schools that they attend. Findings indicate that lengthening the school day, possession of washing machines, and parental education are key predictors of academic achievement.

Diversity in Education: The U.S. Supreme Court Got It Wrong

ABSTRACT Diversity has repeatedly been shown to be a vital part of education. This paper explores the benefits and importance of diversity in education and presents studies and supporting research. In the case Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College, the United States Supreme Court found that race-based affirmative action in college admissions is unconstitutional because it violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, which prohibits discrimination based on race. As colleges and universities are trying to be more inclusive and varied, the Supreme Court’s finding just made it more difficult for colleges to secure a diverse population which will hurt education and likely lead to an adverse outcome for society. Diversity has many important benefits and is especially advantageous in education. Diversity increases creativity, critical thinking, helps reduce achievement gaps, and improves academic performance, student motivation, and intellectual engagement. Increasing diversity can increase empathy, appreciation of other cultures, and can help create a sense of community on campus. It can also help create inclusive attitudes and respect for others, can aid in removing biases and stereotypes, and can help prepare students for careers in an increasingly interconnected world. When weighing the benefits of diversity against what is actually written in the law, it seems the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court made the wrong decision.

Harnessing H5P for Asynchronous Active Learning

Active learning, as defined by Bonwell and Eison (1991), involves students in doing things and thinking about what they are doing. Extensive research has highlighted the numerous benefits of active learning, including increased attendance rates (Kozanitis & Nenciovici, 2022), improved learning outcomes (Ruiz-Primo et al., 2011), reduced achievement gaps for underrepresented students (Haak et al., 2011; Theobald et Al., 2020), higher-order thinking skills, and enhanced student performance (Freeman et al., 2014). In comparison to traditional lectures, any form of active learning has proven to be beneficial to student learning (Schneider & Preckel, 2017). However, most research on active learning has focused predominantly on face-to-face synchronous classrooms, with little attention to active learning in online asynchronous environments. This presents an opportunity to explore design solutions that promote active learning in these asynchronous settings where students lack real-time interactions with educators and peers. The advent of HTML5 (HyperText Markup Language version 5) or H5P has the potential to revolutionise active learning in online learning settings. As a free and open-source content creation tool, H5P offers various interactive and engaging content types that enable students to interact directly with course material in meaningful ways. This interactivity encourages students to participate actively in their learning process rather than passively obtaining information from lectures. Drawing from two case studies conducted at an Australian university, this presentation highlights how H5P can be used to enhance active learning in online asynchronous courses. The first case study investigates the design of H5P training modules for a platform that supports researchers in humanities and social sciences in their sensitive data access management. This platform is part of a nation-wide project involving 12 partnering institutions and government agencies in Australia. The second case study explores the implementation of H5P learning activities in a Vietnamese language course over three years. In both cases, H5P is used as a plug-in within the Moodle learning platform. Data collection for these case studies included interviews with educators and learning designers, Moodle reports, and participant feedback surveys. The findings from the thematic analysis and the learning analytics revealed substantial benefits of using H5P for active learning, along with the technical and pedagogical challenges encountered during the design process. The presentation features exemplary cases and insights from the case studies to suggest H5P design solutions that foster active participation, reflective thinking, and knowledge construction for students in online asynchronous settings.

Narrowing Achievement Gaps in General Chemistry Courses with and without In-Class Active Learning

Underrepresentation of some populations in STEM fields occurs because these students experience achievement gaps with performance lower on average than their overrepresented peers. Interventions to reduce achievement gaps and increase the retention of underrepresented students in STEM courses include approaches found both inside and outside of class-time, with active learning being a leading example of an in-class intervention in which didactic instruction is replaced by student-centered activities. In this investigation, student performance was examined in reformed general chemistry classes that employed student-centered active learning strategies when taught in person but employed more didactic instruction when taught online during emergency remote teaching, along with classes using traditional instruction in both modalities. In both settings, achievement gaps for underrepresented minority students in reformed courses were significantly narrowed compared to students in classes with traditional instruction, suggesting that the course structure and teaching practices beyond in-class active learning in reformed courses are significant contributors to student success.

American High School Students' Knowledge and Beliefs about Parenting and Early Childhood Development.

Income-based achievement gaps in cognitive skills are already large when children enter Kindergarten. By adopting a preventative approach that considers the efficacy of providing parenting knowledge to individuals before they become parents while they are still in secondary school, we may be able to reduce achievement gaps. In this study, we examined adolescents' knowledge and understanding of parenting and child development by creating and validating the Adolescent Parenting Knowledge and Attitudes Survey and administering it to over 1000 US high school students. This study shows that while many high school students hold beliefs consistent with successful outcomes for young children and their learning, there is much room for increasing their knowledge. The findings are discussed as presenting a potential opportunity to use high school as a site to improve adolescents' knowledge and attitudes related to child rearing and development.

