New SC Achievement Gap Data Doesn’t Add Up
South Carolina’s achievement gap in mathematics narrowed over the last fifteen years according to a federal report released Tuesday, although that data is at odds with recent state numbers as well as national standardized test scores.
Also, South Carolina’s achievement gap in reading remains roughly what it was fifteen years ago – at both the fourth and eighth grade levels.
The “achievement gap” is a term that refers to the difference in academic achievement between white and black students.
According to the “Nation’s Report Card,” released Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Education, South Carolina’s achievement gap in fourth and eighth grade mathematics narrowed by five and six points, respectively, from 1992 to 2007. The state’s achievement gap in fourth grade reading fell by a point over that same time period, while its eighth grade reading gap increased by a point.
Obviously, South Carolina’s scores in all four categories are well below the national average, but that’s not what has education analysts scratching their heads. After all, it’s no secret that test scores in the Palmetto State consistently rank among the nation’s worst.
What’s interesting is how this new data doesn’t mesh with data taken from three independently-administered tests over the past decade.
According to the state-administered Palmetto Achievement Challenge Test (PACT), for example, the white/black disparity in mathematics scores increased from 24.4% in 2000 to 29.9% in 2008. In science, it jumped from 24.3% to 32.4%, while in social studies it rose from 21.6 to 25.6%.
Also, the white/black gap in SAT scores rose from 195 points in 2002 to 198 points in 2008, while the white/black gap in ACT scores rose from 4.2 points in 2002 to 5.3 points in 2008.
So what gives?
Obviously, it would be interesting to take a look at the historic black/white “graduation gap” in South Carolina, but unfortunatelythe S.C. Department of Education does not release that data.
Comments
By Trey on July 14th, 2009 at 8:19 pm
The difference in data should be obvious, the data referenced is from a sparsely select group of kids that only represent a sampling of students. The test is not high stakes and many times kids put forth minimal effort to perform on the National Assessment for Educational Progress.
The state test, on the other hand is given to all students and is high stakes and kids often are compelled to really put forth significant effort. Two entirely different data sets.
Even so, how do you know that the narrowing of the data gap is not our smartest kids in the system beginning to average down to the mediocrity of public schools and in doing so collapse the gap from the top downward.
By GnuBerry on July 14th, 2009 at 9:11 pm
you seem obsessed with vouchers
By Toyota Kawaski on July 15th, 2009 at 8:06 am
Yesah Sir Mr.Rich right away sir’s
By John on July 16th, 2009 at 9:11 am
This is why you send your children to private school.
By The Keeper on July 16th, 2009 at 5:45 pm
Ok, without getting all psychometrician on you…
With all due respect to Trey, that argument doesn’t make much sense. Fourth graders don’t really know or care whether the test is high stakes or not. (And it isn’t high stakes to them – they still move onto the fifth grade.) The impact of consequences has some impact on 8th graders but it really isn’t determinative. The NAEP results compare quite well in other states were state tests are rigorous.
The change of a point on the NAEP (in ether direction) isn’t of consequence. Once you get to 4-5 points, then it means something of note is going on.
The SAT/ACT test results are also difficult to judge as the self-selection process and percentage of students participating will mean different results.
If the achievement gap on state assessments appears to be expanding, then there is something else going on. It could be test preparation but it warrants further study. Perhaps Ed Trust or Fordham Institute could get interested in the issue. The slightly comforting news is that the NAEP results are trustworthy – and the achievement gaps aren’t getting worse.
By Ha Ha on July 17th, 2009 at 11:14 am
NEAP is testing younger kids…
The DEEP failures of public schools in South Carolina do not become clear until late middle school and high school level (assuming the kids are even still enrolled)
@Toyota – what is your solution, more money for educrats and consultants?. i bet you’d love a phat gubermint job and some nice gubermint benefits too!
By Frank Simpkins on November 24th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
The Black/White Academic Achievement Gap can be effectively, and substantially curtailed during this upcoming decade!”History teaches us, that men behave wisely,when they have exhausted all other alternatives”(Abba Eban). Read the book”Between The Rhetoric and Reality”:Lauriat Press,2009.
Trackbacks