Bridging the Achievement Gap Requires Sound Measurements

Look before you leap. And if you're hoping to span the achievement gap, you'd better bring a tape measure.

Many words, speeches and sermons have implored us to narrow the gap. This resurgence of attention follows decades of dialogue, and reams of research on the topic. Perhaps we can take some practical steps in the right direction.  But we should be prepared to encounter these questions.

• If we start by measuring the many gaps that we consider to be, in the whole, the achievement gap, what yardstick do we use?

• When is a gap too big? Is it ever too small? Is a gap always a bad thing? Is the absence of a gap always a good thing?

• What gaps do children bring to the classroom on their first day in school? To what degree do teachers and schools add to, or subtract from, these gaps in content knowledge and skills?

As you and your district enter the discussion and debate, and decide what you might do, consider the questions that appear in this slide show. This is the first of several evidence-based show-and-tell talks we intend to contribute to this conversation.

— Steve Rees, Editor and Publisher, School Wise Press