Achievement Gaps

1
Achievement Gaps

• Jessica Allen
• November 2, 2007

2
Introduction

• An achievement gap refers to the observed
  disparity on a number of educational measures
  between the performance of groups of students,
  especially groups defined by race and
  socioeconomic status.

3
Introduction Continued

• As racial diversity grows in our society
  achievement gaps among the minority students
  begin to increase.
• Not only are the minority races behind in
  education, but the children from low income
  families are also behind in school.
• We as future teachers need to be prepared to come
  up with different methods to help close
  achievement gaps.

4
Overview

• This presentation will explain the achievement
  gaps among minority races/ethnic groups and
  social classes in public education today.
• I will also explain the ways in which the United
  States is trying to close achievement gaps among
  minority students. Teachers need to find ways to
  close achievement gaps in their classroom.

5
Measuring Achievement Gaps

• There are several ways to measure the achievement
  gap. One common method is to compare academic
  performance among African-American, Hispanic, and
  white students on standardized assessments.
• Another way to measure the achievement gap is to
  compare the highest level of educational
  attainment for various groups.

6
Race and Intelligence

• The study of race and intelligence is a
  controversial study of how human intellectual
  capacities may vary among the different
  population groups commonly known as races. This
  study seeks to identify and explain the
  differences of intelligence as well as the
  underlying causes of such variance.
• Studies have shown that even when African
  Americans and Hispanics come from middle class
  families their achievement scores are still lower
  than white students.

7

• Theories about the possibility of a correlation
  among race and intelligence has been around since
  the 16th century.
• The contemporary debate focuses on the nature,
  causes, and importance of ethnic differences in
  intelligence test scores and other measures of
  cognitive ability.
• Today we are still trying to figure out if race
  can be considered an issue in why there are
  achievement gaps.

8

• The graph on the left shows the achievement gaps
  between Hispanics and whites from 2004 to 2005.
• The graph on the right shows the achievement gaps
  among African Americans and whites from 2004 to
  2005.

9
Mean IQ Scores

• The mean IQ scores among African Americans has
  been measured as approximately 85.
• The mean IQ score of Hispanics has been measured
  as approximately 89.
• The mean IQ score of whites has been measured as
  approximately 100.

10
(No Transcript)
11

• This graph shows that there is a significant gap
  among minority students. The average test score
  for a Caucasian student is an 100. Average
  scores on all four of these tests for African
  American students are less than an 100.

12
Math Scores
13
Reading Scores
14
(No Transcript)
15

• African Americans, Native Americans, Latinos, and
  immigrants for whom English is not a first
  language lag behind English-speaking,
  native-born, white students.
• There is a lot of evidence for achievement gaps
  among minority races
• drop-out rates are higher among minority races
• The number of students from a minority race
  placed in the gifted program is very low
• The number of students from a minority race that
  go to college and graduate college is lower
• The amount of people from a minority race in
  professional programs is lower

16

• This is a graph from 1996 that shows the percent
  of High School dropouts in the United States.
• As you can see the highest percentage of dropouts
  occurs with the foreign-born Hispanics.

17

• The Core Curriculum is usually deemed the central
  study, and is usually made mandatory for all
  students in the school system.
• The graph shows that the number of students in
  Core Curriculum classes has increased, but is
  still low.

18
(No Transcript)
19
Students from low income families

• The number of children living in low income
  families is rising.
• Among the 70 million children living in the
  United States, 27 million, nearly 40, are living
  in low- income families
• 17 of all American children live at or below the
  poverty level.

20
of low-income families vary by race

• 62 of Hispanic children
• 60 of African American children
• 28 of Asian children
• 26 of White children

21

• By the time children that come from low income
  families begin public school they lag
  significantly behind their more affluent peer
  academically, socially, and physically.
• Children and adolescents from low-income families
  and the underclass (a term describing the poorest
  of the poor and those who are trapped in a cycle
  of poverty) are the least likely to graduate high
  school.
• Children raised in poverty are likely to suffer
  from hunger and malnutrition which can sap their
  energy for schoolwork.

22

• Lower-income fourth and eighth graders lagged 20
  to 30 points behind their peers on math and
  reading test
• Poor Southern students who make up the majority
  of their states student populations also have
  lower college attendance rates than their peers.

23

• This graph shows income has a great impact on how
  a child does in school. Lower income students
  have lower SAT scores in ever race than the
  higher income students.

