Are Word Gap Interventions Narrowing the Achievement Gap?
A recent article in the New York Times provided evidence that the gap in academic performance associated with income inequality is beginning to narrow. Citing analyses conducted on data from the National Center for Education Statistics, the gap in school readiness scores narrowed by 16% in reading and 10% in math between 1998–2010. Although the findings represent a shift in the national trend over the last decade, the gap that remains is still vast.
Possible explanations for the narrowing of the gap? The author credits, in part, the “widespread diffusion” of the notion that the early years are critical for brain development and national initiatives promoting early language skills — like Reach Out and Read and Too Small to Fail.
Is your city’s achievement gap narrowing?