Messaging Matters: The Impact of Advising Micromessages on Student Affect and Behavior across Diverse University Campuses

Across two experimental university studies, we examined how small changes in language embedded in advising communications influence student outcomes (e.g., support, persistence) and explored the utility of advising micromessages congruent with growth mindset and appreciative advising for diverse student populations. We found that micromessages embedded within hypothetical advisor emails increased anticipated positive student outcomes, including feelings of support and persistence. In line with our hypotheses and attribution-based intervention research with nontraditional and/or marginalized students, the positive effect of micromessaging appears greater for first-generation students and students of color. This research highlights opportunities to shape consequential student outcomes through small, strategic language changes. Empowering advisors with thoughtfully crafted language improves students' sense of support and persistence and may reduce achievement gaps.

Improving schooling through effective governance? The United States, Canada, South Korea, and Singapore in the struggle for PISA scores

ABSTRACT Improving schooling by reducing achievement gaps based on family background has been on the agenda of school governance worldwide for more than three decades. International benchmarking like the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is used to find models of best practice in effective school governance. Enlarging school autonomy, strengthening school management, and enhancing accountability have emerged as widely recommended and globally spreading governance tools. However, we do not know how much these tools make a difference between schools. To close this research gap, we conduct a multilevel regression analysis, which explores the association of student and average school socioeconomic status, migration background, school disciplinary climate and governance tools with student PISA scores. The United States, Canada, South Korea, and Singapore in 2009 and 2015 serve as test cases. Our findings indicate that school governance tools do not reduce achievement gaps.

Reimagining curricula: effects of cultural (in)sensitivity of curricula on racially minoritised students’ engagement

ABSTRACT Imperatives to eliminate racial inequalities in higher education (HE) have led to calls for diversification of curricula. Qualitative evidence is growing about racially minoritised students’ perceptions of their curricula and its impact on them. Yet there are no specific instruments to facilitate evaluation of curricular diversification and its impact on students. We examined the relationship between students’ perceptions of the cultural sensitivity of their curriculum and their engagement, as measured by students’ interactions with their teachers and their interest in their programme of study. To do so, we conceptualised and developed a new set of four Culturally Sensitive Curriculum Scales, making a significant, original conceptual and methodological contribution. A racially diverse sample of second through postgraduate students primarily in arts, humanities and social sciences (N = 262; 189 F) rated the cultural sensitivity of the curriculum of their programme, their interactions with teachers, and their interest. Racially minoritised students (n = 157) perceived their curriculum as less culturally sensitive on all four dimensions, reported fewer academic interactions with teachers, and had lower levels of interest than White students (n = 100). Each of the four Culturally Sensitive Curriculum Scales was significantly related to academic interactions with teachers and to interest. Regression analyses showed that all dimensions of cultural sensitivity mediated effects of ethnicity on interactions with teachers. Two dimensions of cultural sensitivity (Diversity Represented and Challenge Power) mediated effects of ethnicity on interest. Therefore, ensuring curricula are diverse and critical may support racially minoritised students’ engagement, potentially contributing to reducing achievement gaps. Further implications are discussed.

Closing Achievement Gaps Through Preschool-To-Third-Grade Programs.

Achievement gaps by family income, race, and ethnicity have persisted for decades. Yet only in recent years has this major social problem become a national priority in the U.S. and many other countries as concern rises over growing economic inequalities. In this paper, we document gaps in school readiness and achievement in the U.S. and how they adversely affect the life course development of children and families from underrepresented groups. We emphasize the promising role of preschool-to-3rd grade (P-3) programs to reduce a variety of achievement gaps through comprehensive strategies that enrich educational and family experiences during most of the first decade of life. Implementation of the core elements of effective learning experiences, collaborative leadership, aligned curriculum, parent involvement and engagement, professional development, and continuity and stability in the Child-Parent Center Program have shown relatively strong and sustained effects on school achievement, especially for Black children growing up in urban poverty. This evidence from the Chicago Longitudinal Study and other projects suggests that broader scale up of truly comprehensive approaches that begin early, continue through most of the first decade, and are multilevel in scope can make a bigger difference than many existing strategies in reducing achievement gaps and their persistence.

Retrieval Practice Is Effective Regardless of Self-Reported Need for Cognition - Behavioral and Brain Imaging Evidence.

There is an emerging consensus that retrieval practice is a powerful way to enhance long-term retention and to reduce achievement gaps in school settings. Less is known whether retrieval practice benefits performance in individuals with low intrinsic motivation to spend time and effort on a given task, as measured by self-reported need for cognition (NFC). Here, we examined retrieval practice in relation to individual differences in NFC by combining behavioral and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data. Using a within-subject design, upper-secondary school students (N = 274) learned a language-based material (Swahili-Swedish word-pairs), with half of the items by means of retrieval practice with feedback and half by study only. One week later, the students were tested on the word-pairs either in the classroom (n = 204), or in a fMRI scanner (n = 70). In both settings, a retrieval practice effect was observed across different levels of NFC (high or low). Relatedly, comparable fMRI effects were seen in both NFC subgroups. Taken together, our findings provide behavioral and brain-imaging evidence that retrieval practice is effective also for individuals with lower levels of NFC, which is of direct relevance for educational practice.

A New Lecture-Tutorial for Teaching Interferometry to Astro 101 Students

The ground-breaking image of a black hole’s event horizon, which captured the public’s attention and imagination in April 2019, was captured using the power of interferometry: many separate telescopes working together to observe the cosmos in incredible detail. Many recent astrophysical discoveries that have revolutionized the scientific community’s understanding of the cosmos were made by interferometers such as LIGO, ALMA, and the Event Horizon Telescope. Astro 101 instructors who want their students to learn the science behind these discoveries must teach about interferometry. Decades of research show that using active learning strategies can significantly increase students’ learning and reduce achievement gaps between different demographic groups over what is achieved from traditional lecture-based instruction. As part of an effort to create active learning materials on interferometry, we developed and tested a new Lecture-Tutorial to help Astro 101 students learn about key properties of astronomical interferometers. This paper describes this new Lecture-Tutorial and presents evidence for its effectiveness from a study conducted with 266 Astro 101 students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

A Seasonal Comparison of the Effectiveness of Parent Engagement on Student Literacy Achievement

Parent engagement is often promoted as a remedy for reducing achievement gaps between students from high socio-economic and low socio-economic backgrounds. However, researchers have found mixed results when examining parent engagement and student outcomes. Drawing on a study investigating the effectiveness of summer literacy camps offered by schools in Ontario, I compare the influence of parent engagement on two outcomes: (1) spring snapshot of cumulative learning, and (2) summer literacy growth/loss. In considering summer learning in regression analysis, I aim to investigate the effect of parent engagement without the influence of schools during the academic year. Out of 14 parent engagement measures, I find only three (parents’ aspirations, home resources, discussions of school with children) are positive predictors of spring literacy outcomes and that none predict summer literacy growth/loss. Family socio-economic status remains a powerful predictor of achievement for both outcomes. I interpret my findings within three proposed mechanisms of parent engagement: cultivation ethic, realist reaction, and expressive logic.

A Seasonal Comparison of the Effectiveness of Parent Engagement on Student Literacy Achievement

Parent engagement is often promoted as a remedy for reducing achievement gaps between students from high socio-economic and low socio-economic backgrounds. However, researchers have found mixed results when examining parent engagement and student outcomes. Drawing on a study investigating the effectiveness of summer literacy camps offered by schools in Ontario, I compare the influence of parent engagement on two outcomes: (1) spring snapshot of cumulative learning, and (2) summer literacy growth/loss. In considering summer learning in regression analysis, I aim to investigate the effect of parent engagement without the influence of schools during the academic year. Out of 14 parent engagement measures, I find only three (parents’ aspirations, home resources, discussions of school with children) are positive predictors of spring literacy outcomes and that none predict summer literacy growth/loss. Family socio-economic status remains a powerful predictor of achievement for both outcomes. I interpret my findings within three proposed mechanisms of parent engagement: cultivation ethic, realist reaction, and expressive logic.
 Keywords: parent engagement, literacy achievement, socio-economic status, inequality, summer learning, summer literacy camp(s)

Self‐affirmation theory in educational contexts

AbstractSelf‐affirmation, operationalized as value‐affirmation interventions, can have long‐term beneficial effects on the academic performance and trajectories of members of negatively stereotyped groups, thus reducing achievement gaps. Yet, there is significant heterogeneity in the effectiveness of value affirmations, and we do not yet have a clear understanding of why. In this introduction to the special issue, we review the literature on self‐affirmation theory in educational contexts, providing overviews of the heterogeneity in the effectiveness of affirmation interventions, the methods of implementation, potential moderators, and underling processes. We identify several questions that are important for researchers to address, the answers to which would progress the field towards being able to more confidently implement value‐affirmations in contexts in which, and/or for groups for whom, they are most likely to produce benefits. We then introduce the articles included in this special issue, which showcase several of the latest theoretical and empirical advances to self‐affirmation theory in educational contexts.

