What We Know About the Achievement Gap
In early January of 2002, President Bush signed the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 into law after an amazingly short eight months of deliberation time in the House of Representatives. The NCLB Act was education reform legislation that endeavored to improve individual students outcomes by means of setting very high goals and using state-wide standardization of testing to attain more clear-cut results. What We Know About the Achievement Gap

However, in its requirements of homogenized education, the NCLB Act is lacking in its research/consideration of the so-called achievement gaps in education that exists when we analyze the achievement data regarding the following population of students: African American, Latino, lower socio-economic groups, ESOL, and disabled. What We Know About the Achievement Gap

Based on your assigned reading, share your reflections as to (1) what is meant by the achievement gap, and (2) relate reasons you believe, after all of the rhetoric and research conducted, the gap persists.

To assist you in your discussions, the following NEA web site, How Educators Can Help Close the Achievement Gap, is also being provided: