Achievement Gap – New Jersey

Posted on January 6, 2011 by townsend

• ‘Achievement gap’ between rich and poor, different races persists in N.J. schools, By Jeanette Rundquist, January 5, 2011, Star-Ledger: “The ‘achievement gap’ between rich and poor students, and among those of different races, persists in New Jersey schools, according to statewide test score data released Wednesday by the state Board of Education. The ‘achievement gap’ has long been an issue facing educators in New Jersey and elsewhere. Today, the state released results of tests taken last spring, showing as much as a 38.4-point difference in the passing rate in third-grade language arts, between African-American and Asian students. On that test, about 60 percent of black or African-American third-graders failed to achieve proficient scores, compared to 21.4 percent for Asian students and 31 percent for whites…”
• N.J. test scores reveal achievement gaps, By Leslie Brody and Patricia Alex, January 5, 2011, The Record: “New Jersey’s achievement gaps remained stubbornly wide last year, starting with the earliest round of statewide test scores in third grade. Scores released Wednesday showed that in third-grade language arts, roughly 60 percent of black students and 56 percent of Hispanic students failed to meet proficiency standards last spring, compared with 31 percent for whites and 21 percent for Asian students. Poverty played a key role; about 60 percent of low-income children did not meet standards for third-grade language arts, compared with 30 percent of those from economically stable families. Schools and families have struggled to close these gaps for years…”