What Are the Causes of the Achievement Gap?
The causes for the achievement gap are complex. According to research, they fall into two main categories: 1) factors related to students’ socioeconomic status, cultural environment, and family background; and 2) factors related to students’ schools. Socio-Cultural Causes One of the main factors associated with low student achievement is poverty. Students living in persistent poverty are more likely than other students to suffer from many conditions that impede their learning, including: • poor health care (including inadequate prenatal care for their mothers); • frequent changes in residence, requiring transferring to new schools repeatedly; • lack of books and other educational resources in the home; • parents with lower levels of education; and • unstable family structure. Cultural attitudes and racism also play a part in the achievement gap. Research suggests that some minority students perceive that the majority culture sees them as less capable and expects little of them. These s
