Achievement Gap

An achievement gap is an observed disproportion found among students of different races. Without an achievement gap, all students would have the same opportunity to earn an equal education. Students across the United States are compared based on their race, behavior, home environment, brain thickness, and culture to gather data. These aspects lead to the creation of an achievement gap, which causes students to feel obligated to perform a certain way. By reducing the importance of these factors, children will be students, rather than a statistic; therefore, each student will have an equal opportunity to succeed. Race is the biggest factor for achievement gaps. Although race is not the sole cause of an achievement gap, it does show gaps. To
A disruptive student misbehaves for attention from the teacher or their peers. Disruptive or inappropriate behavior are major factors correlated with an achievement gap (Ratcliff et al.). The disruptive behavior can be the result of built up frustration from a struggling student; hence frustration acts as a barrier between the child and their education. A delay, large or small, can discourage the student and cause them to feel slower than their peers. The tension between the teacher and student can lead to an emotional education barrier. According to “Schooling Causes of the Achievement Gap,” “[Researchers] found that gender, racial, and ethnic differences between teachers and their students impacted the achievement gap. These differences greatly increased the probability of students being perceived by their teachers as being inattentive, of not completing homework assignments, and of exhibiting disruptive behavior. Teachers’ perceptions that students seemed unmotivated or exhibited a lack of effort in the school setting has related [the] gaps [to] performance” (Ratcliff et al.). A student behaves based on their feelings within the classroom and towards the teacher. A sympathetic, but disciplined, teacher receives the least behavior problems from their students. Teachers are likely to choose female students to answer questions—this causes a gap between genders. Male students may feel
The brain’s thickness varies depending on race and income. According to “Neuroanatomical Correlates,” “Cortical thickness in all lobes of the brain was greater in students from higher-income than lower-income backgrounds. Greater cortical thickness, particularly in temporal and occipital lobes, was associated with better test performance” (Mackey et al.). Students with thicker cortical lobes will score higher on standardized tests, as compared to students with thinner cortical lobes. Socioeconomic statuses are paired with brain development, leading to achievement gaps. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is sensitive to stress and is important for language; therefore, PFC can slowly develop due to the child’s environmental influence into adulthood. Higher income students have more cortical thickness in their right hemisphere, but not the left. Low-income students tend to have thinner cortical lobes because of the child’s slow development early in life. Lower income students often experience more stress and lack environmental enrichment, which ultimately slows their brain development and results in thin cortical thickness. Researchers write, “Finally, we related, for the first time, cortical thickness to a statewide measure of academic achievement so we could explore the links between SES [Socioeconomic Status], brain structure, and academic achievement” (Mackey et