Is There an Academic Achievement Gap?
Earl Johnson, Principal, Matzanas High School, Diversity Committee member
For years educational professionals have been trying to close the achievement gap. The achievement gap, which exists between Caucasians and African Americans, Caucasians and Hispanics, Economically Disadvantaged and the Non-Economically Disadvantaged, Students with Disabilities and Students without Disabilities, and English Language Learners and Non-English Language learners.
Through the years, there have been improvements; however, the achievement gap still exists. There have been several types of reforms put in place including the addition of preschool,There has been a slight change over the past 50 years; however, the achievement gap disparity still has educational professionals wondering how to mitigate that allusive gap. Before I continue, I would like to pose a question. If your doctor diagnosed you with a broken femur bone, and he prescribed over the counter aspirin, will the aspirin heal your broken bone issue? I am not a medical doctor, but I would be willing to venture that it would not heal your broken bone. I propose one of two things regarding the achievement gap. First, because it has been going on so long, and we still have not eliminated the achievement gap, maybe we need to consider the medication (intervention) we are prescribing our students. Or secondly, we have diagnosed the problem incorrectly.
Maybe all these years we have been looking at a symptom of the problem and not the actual problem.
Educational Experience
I have been blessed to work on the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Additionally, I have had the opportunity to work at very affluent schools and impoverished schools. I worked at an elementary school in the suburbs on the beachside where the majority of the students were from the surrounding neighborhood. Minority students were bussed in from the inner city, a low-income area; the bus ride took approximately forty minutes. The school traditionally performed well academically; however, there was a significant disparity between the low-income students who were bussed in and their peers. Although an opportunity for all students to attend after school tutoring was provided, the inner city students did not show up. It was chalked up to the disinterest in additional academic assistance by both students and their parents. However, it was evident to me that there was not equity in the available access for the students to attend after school tutoring. All of the students who rode the bus from the inner city were on free or reduced lunch. The parents, if they had a car, were not willing or could not afford to drive 30 minutes to pick their child up. I knew if I were to improve the proficiency of our at risk youth, I needed to provide access for them to participate in after school tutoring.
Through donations from local businesses, I was able to raise money to pay teachers to go into the neighborhood to tutor the students at the local recreational center. That was the beginning of our satellite tutoring sight for our students. I was also able to pay teachers’ travel expenses. Additionally, students along with their siblings were able to attend and enjoy a meal. The following year I was able to partner with Food Brings Hope, a nonprofit organization, which provided transport for our students after tutoring. We went from 25-30 students receiving tutoring to almost 100 students. During my tenure at the school, there was a significant increase in students’ proficiency in mathematics and reading based on the results of the FCAT. In 2004, 71% of third grade students were proficient in math, and in 2009, 86% of the students were proficient. Reading proficiency increased from 71% to 78%, and learning gains increased by over 15% in reading and math during that same time.
Opportunity Gap
It was evident to me that the achievement gap was a symptom of the actual gap, which existed. The opportunity gap! When you hear about the opportunity gap, the majority of the research talks about the disparity in access to quality schools and resources for all students to be successful. With the passing of NCLB Act of 2001, districts were disaggregating student data into subgroups. This created a more laser-like awareness of the achievement (opportunity) gap between minority students and their peers. The achievement (opportunity) gap can be mitigated by high-quality early childhood education, college preparatory curriculum, highly qualified teachers, and equitable instructional resources for all students regardless of their zip code. Districts provide our students with pre-kindergarten, AP and IB programs, quality recruitment and retention programs for teachers, and equal access to materials. School personnel have focused on providing these academic pathways to close the achievement (opportunity) gap for decades and yet the gap still exists.
What I propose is the achievement gap is a symptom of the opportunity gap. The resources that we provide are generally during the school day addressing academics. When the low-income student goes home over the winter break or during the summer, how much reading do you think takes place? Children who grow up in middle to upper class homes have more opportunities for success. They have had the opportunity to experience daycare or a stay at home parent while receiving more exposure to musical instruments, books, and vacations. Low-income kindergartners typically start school at least a full year behind their peers. Additionally, as they matriculate through school during the school year, they are able to close the gap; however, the academic regression during the summers widens the gap. This is because of the lack of access to books in the home compared to their peers.
I was the principal of a school which was in the most impoverished area in the city; 97% of the students were on free or reduced lunch. I understood that these students were smart; however, they did not have the opportunity to have a home library, take vacations, visit colleges or have a hot meal when they went home. To address these opportunity gaps, I had to take action.
1. I purchased each student at least two books to take home during winter break and during summer break.
2. We partnered with Food Brings Hope, which provided our students with opportunities to visit college campuses and attend cultural events. They also provided over 100 students per year with after school tutoring and a hot meal twice a week, and food to take home over the weekend.
3. We partnered with a local college, which provided tutoring for students during the school day and after school as well as mentors from their fraternities and sororities. Students went on college visits, and over 95 students in grades 3-5 along with their parents/guardian had an opportunity to have lunch with the president of the college for academic achievement, academic improvement, or behavioral improvement. Students also had an opportunity to participate in a STEM program during the summer sponsored by the college.
I’ll pose the question to you again, if you broke your femur, would you want your doctor to only prescribe over-the-counter aspirin for the pain, or would you want your leg immobilized and put in a cast?
We want our doctors to treat our entire problem, not just a single symptom; educators should do the same.
Comments
Post a Comment