The Race Gap in Student Achievement Scores

Longitudinal Evidence from a Racially Diverse School District

Dados Bibliográficos

ID6329941
AutoresValentina A Bali (0000-0002-0643-3590), R Michael Alvarez (0000-0002-8113-4451, California Institute of Technology)
Ano2004
Volume32
Fascículo3
Páginas393-415
Data de publicação2004-08-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoPolicy Studies Journal (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0190-292X • E-ISSN: 1541-0072
EditoraWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/j.1541-0072.2004.00072.x
OpenAlexW2089247574
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas20
Referências citadas21

Black and Hispanic students often display substantial gaps in test scores when compared to White students at all levels of education. In this article, we examine when and how the Black‐White and Hispanic‐White test score gaps develop in the early elementary grades in a California school district with a large minority population, where more than 80% of the students are Black or Hispanic. We use multivariate analysis to predict the annual reading and math test scores of a student cohort from first through fourth grade controlling for various school and family factors. We find that in this racially diverse school district achievement gaps do develop, for both Black and Hispanic students. However, in comparison to the Black‐White achievement gaps, the Hispanic‐White gaps develop later, in particular in math, and they are half the size of the Black‐White achievement gaps. The eventual widening of the gaps for Hispanic and Black students does not seem to be the result of minority students attending schools of less quality. Finally, in contrast to previous studies with fewer minorities, the estimated achievement gaps by the fourth grade are small.1

Academic achievement · Ethnic group · Mathematics education · Political science · Population · Race (biology · Racial differences · School district · Sociology · Student achievement · Test (biology · White (mutation · Demography · Early Childhood Education and Development · Gender Studies · Parental Involvement in Education · Psychology · School Choice and Performance