Education gap can be closed with fresh ideas

MY VIEW • Black and Hispanic students are being being left behind

By Abigail Thernstrom

The Portland Tribune, Mar 2, 2004, Updated Oct 30, 2009

There are no good excuses for the achievement gap in Oregon. The state’s black and Hispanic students, like those nationally, graduate from high school at much lower rates than do whites. Those who do graduate are less prepared to enter college.

Our failure to provide first-class education for black and Hispanic students is the central civil rights issue of our time. This is not a story about lower IQs. It is a story of kids who have the ability to learn, but who have been tragically Ñ and needlessly Ñ left behind.

Some argue that this is not primarily a story about race, but about social class. Parental income, education and place of residence do make some difference in school achievement. However, my research and that of others finds that these factors account for only about one-third of the gap in racial achievement.

Unfortunately, frequently proposed solutions Ñ additional school funding, smaller classes, more racial integration and more teachers with master’s degrees in education Ñ won’t solve the problem. The research provides little or no support for the claim that these familiar remedies will do the job.

Some think test scores are unimportant. But studies clearly demonstrate that students Ñ whatever their color Ñ who have equal skills and knowledge, as measured by reliable tests, will have roughly equal earnings later in life.

Improving test scores requires better teachers. But the literature shows that neither graduate degrees in education nor years of experience in the classroom have a significant impact on student achievement. The best teachers have strong academic skills, as demonstrated on standardized tests.

So, how do we pull more academically gifted young people into the teaching profession and keep them where the need is greatest?

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