Achievement Gap - Essay Example

The achievement gap is the difference that exists between different students from different ethnicity. These students may include students from White, Hispanic, Black, American Indian/ Alaska Native, and Asian/ Pacific Islander ethnicities. There is a major performance gap between students from these ethnic backgrounds. The differences in their performance are mostly measured through their classroom-based average scores. I believe the achievement gap exists for many reasons. The first reason for this gap is the economic status of these students.

Economic status is important in order to provide the recourses for the students. The lack of recourses at home effect students’ performance in a negative manner. Students with families who have access to better economic opportunities are able to obtain resources that help them in advancing their academic performance. The second reason that causes the achievement gap is that these students belong to different backgrounds. Students belong to different cultures, beliefs, religions, and heritages. Students belonging to different backgrounds end up experiencing a difference in their performance in academics.

Third, the teacher's sensitivity to other cultures can affect students' success in their education. If the teachers are insensitive toward students belonging to different backgrounds, students may not be able to perform well in the classroom. Furthermore, another reason for the gap in achievement is the parents’ education. This means that uneducated parents will not be able to support and reinforce their children’s learning and that will in turn negatively impact students’ classroom-based performance.

Finally, I think the rigor in the curriculum is one of the significant reasons. An inappropriate curriculum leads to the achievement gap between students who belong to different ethnicities. The gap between the academic performance of students belonging to diverse backgrounds will continue to exist as long as strategies are made and implemented to counter the problem.