Beyond Demographic Destiny: An Analysis of Massachusetts' Minority and White Student Achievement Gaps

In this report, the Pioneer Institute analyzes the performance of specific student groups on state tests and tracks achievement gaps in school districts in Massachusetts. In addition to calculating actual achievement gaps, the study uses demographic factors (including parent income and education levels) to identify “predicted” achievement gaps for each district based on the achievement gaps of demographically similar students in the state. Then, they identify districts where actual achievement gaps are lower or higher than expected—i.e., where districts seem to be doing a better or worse job at reducing the achievement gap. Their findings are hopeful: a significant number of districts have lower achievement gaps than expected. However, the authors caution that identifying smaller-than-predicted gaps should never be an excuse—the very existence of these gaps means that much work remains to be done.

Beyond Demographic Destiny: An Analysis of Massachusetts' Minority and White Student Achievement Gaps

CT Context

Connecticut’s performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reveals that our state has worst-in-the-nation achievement gaps in both reading and math. For example, ConnCAN’s analysis of NAEP reading scores shows that Connecticut’s achievement gap between poor students and their wealthier peers remains the largest in the nation, with poor students reading nearly three grade levels behind their wealthier peers. ConnCAN’s annual Success Story schools show what is possible here in the Constitution State and provide evidence in our own backyard that we can eradicate our worst-in-the-nation achievement gap.


Source: The Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now (ConnCAN), an advocacy organization building a new movement of concerned Connecticut citizens working to create fundamental change in our education system.

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