Of hope and despair: neo-liberalism and schooling on the south coast of England

PurposeThe present study contributes to research that examines the meanings of achievement gaps, when enacting policy. Its findings are both hopeful and unsettling. The absence of equitable outcomes and democratic citizenship, as elements of closing the achievement gaps in our participants' definitions, are troubling, particularly within the context of neo-liberalism, where increases in inequities showcase the negative aspects of policy appropriation.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative case study methodology was used to identify the parameters of the research (Merriam and Simpson, 2000) because case studies are particularistic in nature in that case studies examine a specific instance but illuminate a general problem (Merriam, 1998). This case study is not based on generating generalizations, concepts or hypotheses grounded in systematically obtained data (Abercrombie et al., 1990) but goes beyond the limited notion of context employed in many case studies, as no researcher can enter a situation free from preconceptions but must fit existing perceptions into a pre-existing discourse. This study explores heads of schools' decisions with regards to increasing the number of students who meet standards, as set by the government and reducing achievement gaps among student subgroups.FindingsThe findings from this study are discussed in three broad categories; the achievement gap, aspirations and parental support and differentiated and targeted solutions.Research limitations/implicationsThese findings raise the question as to whether the education inspection framework (EIF) presents cause for concern. After all, the EIF was developed to hold schools accountable for high standards without consultation with the teachers' representatives, local communities, parents and colleges and universities. Nevertheless, the EIF, as a set of standards, is problematic.Practical implicationsThe leadership practices enacted by heads of schools to bridge the achievement gaps differ from those advocated by the State. This echoes previous findings demonstrating that the same leadership practices can be used to pursue different goals (Leithwood, 2006) and that individuals enact policies in ways that reflect the particularities of their own contexts (Ball et al., 2012).Social implicationsThe absence of equitable outcomes and democratic citizenship, as elements of closing the achievement gaps in our participants' definitions, are troubling, particularly within the context of neo-liberalism, where increases in inequities showcase the negative aspects of policy appropriation.Originality/valueThe present study contributes to research that examines the meanings of achievement gaps when enacting policy (Ball et al., 2012; Hardy, 2014; Winton, 2013). Its findings are both hopeful and unsettling. The heads of schools demonstrate that they can appropriate definitions of achievement for all students to support their academic learning and wellbeing (Hodgkinson, 1991; Winton, 2013).

Getting active to increase equity

Education Attrition and underrepresentation in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) go hand in hand. Part of this relationship is due to underrepresented students experiencing achievement gaps, especially in “gateway” courses. Theobald et al. investigated whether underrepresented students in active-learning classrooms experience narrower achievement gaps than underrepresented students in a traditional lecture course. The research team collected data on exam scores and failure rates for ∼54,000 students in both traditional lecturing and active-learning STEM courses taught by the same instructor. On average, active learning reduced achievement gaps in exam scores and passing rates and offered disproportionate benefits for underrepresented groups. These results provide more support for replacing traditional lecturing with active learning, which now has the added benefit of being a strategy for increasing equity in higher education. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 117 , 6476 (2020).

Reducing achievement gaps in undergraduate general chemistry could lift underrepresented students into a "hyperpersistent zone".

Students from underrepresented groups start college with the same level of interest in STEM majors as their peers, but leave STEM at higher rates. We tested the hypothesis that low grades in general chemistry contribute to this "weeding," using records from 25,768 students. In the first course of a general chemistry series, grade gaps based on binary gender, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and family education background ranged from 0.12 to 0.54 on a four-point scale. Gaps persisted when the analysis controlled for academic preparation, indicating that students from underrepresented groups underperformed relative to their capability. Underrepresented students were less likely than well-represented peers to persist in chemistry if they performed below a C-, but more likely to persist if they got a C or better. This "hyperpersistent zone" suggests that reducing achievement gaps could have a disproportionately large impact on efforts to achieve equity in STEM majors and professions.

Adolescent Academic, Social and Future Achievement Goal Orientations: Implications for Achievement by Gender and Parental Education

ABSTRACT Research on social aspects of academic motivation is scarce. Based on two nationally representative cohorts within the Swedish longitudinal ETF-project, the study examined (a) relationships between academic mastery/performance, social and future achievement goal orientations in the Swedish grade 9 compulsory school (2008/2014); (b) their implications for academic achievement; (c) interaction effects by gender and parental education. Social responsibility exerts the strongest effect on achievement; independently and combined. Girls strive for these goals more often than boys. All orientations are important for achievement; and for disadvantaged students in particular. The findings are important for interventions on enhancing motivation and reducing achievement gaps between student groups.