Viewpoints Vol. 9

Bridging the Great Divide:
Broadening Perspectives on Closing the Achievement Gaps

Introduction

Viewpoints is a series of multimedia resources intended to provide relevant information on the important topics facing education leaders today. Volume 9, "Bridging the Great Divide: Broadening Perspectives on Closing the Achievement Gaps," focuses on closing the gaps that separate white, Asian, and economically advantaged students from their African American, Latino/a, Native American, and economically disadvantaged peers.

This booklet presents information about the achievement gaps along with examples of programs targeted toward closing them. These examples occur at three levels: higher education, district, and school. The booklet also provides an overview of available resources and tools to help all schools meet their goals of closing achievement gaps.

The accompanying audio CDs provide you with the voices of various leaders in the education field who have worked closely with issues relating to the achievement gaps. Their voices represent the many perspectives and opinions that surround these issues and provide a general overview of the movement.

The Issue

As the education community continues to implement the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, education stakeholders are paying more attention than ever to the achievement gaps in standardized test scores between students who are white, Asian American, and from economically advantaged backgrounds, and their contemporaries who are African American, Latino/a, Native American, and from low-income backgrounds, as well as special education students and students with limited English proficiency. In this age of education accountability and high-stakes testing, the disparities in achievement are becoming particularly evident.

The No Child Left Behind legislation mandates that standardized test scores be disaggregated to monitor the progress of these groups, and there are serious consequences for schools and districts if lower-performing groups do not show real improvement. (For specific information, refer to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Title I, Part A, Section 1111[b][2][C][i-vii].) This legislation brings to the forefront an issue with which educators have been struggling for decades. The phrase achievement gap is becoming increasingly mainstream, in part due to No Child Left Behind, and this should help focus attention on and create a sense of urgency for addressing the disparity between the academic performances of different groups of students.

The Booklet: A Guide to Contents

The essay "Identifying and Eliminating the Achievement Gaps: A Research-Based Approach" serves as a companion to the CDs. This essay presents an overview of the achievement gaps and discusses in-school and out-of-school factors that contribute to the gaps. It also outlines strategies for closing the achievement gaps at various levels of education. At the higher education level, the University of Maryland's Institute for Minority Achievement and Urban Education has made great strides. At the district level, the Minority Student Achievement Network is working closely with 15 school districts across the nation to narrow achievement gaps. At the school level, Sageland Elementary School in El Paso, Texas, has implemented some promising practices.

In addition to the success stories of these organizations, this booklet provides information about tools and resources intended to help meet the challenges of closing achievement gaps. There are resources to identify achievement gaps in schools; tools to identify factors that lead to achievement gaps in schools; and resources to identify solutions, interventions, and strategies to close achievement gaps. (It may be helpful to read the booklet as an introduction to the topic before listening to the interviews presented on the CDs.)