When school test results are released, people tend to focus on the lowest-scoring students and the achievement gap among different socioeconomic and ethnic groups.
But rather than solely focusing on the bottom group of scores, University of Connecticut Professor Jonathan Plucker said he believes the gap between the highest scores is just as important and rapidly growing. The so-called “excellence gap” is still leaving many students behind, Plucker said, crippling our future economy and its need for highly skilled laborers.
“Connecticut has some of the largest achievement gaps in the country, but there are other gaps that are really important,” said Plucker, an education policy expert. “The number of black students scoring at advance levels is very low ”” sometimes 1 or 2 percent ”” while the number of white students is considerably higher. There”™s a huge disparity on the top end.”
Between 2006 and 2011, the excellence gap between white and black fourth-graders in Connecticut increased nearly 40 percent on math exams, according to a 2012 report by Plucker and two other researchers at DePauw University and Michigan State University.
While white students performing at advanced levels grew from 28 percent to 40 percent in 2011, black students performing at advanced levels only grew from 5 percent to 9 percent, according to the report. Hispanic students increased math test scores from 7 percent to 13 percent during that time frame.
“Most people focus on competency gaps, but there are several hyper-achievement gaps,” he said. “The groups that aren”™t scoring at advanced levels are the fastest growing parts of our student population. We”™re seeing a larger minority-majority population in our schools.”
It becomes an economic issue when the majority of the talented workforce is from a white minority subgroup, he said.
“Income gaps lead to economic gaps, which lead to talent gaps, which lead to income gaps,” Plucker said. “It”™s a vicious cycle we can”™t get out of.”
The excellence gap between Connecticut fourth-graders on free and reduced meal plans and their counterparts increased 30 percent on math exams as well between 2006 and 2011. While only 12 percent of students with reduced meal plans performed at advanced levels in 2011, 42 percent of students without a reduced meal plan performed at advanced levels.
Several factors can contribute to an excellence gap, Plucker said. However, he believes the gap is primarily attributed to educational reform mindsets that focus on the students performing right below middle competency levels, rather than helping everyone improve. Additionally, he said the reforms have seemingly helped well-off, white students the most.
“Our minimum competency levels are fairly low,” he said. “Getting students to that level isn”™t helping them that much and it”™s hard to grow a vibrant economy that way.”
In other instances Plucker said bright students in any given grade level are limited to how much they are allowed to learn in one school year before they reach a grade higher. It doesn”™t help students stay engaged and interested in learning.
“It”™s antiquated thinking,” Plucker said. “A lot of districts have policies in place that hold students back. We need to help principals and superintendents realize those aren”™t really helpful polices. It”™s like telling an athlete we”™re only going to let you get so talented and hold you there until next year.”
