Test Scores Up, but Racial Gap Remains

Achievement Gap between Black, White Students Persists, Report Finds

(AP)  Reading and math scores are rising for black students across the country, but not enough to close the gap between them and their better-scoring white peers, an Education Department report released Tuesday found.

The gap in reading is especially dismal - only three states have managed to narrow the divide between black and white students in fourth grade, and no state has narrowed the gap in eighth grade.

There was more progress in math, at least among younger kids.

The findings constitute the first major Education Department report since President Barack Obama took office, though it was done by the agency's nonpartisan research arm, the Institute of Education Sciences. The report was based on test results from nationwide assessments from the early 1990s to 2007.

Racial disparity persists because black and white students alike are doing better, said IES associate commissioner Peggy Carr.

"Progress has been made on both accounts," Carr said. "It's kind of difficult to close the gaps when everyone is improving."

The report did not draw conclusions on the underlying reasons for the disparity, though it noted that poor children have lower scores and that a disproportionate share of minority students are poor. Researchers say the socio-economic gap is present even before children start school.

The achievement gap that separates minority and poor students from their white peers is viewed as one of the most pressing challenges in public education.

It was a central element of the 2002 No Child Left Behind law, which holds schools accountable for progress among every group of kids, including minorities, those who have disabilities and those who are learning English.

The law prods schools to improve test scores each year, so that every student can read and do math on grade level by the year 2014.

The report found that black students scored 26 to 31 points below white students, on a 500-point scale, in fourth- and eighth-grade reading and math.

It looked at the divide between black and white students in every state, finding:

Achievement gaps persist in every state for which data was available.

No state saw its achievement gap widen.

In math, the achievement gap narrowed in 15 states in fourth grade and in four states in eighth grade.

[Joe_NY_15]

by eazyjay9ja July 14, 2009 3:59 PM EDT
Can you explain to me how you define hard-work? Expanding weight size every generation?
___________________________

Hard work is studying when you don't want to....hard work is preparing for exams and not missing classes....educating yourself, so you don't have to become a manual laborer....don't do these things, you can blame whit-ey

[Joe_NY_15]

by eazyjay9ja July 14, 2009 3:59 PM EDT
It was, and you benefit from that. Descendants of those who gave 18hrs daily hard labor to this country got nothing but jail sentences and lynching. The descendants of those with whips and guns inherited everything, but then somehow think that their inheritance was a product of hard work. Can you explain to me how you define hard-work? Expanding weight size every generation?
_________________________

Take your racism and shove it.....my decendents have been building this country for hundreds of years and didn't use any slave labor....maybe if you are the grandchild of a southern plantation owner, then yeah....but my ancestors are pennsylvania dutch colonists from the Northeast.

I don't remember inheriting any plantation.....what is wrong with you ?? you are one twisted and warped liberal

[Joe_NY_15]

This country was founded on 200 years of free labor ??? wow....I don't know what to say.

The 13th amendment was in 1865....but they have been working for free ever since....LOL

Where can I get some of this free labor, I have work that has to be done

[eazyjay9ja]

It was, and you benefit from that. Descendants of those who gave 18hrs daily hard labor to this country got nothing but jail sentences and lynching. The descendants of those with whips and guns inherited everything, but then somehow think that their inheritance was a product of hard work. Can you explain to me how you define hard-work? Expanding weight size every generation?

[pw08-2009]

eazyjay9ja,

YOU ave absolutely NO concept of what slavery was and YOU can never claim to have been affected by it. Your life is so much easier than I'm sure the slaves were and you get opportunities for work and education that NO other group in America enjoys and yet you fail.

[eazyjay9ja]

@pw08...Your ignorance needs therapy. Chemical fires? isn't that included in their training? and wouldn't they be given additional training on how to use equipments? People like you seek every reason to blame blacks, yet you envy us for your inefficiencies. Many blacks try their best to succeed but we have to acknowledge that we live in a racially conscious society. In New Hampshire, A black friend of mine opened a clothing store, excellent communication skills, good prices but yet whites rarely buy from him. About 3years later, a white dude opened clothing store on the same street, his business yielded success despite his wild antics and prices. If Whites refuse to contribute to what we are trying to do, how can we succeed? After-all, the ones among us that make a little bit of money, you hate and try all legal arenas to see them down aka mick Vick. Can the Italian mafia succeed if they were Black? Will Microsoft have so much influence if owner is Black? Can a black person own the play boy mansion and last this long? ask yourself those questions, then you know why it is difficult for blacks to get a head in a society that ask everything of them, but give none.

[pw08-2009]

eazyjay9ja,

Ok, you go ahead and live with yur excuses all you want and see where it gets you. I "inherited" nothing, so don't go there. I had a business that lasted 14years built from nothing. I could care less about you or your excuses, go ahead and wallow in them....they're just excuses not to succeed and it's on no one else but you!

