The achievement gap everyone talks about is the academic disparity between students from marginalized or disadvantaged backgrounds and their more privileged counterparts, socioeconomically.
This gap is largely identified and measured via standardized test scores and high school graduation rates, though it can also be measured by college enrollment rates and various measures of academic achievement (e.g. grade level achievements in math and reading).
Efforts to narrow this achievement gap often involve schools seeking to provide additional support services, resources, and educational programs tailored to the needs of disadvantaged students, as well as addressing broader systemic inequities within the education system.
Sadly, decades of these efforts have not been enough.
In 2002, the book "Bridging the Achievement Gap" by John E. Chubb presented various perspectives and policy recommendations aimed at addressing disparities in academic performance and opportunities.
In 2003, author and educator Belinda Williams advocated in her book "Closing the Achievement Gap: A Vision for Changing Beliefs and Practices" for systemic changes in curriculum, assessment, and teacher professional development to better meet the needs of diverse learners and narrow achievement gaps.
Nearly two decades later, the Associate Commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Peggy Carr, would be widely quoted as saying (in preparation for the 2019 NCES data release):
"Since the first reading assessment in 1992, there’s been no growth for the lowest-performing students in either fourth or eighth grade," Carr said. "Our students struggling the most with reading are where they were nearly 30 years ago." Carr also stated how, "compared to a decade ago, we see that low-achieving students made score declines in all of the assessments while higher-performing students made score gains."
This means that claims of standardized test scores stagnating, or plateauing, across the country are actually a reflection of this persistent achievement gap.
[Image created by Greg Mullen]
WHY IS THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP NOT NARROWING?
This achievement gap is not new. Schools have experienced a revolving door of staff, both administrative and teaching, with innovative ideas and approaches to addressing this achievement gap.
A key reason why the achievement gap persists despite decades of efforts lies in the traditional pedagogical approaches still prevalent in many classrooms. Traditional pedagogy often prioritizes teacher-centered instruction and standardized testing which, as decades of experience and research have shown, seems to benefit the privileged more than the marginalized.
So long as we insist on traditional pedagogical practices to meet traditional standardized testing measures of academic success, the gap will continue to persist with the existing social and societal structures in place.
Schools can address one root cause of this achievement gap by shifting away from traditional pedagogy and incorporating heutagogy, or self-determined learning, into classrooms. Heutagogy encourages students to take ownership of their learning journey, fostering critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and intrinsic motivation. By shifting the authority and responsibility for learning from teachers to students, and fostering classrooms where students set their learning goals, explore their interests, and engage in experiential learning experiences, heutagogy can help bridge the achievement gap by providing all students with the agency and resources they need to succeed.
Integrating heutagogical principles into teaching practices is how schools can effectively promote equity, inclusivity, and academic excellence, ultimately leading to more equitable educational outcomes for all students.
You can read more about my own experience with heutagogy here --https://www.exploringthecore.com/post/heutagogy
WHAT ELSE CAN BE DONE?
Outside of the school's control are issues of social and societal shifts. It is essential to recognize that the achievement gap is not solely a product of educational shortcomings but is deeply intertwined with broader social and economic inequities.
Factors such as poverty, inadequate healthcare, housing instability, and systemic racism all contribute to the disparities in academic outcomes observed among students from marginalized communities. Public schools are the reflections of our public communities so it is imperative that addressing the achievement gap not only reform educational policies and practices but also advocate for social and economic reforms that promote equity and opportunity for all individuals in a school's community.
These larger efforts may include initiatives to alleviate poverty, improve access to healthcare and housing, dismantle systemic barriers to employment and advancement, and promote inclusive and anti-racist policies at all levels of society. By addressing the root causes of inequality and investing in the well-being and success of marginalized communities, we can create a more just and equitable society where all students - and their families - have the opportunity to thrive academically and beyond.
I take a deeper dive into this issue in my post: "Maslow Before Bloom" (April 2, 2020) -- https://www.exploringthecore.com/post/maslow-before-bloom
Greg Mullen
March 21, 2024
References:
Chubb, J. E., & Loveless, T. (Eds.). (2002). Bridging the Achievement Gap. Brookings Institution Press.
Mahnken, K. (2019, October 30). A disturbing assessment: Sagging reading scores, particularly for eighth-graders, headline 2019’s disappointing NAEP results. The 74 Million. Retrieved from https://www.the74million.org/a-disturbing-assessment-sagging-reading-scores-particularly-for-eighth-graders-headline-2019s-disappointing-naep-results