MIAMI – The achievement gap between Hispanic and White students is the same as it was in the early 1990s, despite two decades of accountability reforms, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Education on Thursday.
Performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress shows the gap narrowed by three points in fourth- and eighth-grade reading since 2003, a reduction researchers said was statistically significant. But the overall difference between them remains more than 20 points or roughly two grade levels.
“Hispanic students are the largest minority group in our nation’s schools. But they face grave educational challenges that are hindering their ability to pursue the American dream,” Education Secretary Arne Duncan said.
The data comes as Congress struggles to reform No Child Left Behind, the broad, encompassing act President George W. Bush signed into law in 2002. The law put a renewed focus on minority students, requiring states to develop tests that would show how well they and other students were performing.
Data previously released on Black students shows that, while significant gains have been made over the last two decades, the gap with White students remains wide.
Researchers say the impact of No Child Left Behind on the achievement gap is difficult to assess because it affects all students and is just one of many factors that would influence their success. However, long-term data shows that the sharpest drops in the achievement gap were seen in the 1980s, a period in which gains from the civil rights movement, like higher levels of maternal education and better jobs for Black families, were seen.
After that, the achievement gap between White, Black and Hispanic students largely increased before narrowing again at the end of the 1990s.