EVERYONE faces hate from other groups, so while you keep looking for reasons to fail, other's will keep looking for reasons to succeed...just don't ask me to help you if you don't help yourself.

[pw08-2009]

Dude,

your story about te business is total BS....You're blaming white people for it's failure...right on, good job...that makes a lot of sense...there cold not possibly be ANY other reason...whites were out to get your smart friend.

[aChangeOfIdeas]

"no state saw its achievement gap widen". OK, that's good news at least, it also points out that all groups were doing better. And the sub-groups DO matter, to make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) under the NCLB. These are kids that are in the same school, same classrooms, same books, same assignments. As a teacher I can tell you that the kids don't show up on day 1 all identical and then the blacks and special ed kids are just ignored. They show up on day 1 with varying degrees of readiness and pre-existing knowledge. This is why pre-school and Head start are so important. But meanwhile, the more affluent kids are getting sent to Montessori preschools and Science camps at four. The gap is probably more of an economic gap than a racial gap.

[dragyn30]

This is sad, they seem to release the statistics that keep this issue racially charged!

As for the B*ll Sh*t about there being a disadvantage about the tests being in English - TOUGH!! You are in America learn the language! The biggest let down in this is that schools offer classes to students whose primary language is not English - I have no problem with that. I have a huge problem that when this kid goes home there is no more English, which only hurts the child.

I do not believe that any State should offer their driver's test in any other language the road signs and highway electronic warnings are all in English the test should be too! No one and I repeat No One should be allow to take the test with an interpreter.

They need to realize that there will always be a gap as long as people use their skin color or native language or upbringing as an excuse not to even try.

[eazyjay9ja]

This reports are laughable. (1)Can you please compare test scores of Whites and Blacks attending same school? If you keep comparing scores of white students, that mostly attend Private schools versus Blacks students, that mostly attend public schools, this are the results you will get.

(2) It is laughable that test is needed for fire fighters...lol. So now you need to attend college to learn how to fight fires? White folks need to chill on this, those Black fire fighters had years of experience, but now hey should be subjected to lower office, to a white person that attended college, with minimal fire fighting experience? Just because they are good at theory? Can you test them on the job? that way you know who is the better fire fighter rather than turning everything into theory based. Just because I am smart at theory doesn't mean I can apply my knowledge practically.

[pw08-2009]

How do you know tey had more experience. You can't fight some chemical fires with water or you'll make them worse dude...I mean think before you make such stupid comment. Just because you may be too lazy to learn something new, doesn't mean everyone else should have to suffer. If someone presented Einstein with your theory...maybe it would sound like this..."who needs education to just mix soe chemicals together..." or "numbers are numbers, wo needs to put them togethr mathematically..." see my point...your argument is weak.

Peple are tired of hearing lazy people make excuses and sitting on their butts because we want to succeed and move forward...

[eazyjay9ja]

Sit on who's butt? Can you please tell me why we are "lazy"....Take away all your inheritance, lets start on a equal footing...then explain to me who is lazy.

[credibility2]

In Illinois, the state dumbed down the standardized tests and adapted them to IL standards with easier questions some years ago, because the IL kids, especially those in Chicago were doing abysmally. The recent big news here is that some of the scores for Chicago kids in certain grade levels improved, but very slightly. Big deal, the slight improvement doesn't mean anything, given the fact that IL devised its own test, which isn't the same as the national test other kids have to take. Exactly who are we kidding, when we dumb down tests just so certain groups can think they're keeping pace with other groups? It's a false sense of accomplishment and nothing to be proud of and continues to handicap the kid. Money isn't the issue, either. Teacher qualifications can play into the equasion, but the biggest difference is having involved parents. Too many parents don't get involved in their kid's education, because they not very bright themselves. They cart their kids off to school at a primary grade level without even knowing how to read or write, or know how to spell their name, or simple math, or even how to write out the alphabet. Too many parents expect the teachers to not only teach, but to raise their kids. Parents are supposed to prepare their kids by teaching them basic social and educational skills before they step foot into pre-school or kindergarten or the first grade.

[zky1925]

Funny how asians are the only minority group which is actually penalized by affirmative action, yet Asians continue to excel, and only to do even better, in schools. Although I agree that academic performance doesn't equal to career performance, one might still wonder whether this discrepancy might actually have been caused by something else other than the "minority" or "race" label.

[zky1925]

Affirmative action leads to many underqualified AA and Hispanic students entering Universities where they don't fit in academically. In those universities, they are soon overwhelmed by the peer pressure and harsh competition since asian students and white students are penalized and therefore have to fare far better than AAs and Hispanics in order to get admitted. However, once in college, there is no affirmative action that continues to shelter those unqualified students from being crushed by their better peers and when the reality sets in, they feel frustrated and drop out.

