Essay On Racial Gap In Education

During the 1970s and the 1980s the achievement gap, or the gap of test scores between minorities and whites, narrowed, and it was believed that we were finally getting to equality. After the 1990s, however, the gap began to widen again. Since then, there has been much debate about whether we are closing the gap, or if there is really any reason to worry about it. The reason why people are so interested in this debate is because it is noted that education is what leads to life chances and opportunities. The No Child Left Behind law was created for this reason, because no parent want to see their child fail, and think that they can’t receive a good education. In the United States, it is believed that if you get good grades you will get into a good college and obtain a degree and a high paying job. Education is the great equalizer among students to achieve upward mobility many think. But is this true? Is the racial gap in education really something to worry about? In the readings that follow, supporters say that the education gap does matter and is widening state. We cannot truly reach equality until the education gap closes, and there is no excuse for it to be widening. Critics of this say, that there are reasons to be optimistic and the gap has gotten smaller over time. Another view is that whether the gap closes, it does not guarantee equality in the job industry, and it may not matter. Yes

Even though the academic gap between minorities and Whites decreased during the 1970s, it increased in the 1990s and though it has not widened as much, it is not going

One argument from Kao and Thompson is:

However, most youth report extremely high educational aspirations, with most surveys reporting that the vast majority of youth expect to complete college. Moreover, Asian, black, and Hispanic youth all report much higher aspirations than would be expected given their SES