Published in: Educational Researcher August 11, 2016
Jon Valant, Tulane University Daniel A. Newark, University of Southern Denmark
Abstract
For decades, researchers have documented large differences in average test scores between minority and White students and between poor and wealthy students. These gaps are a focal point of reformers鈥� and policymakers鈥� efforts to address educational inequities. However, the U.S. public鈥檚 views on achievement gaps have received little attention from researchers, despite playing an important role in shaping policymakers鈥� behaviors. Drawing on randomized experiments with a nationally representative sample of adults, we explore the public鈥檚 beliefs about test score gaps and its support for gap-closing initiatives. We find that Americans are more concerned about鈥攁nd more supportive of proposals to close鈥� wealth-based achievement gaps than Black-White or Hispanic-White gaps. Americans also explain the causes of wealthbased gaps more readily.
Read the press release for this study
Diverse Issues in Higher Education, August 14, 2016 Washington Examiner, August 12, 2016 PBS, August 12, 2016 Inside Higher Ed, August 12, 2016 Politico, August 11, 2016
Watch Jon Valant discuss the study's findings