Achievement gap in the United States

On October 4, 1957, the Russians launched Sputnik into space putting into motion essentialist education reform throughout the United States. This single event symbolized inadequacy and widespread disillusionment in the foundation of our schools. Within a year the National Defense Education Act was passed by the U.S. Congress, stressing the importance of math, science and foreign language. In 1965 Congress followed up by passing the Elementary and Secondary Education Acts, focusing on aid to the…

During the Bush Administration in 2001, “Democrats and Republicans in Congress became increasingly concerned by the growing achievement gaps that left poor and minority students in failing schools” (Korte 1). These concerns culminated in one of Bush’s most memorable legacies—the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Although NCLB “began its life as a much-revered, bipartisan effort” that…

city which saw a decrease in graduation rates in the years after NCLB was implemented. According to a district report, in the 2009-2010 school year Harrisburg School District had a graduation rate of 52.95 percent, although several years later, the state of Pennsylvania reported a graduation rate in the city of only 38.6 percent. This drop of over fourteen points does not match the patterns observed in York, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania or the nation. A further study into the cause of this…

pressing form of discrimination occurs in the work place. The issue of the gender wage gap has recently gotten more exposure in the media, which has led to many women getting interested in the matter at hand. Although several women are becoming aware of the issue, there are still many women who don’t know about the gender wage gap, and how they’re impacted by the gap. To better understand the problem with the gender wage gap, we must first know its numerical value. In January 2016, Patrick…

from Massachusetts Institution of Technology and the University of Carolina, have been developed to discover how video game usage can further academic achievement. The projects concluded that educational video games in the classroom increase academic understanding and overall student interest in educational systems. In order for the United States to keep pace with other educational systems worldwide, American K-12 schools need to revolutionize their academic curriculum including incorporating…

Today, more than ever, there is an emphasis on high-quality education and its crucial role in the success of the individual and our society. This means that once they graduate, students are expected to have more than just a working knowledge of reading, writing and arithmetic. On top of the material that has traditionally filled textbooks, populated lesson plans and crowded standardized tests, students today must be exposed and prepared to communicate and collaborate with individuals across a…

indeed a social problem. Korgen and Furst (2012), the way schools are funded is one area in which inequality is evident. “For example, a 2011 U.S. Department of Education report revealed that more than 40% of low-income schools across the United States receive less state and local funding than schools in higher income areas” (Korgen & Furst, 2012). Since some children do not have access to primary education, it has become an inequality upon educational opportunities. Americans cannot improve…

mobilizing others to solve problems we already know how to solve, but helping them to confront problems that have not yet been addressed successfully (M. Fullan, 2014a). Introduction Highly effective schools are those where high levels of academic achievement can be found in all students, regardless of cultural or economic background (McEwan-Adkins, 2009). Researchers have found several common traits associated with highly effective schools including trust, collaboration, effective leadership,…

A lot of students from foreign countries entering the United States to receive further education, and the number will continue to rise. Research shows that over a million students and scholars participated in higher education in foreign countries. The United States, United Kingdom, and Australia attract 45% of the world 's international students. (Ward 2009) Being away from home, it is obviously a challenge for international students to study in a country outside of their home country because…

minority students are: “The children don’t try,” “They have no place to study,” “Their parents don’t care,” and “Their culture does not value education.” These are some reasons and excuses I used to explain why these minority students have an achievement gap that separates them from other young Americans. Once I determined that a minority student qualified as an exceptional learner, I embraced and reaffirmed their cultural, ethnic, and linguistic heritage. By building on the students’…