Tomorrow Is Not Another Day: How Racial Achievement Gaps Develop Over Time

• In Event: Hilton Roundtable Session 6
  In Roundtable Session: Exploring the Policy, Political, and Social Contexts of Achievement Gaps

Abstract

This study provides new evidence on the evolution of racial achievement gaps across elementary and middle grades, focusing on New York City. In addition to the Black-White achievement gap, I track the Hispanic-White, Asian-White and Hispanic-Black achievement gaps, an analysis made possible by the size and diversity of the district. The study explores how racial achievement gaps evolve across all students and across high- and low-achieving students, how these evolutions differ by subject and gender, and how divergent evolutions are shaped by individual, family and school conditions. The richness of the data allows me to look beyond achievement to additional schooling-related outcomes including segregation of students, attrition, grade retention, choice of middle schools, classification into special education status and suspensions.

Author

• Joydeep Roy, Independent Budget Office & Columbia University