To emphasize, racial inequality in schools begin with “educators, аdmіnіstrаtоrs, pоlіcymаkers, and stakeholders.” (Hanson, 2011) These particular individual’s involved in school settings “must realize that the аchіevement gap that exists between mіnоrіty and nоn-mіnоrіty students іs merely one of the consequences that has resulted due to the іnequаlіtіes and іnjustіces of our educаtіоnаl system.” (Hanson, 2011) In addition, a study was conducted measuring within-school racial disparities in school climates. The racial school climate gap: within-school disparities in students’ experiences of safety, support, and connectedness, incorporated a substantial amount of information containing the widespread gap, between achievement gaps between minorities and whites.…
The world of education as we know it is a place built on a foundation that is surrounded by enigmas and empty promises. It is for this reason that America has yet to find an effective solution that works for schools nationwide that is “progressive” as well as “consistent” in the field of education. The articles and the book that we have read so far in class have left me a bittersweet taste in my mouth. I think about how far we have come and how many steps we continue taking backwards. The issues surrounding education seem to share the same common factors of race, high expectations, and hidden agendas.…
Discrepancies in the American educational system produce the vast inequalities that primarily affect minorities and low-wealth districts. Consequently, schools districts in high-poverty areas are predominantly consistent with Black and Hispanic populations. Low paying districts encounter obstacles such as a shortage of teachers, less qualified teachers and teachers without teaching certificates. The lack of skilled teachers negatively impacts student’s ability to reach their academic potential. Unprepared teachers are less effective in producing student learning gains.…
The educational, systematic and structural injustices that occur can be seen in these interviews. Through them all unfairness can be seen in both the “high- performing students,” or Asian Americans and the “low- performing students,” or Latinas/Latinos. The students and faculty have come to believe in these everyday stereotypes of their classmates and students as being “smart”, and “hard working” if you look Asian and “stupid”, and “lazy” if Latino/Latina. Reading these interviews it confirms the harm that these stereotypes have caused and confirms that the achievement gap is greatly affected by this. Asian Americans at Southern California High School (SCHS) are encouraged by their counselors, teachers, students, and even their parents to be the best, to make straight A’s, take AP and Honors courses.…
The lack of education is impacting crime rates. In the article The Achievement Gap and the Discipline Gap by Anne Gregory, she describes how unfair punishment in school leads to adolescents giving up and causing crime. Also in the article Testing Social Disorganization Theory by Taner Cam, he describes how dropout rates lead to crime too, due to their opportunities being shortened. Lastly, in the article Substance Involvement and the Trajectory of Criminal Offending in Young Males by John Welte, he describes how uneducated people lead to an increase of crime as well, since their maturity level is not up to standards. The effect of unfair punishment leads to dropout rates to increase and results in uneducated people committing crimes.…
An analysis of Response to Intervention (RTI) reveals progress in closing the achievement gap in Reading and Math. Numerous studies have been conducted on the effects of Response to Intervention (RTI) in closing the achievement gap in regards to ethnicity and race. Teachers use RTI in classrooms to encourage a positive impact on closing the achievement gap between various ethnicities. In this article, we will determine the effect of RTI on closing the achievement gap between three ethnicity groups; Hispanic, White and Black. Response to Intervention (RTI) is a program that is tiered based in order to assess, screen and evaluate students across subjects to determine the level of interventions a student needs.…
The widening achievement gap seen between student subgroups in education has resulted in race-neutral policies formulated to address the underperformance in schools. In the last decade, significant steps have been taken by the government to warrant equal education and opportunities for students nationwide, regardless of race. On January 8, 2002, President George W. Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001. The NCLB is a reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act that President Lyndon B. Johnson passed in 1965 as part of his “War on Poverty.” The new bill tackles the performance gap between the “traditionally underserved and vulnerable students and their peers” (Elementary and Secondary Education…
The achievement gap is the division of academic success amongst certain student groups. It measures the educational performance of students that identify with specific races, ethnicities, and socioeconomic status. It is associated with patterns of low performance, low standardized test scores and grades, and high school completion rates. In the eyes of an educator, it can also be defined as, “The difference between a child’s potential and his/her actual achievement” (SEDL).…
One of the most important issues for parents is their child’s education. The quality of education that a child receives is based largely on where they attend school. The topic of school choice and how it affects a student’s ability to obtain a high-quality education is a vastly debated topic in education today. This essay will explain the history of school choice, give an examination of the options available to students’ selection of schools, and whether or not public funding of school choice should continue to be made available to students. Providing equal educational opportunities to all students is a distinctive challenge for America’s schools.…
After we touched the topics of Race and Ethnicity and Social Inequalities in the education system in the United States in ED-160, I was curious about how those inequalities affect the lives of students today. As I began my research about the inequalities that students face, I found an article that stated that “the ultimate test of an educational system is whether it makes sure that every student, whatever their background, is exposed to the content they need to compete in today's society.” It was disturbing to read that “U.S. schools are failing this most basic test.” I also found an article where Gaston Caperton said “Tests are not the problem, students are not the problem. The problem we have is an unfair education system in America-an unequal…
The achievement gap has been a continuous issue for some time now, meaning every student isn’t receiving the same kind of education as one another. Many parents have tried hard to get their child the best quality of education money can but them, but it is not always guaranteed. The “hidden curriculum”, quality of educators, and charter schools are the ones to blame. Many would assume that every school is alike and teach the same curriculum, but Jean Anyon has proved otherwise. In ‘Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work’, Anyon went to different socially ranking schools such as the “working class” school and even as high as “executive elite”.…
The racial gap in student academic achievement is once again the focus of much attention in the United States. “Educational expectations are lower for black children, according to Child Trends, a non-profit and non partisan research center that tracks data about children.” (Cook, 2015) Black American has less opportunities and lack of support from their parents to succeed in the United States.…
Education in the United States went through great reform in the late 1800s to 1900s. Change didn’t come about easy and educational equality is still a popular debate today. Although educational change was talked about and seemingly in progress, equality still had a long way to go. Differences in racial and social classes became prevalent especially through schooling. Black Americans were limited and restrained with obstacles such as what schools they were allowed to attend, what classes they were to take, and by what the teachers were taught to educate on.…
The ethnic and racial stratifications in the United States educational system have been reinforced throughout history by means of public policy on racial biases. The biases in which policies are formulated and applied, has created and expanded the achievement gap between White-Americans and minorities. These policies are not always directly targeting low-income schools, however it can be seen within the segregation of residential areas that has a direct impact on local schools. The racial and ethnic stratification of education in low-income schools is not simply the work of one factor, but a combination of sociological elements that have perpetuated these circumstances. Through intergroup relations, sociological components, and historical events constrain the…
Equity in education is proven to close the achievement gap and in order to make that happen, teachers and schools have to start now. “If we are serious about closing what I call the 'opportunity gap, ' it has to start with high-quality early-learning opportunities in disadvantaged communities that have been denied for too long (Duncan, 2013). It has been too long for students to be denied the right to go to college because they did not have the resources and opportunities compared to other students. The U.S education system promises to help prepare all students for college and graduate high school.…