Closing the Achievement Gap

The purpose of this blog is to explore the many aspects of the academic achievement gap between African Americans and Caucasian Americans. This problem is far reaching, and its consequences cause the downward cycle to continue. There are many factors that help this cycle, ranging from low income, to poor schools, to academic tracking. Some social scientist, such as Charles Murray and Richard Hernstein, have proposed that the reason that there is a gap has to do with racial inferiority on behalf of blacks.
The achievement gap has not always been the way that it is today. In previous times, the gap began to close, but currently, it has began to reopen. All though this is discouraging, because America is reversing its progress, it provides hope because it shows that shrinking the achievement gap is possible. Studies show that in some schools, the gap is narrowing in elementary levels.
This blog will try to discuss and explore the many faucets of the achievement gap by using select examples of ways in which we can close the achievement gap. Because the problem is so large, it is important to note that every possible issue will not be covered, but issues that I feel are important, like: busing, testing, social perceptions of blacks, the actual gains that blacks have made, and state and federal spending helping to fix the problem, will be discussed. The great thing about this social issue is that there are tons of research that will help us to better understand the problem.
The achievement gap is an issue that has several viewpoints and positions associated with it. Schools of thought about the problem range from black inferiority theories such as the "Bell Curve" theory to the idea that smaller classes will cure the problem. Some people believe that the achievement gap is the result of racism. Politics often are pulled into this arena. Certain bills, like the "No Child left Behind" Act, are passed in an effort to close the gap. Local and state authorities, like Bill James, have went on record putting down ideas such as busing as means of closing the gap.
Hopefully from the information presented above, one can see that this issue is extremely important to me. I think that there are issues that need to argued, such as what are we as a country doing to perpetuate the problem, that often get put on the back burner. I question if we by de facto segregation are continuing to provide inequalities in educational opportunity. I wonder if we are allowing the idea of interracial interaction to be reversed. I question if school administrators should force students to mingle in daily activities, such as lunch, through activities such as "Mix It Up a Lunch Day." When I look at all the evidence that has yet been presented, I must question if it is truly the inequities in resources that keep the cycle running, or is it the social climate of America that keep the rigid gap between white and black students.