The Achievement Gap

RM 218

There is a problem in the K-12 schooling system and it pertains to the academic achievement gap between black and white students; despite the tremendous amounts of research that have been done over the years and numerous programs created for this specific purpose. There continues to be a decline in the number of urban black students specifically in the high school of Southern California who are in ‘college readiness’ courses, maintaining high GPAs, graduating and entering college. White students are excelling in every area mentioned in the gap between the accomplishments of both groups widening. This problem has negatively impacted the black community, causing an increase in poverty due to a lack of job placement/security, financial freedom, and economic opportunities. Black people have lost hope, turning to lives of crime, acting out in waves of violence and being crippled under the depraved states in which they live (Ladson-Billings 2006). This depraved state has also caused our black students to act out in ways of violence and aggression (Basch, C.E. 2011), it is the reason for the state of many of our urban cities being a place infested with criminal behavior (Bowen, N. K & Bowen, G.L. 1999), why so many of our black students have lost hope (Bolland, J. M., Lian, B. E., & Formichella, C.M. 2005) and why so many of our Urban Black students are dealing with chronic stress having a hard time selfregulating and coping (Evans, G. W., & Kim, P. 2013). Perhaps this study could provide a few answers to some longstanding questions. The purpose of this study is to investigate effective ways to shorten the achievement gap between black and white students by performing a mixed method synthesis. This study has the ability to provide hope, heal hurting people and remedy an ongoing problem in America; that problem is called the achievement gap.