Nationwide and statewide standardized tests and dropout rate statistics show a troubling and pervasive achievement gap between groups of students by race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status. White students typically tend to exhibit higher achievement than African-American, Native American, and Latino students, as well as some subgroups of Asian-American students and recent immigrants.
The achievement gap is unconscionable and spells disaster for our state’s long-term competitiveness. While policymakers have devoted more resources to boost academic achievement, but much more needs to be done to eliminate the achievement gap.
Race and Ethnicity
In 10th grade, White and Asian students perform higher on the writing by 14.9 percentage points and reading by 16.2 percentage points sections of the WASL compared to other racial and ethnic groups of students. Larger gaps in achievement between students are present in math (25 percentage points) and science (24.1 percentage points).
Socioeconomic Status
An achievement gap also exists between students in different socioeconomic groups. In reading, students from low income households perform between 18 and 23.7 percentage points lower on the WASL. In math, low-income students tend to score 28.3 to 29.7 percentage points lower than their peers. In science, the gap ranges from 25.2 to 29.9 percentage points.
Drop-out Rates
Significant differences exist between the dropout rates of each racial/ethnic group. Class of 2005 cohort dropout rates for African-American, Latino and Native American students were 8.5 to 23.4 percentage points higher than for White and Asian students.
Source: OSPI
Achievement Gap Reports
In 2009, the state Legislature created the Achievement Gap Oversight and Accountability Committee to address the achievement gap in Washington state. The Committee released its findings below:
- Closing Opportunity Gaps in Washington’s Public Education System
- A Plan to Close the Achievement Gap for African American Students
- From Where the Sun Rises: Addressing the Educational Achievement of Native Americans in Washington State
- Asian Americans in Washington State: Closing Their Hidden Achievement Gaps
- Growing Presence, Emerging Voices: Pacific Islanders and Academic Achievement in Washington
- Understanding Opportunities to Learn for Latino Students in Washington
Resources
Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction
- Achievement Gap Oversight and Accountability Committee
- Washington State Report Card
- Graduation and Dropout Statistics for Washington’s Counties, Districts, and Schools