[GovernmentControl]

According to sotomayor, in order to remove "cultural bias" from schools and the workplace, tests must be written in spanish and ebonics if requested by the person taking the test.

[squeakof2006]

Test scores are an individual thing. No two students learn exactly the same, yet the test is only issued one way, thus automatically setting some students up for failure. As far as them being written in English: GOOD!!!! Welcome to America, our language is English. I can't read Spanish to save my life, I'd fail if the test was in another language. Should the same test be available in other languages? Sure, but you need to have an English test still. And the other languages need to still have a basic English portion, to prove the student is at least attempting to learn English. If they fail that, send them back to their original country.

[idcabouturproblems]

No, but if they want a good paying job or to succeed in this country, I would recommend it.

[npkppprc]

I agree, now explain how students who don't speak or understand english graduate from U.S. schools.

[pw08-2009]

You have to look at the culture in a different way. Generally, the black community supports gang activity while protesting and trying to sue police, they live to become rappers or basketball players instead of educating themselves, and they seek any and all opportunity to use the rascism card.

Also, look at the leaders that many of them support like Jesse Jackson, Marion Barry (elected to office) and Al Sharpton. The black people who succeed in business or other legitimate enterprises are looked at as sell-outs by the black community.

How many black people do youknow that actively support poor white families?

The black race will always move backwards as long as they think the way they do and have no one else to blame.

In my opinion, you look at illegal immigrants who have an additional barrier of language and they figure out ways to succeed (some of them anyway) and you don't hear them calling out rascism...my guess is because they haven't yet figured out how well using that term has worked out for the black community in extorting money from everyone.

[saturn05]

Whose fault is it that minorities do not score as high as whites? Do these minority groups only include blacks and hispanics? Or does it include asians, gay and lesbians, women??? I am not saying that there are still racial issues, but in this case of education, I just don't see why race should be the issue when it comes to test taking and grades. Is there proof that teachers ignore minorities and only concentrate on whites? Do teachers withhold information from minorities that would make them less to succeed? Whose fault is this? Maybe the families? I am growing tired of all of the racial bias crap. I know there are problems still and I abhore racism and bigotry of any kind. I just want the groups involved to take some personal responsibilty and quit blaming whites for everything. When I was in junior high, math and biology teachers blatantly ignored girls when they raised their hand to ask for help. We were not allowed to take shop, we were forced to take home ec. They availability for girls to play sports was very limited and on and on. I am not that old to have experienced such overt forms of gender bias. Study and take responsibility for events that effect your life to the best of your ability.

[GovernmentControl]

Sotomayor said that college entrance exams are "culturally biased" because they are written in english.

[Uncle_Eccoli]

Sickening. Who takes that "cultural bias" argument seriously? It's just a pathetic excuse and attempt to blame others for one's own failings.

[fedupredneck]

Excuse me-this is America-We use english. Well,most of us do-some just not very well. Ya know what I mean? If not- go down yonder by the holler across the way ya'll see a tree.

[stuart2020]

She NEVER said that! Give me a reference to prove that!

[Henri_Rochard]

Everyone is different. Some people are better in math and not so good in basketball. And vice versa.

[Joe_NY_15]

Someone comes to mind.....someone who needs to stop for a basketball photo-op, instead of shaking hands with the troops....guess who is not so good in other subjects like economics

[TheMasses0009]

Blacks fare poorer academically becuase of lack of family support systems.
Now go ahead and throw the race card at statistics.

[Joe_NY_15]

Masses, you are very wise indeed...(no soto pun intended).

That's precisely the reason....lack of family support systems....intact home and lack of 2 parent homes...in addition, the lack of involvement by the minority parents in their children's school/work has a lot to do with it.

[pw08-2009]

We better throw out the test results for the non-minority groups, just to be fair.

[hwy71so]

Isn't a test score an individual thing? Shouldn't these students be applying themselves and working toward better scores? Education is NOT about Affirmative Action, its about learning the material provided.

[npkppprc]

It's called study habits, and family participation, if a student is getting the same education by the same teacher in the same classroom, and some don't do well they are not trying hard enough.

[Uncle_Eccoli]

Amen. The majority of the burden of education falls to the student. Teachers can't MAKE students learn.

[Kuei1248]

You can lead a dumb@$$ to water but you can't make him think.

[dowell100]

Exactly. Don't blame 'society" for the gap, and don't throw tax dollars at the issue. Just check what's going on in a student's home. The more parents are involved in the education of their children, even on a motivational level, the higher the scores.