24
Closing Achievement Gaps

• Head Start Programs have been very beneficial in
  helping children from low income families.
• Head Start Programs are pre k schools that enroll
  children from low income families.
• Head Start Programs have focused on school
  readiness, and have better prepared young
  children for their first few years of school.
• Head Start Programs are very beneficial at the
  beginning of school years, but do not seem to
  always have a lasting effect on students.

25

• The government has also tried to close
  achievement gaps by changing The Federal
  Education Policy.
• The No Child Left Behind Act requires states to
  set the same performance targets for children
  from economically disadvantaged families, with
  disabilities, with limited English proficiency,
  and from all major ethnic and racial groups.
• Within a school, if any student subgroup
  persistently fails to meet performance targets,
  districts must provide public school choice and
  supplemental services to those students and
  eventually restructure the school's governance.
  This is required even if the school performs well
  overall.

26
Further Actions!Improving the Quality of Teachers

• Students need effective teaching in order to
  achieve. Research suggests that recruiting
  qualified teachers is an important way to close
  the achievement gap.
• The schools with the biggest achievement gap tend
  to attract the lowest numbers of quality
  teachers. Students that are low income or
  minority tend to receive the most inexperienced
  teachers at their schools.
• The United States needs more teachers with
  quality teaching skills, and new ideas to help
  close achievement gaps.
• The United States needs more teachers that
  respect and care for their students.

27
Importance of Closing Achievement Gap

• It is very important to close the achievement gap
  among students for many reasons
• To lower drop out rates
• To lower the poverty cycle
• To have a higher number of students attending
  college
• To have a higher number of people in professional
  programs, etc.

28
Wikipedia

• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achievement_gap
• This website is a great resource to use when
  learning about achievement gaps.
• The website had a lot of information and graphs
  that explained and showed the statistics of
  achievement gaps.

29
Race and Achievement Gap

• http//www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/15_04/Rac
  e154.shtml
• This website is about the historical facts, gaps
  in test scores, and numerical scales related to
  achievement gaps among minority races.

30
Study Most students in South are poor

• http//www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/20922.ht
  ml
• This article is about poor students in public
  schools. It shows that the majority of poor
  students are in the South.

31
Closing the Achievement Gap

• http//www.subnet.nga.org/educlear/achievement/ind
  ex.html
• This websites gives examples of how the
  government is taking action in closing the
  achievement gap, and it also gives options for
  further action in closing achievement gaps.

32
Minority test takers make significant gains on
SAT but achievement gap between White, minority
students persists

• http//findarticle.com/p/articles/mi_m0DXK/is_16_2
  1/ai_n6355356
• This article tells about the gains in the average
  test scores, and the amount of points gained on
  test.
• The article also reports a gap between white
  students and students from other racial and
  ethnic groups continues.

33
Reaching All Learners Perspectives on Gender,
Class, Ethnicity, and Special Needs

• This book explains the difficulties presented in
  low income families, and minority ethnic groups.
• It also explains what goes on in an everyday
  high-poverty school.
• Audience Future teachers

34
Closing the Achievement Gap A Vision for
Changing Beliefs and Practices

• This book explains the achievement gaps in our
  society today, and gives options to close them.
• This book helps educators be prepared for
  minority and low income students.
• It also gives ways to close the achievement gap.
• Audience Teachers, Teacher Educators, Community

35
Conclusion

• Achievement Gaps are presented in many classrooms
  across the United States. Teachers need to be
  able to teach students that are learning slower
  than others, while teaching the fast learners as
  well. All students brains need to be stimulated
  on a day to day basis. If teachers concentrate
  more on how they can help slower learning
  children, and children that are behind we may one
  day be able to close achievement gaps.

36
References

• Bennett, Christine I. (1986). Multicultural
  Education Theory and Practice. Pearson
  Education, Inc.
• Closing The Achievement Gap Retrieved November
  2007. Website http//www.subnet.nga.org/educlea
  r/achievement/index.html.
• McClatchy Washington Bureau Study Most
  students in South are poor. Retrieved October
  2007. Website http//www.mcclatchydc.com/homep
  age/story/20922.html.
• Minority test takers make significant gains on
  SAT but achievement gap between White,
  minority students persists Retrieved November
  2007. Website http//findarticle.com/p/article
  s/mi_m0DXK/is_16_21/ai_n6355356.
• Rethinking Schools Race and the Achievement
  Gap. Retrieved October 2007. Website
  http//www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/15_04/Ra
  ce154.shtml.
• Wikipedia Achievment Gap. Retrieved October
  2007, from Wikipedia. Website
  http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achievement_gap.
• Williams, Belinda. (2004). Closing the
  Achievement Gap A Vision for Changing Beliefs
  and Practices. ASCD.