Yglesias on the Achievement Gap

Matt Yglesias responds to Zachary Norris' post about closing the achievement gap in Baltimore:

But what would it mean -- what could it mean -- to close the achievement gap between high- and low-SES students in American schools? For a whole variety of reasons, this just doesn't seem like it's going to be possible. At the outer limit, more prosperous parents are always going to be able to re-open the gap by investing even more resources in their kids' education. An education and child development arms race to the top might not be a bad thing, but it wouldn't close any socioeconomic gaps. To do that, you actually need to tackle inequality itself.

This is essentially the same question we recently discussed here and here with respect to the various arguments about school inequality promoted by Richard Rothstein, but it bears repeating: It's all a matter of how you define "close the achievement gap."

If you mean "erase all academic differences between students of different economic backgrounds," then it's indeed an impossible dream. Economic factors external to schools matter. As long as deep inequalities persist, educational outcomes will vary by class.

If, however, you mean "bring all students, including low-income students, up to defined minimum levels of proficiency," then we're talking about much different and more realistic challenges. I'm pretty sure Zachary didn't walk into the classroom with the goal of bringing all of his students up to the exact level achieved by the wealthiest, most priviliged private school students. I'm guessing he was simply working to make sure his students had sufficient knowledge and skill to eventually move ahead into college and/or the workforce, to be able to lead decent, fulfilling, productive lives.

That's all anyone is asking of these school systems, including those who drafted No Child Left Behind. Not erase class differences, just help all students learn at least what they need to know.

Nobody thinks this a remotely easy job. But there are many schools doing it successfully, right now. As New York City public schools chancellor Joel Klein said yesterday at the annual Broad Prize event, "If you want to know what's possible, look at what's actual."