Schooling Causes of the

Achievement Gap:
The Instructional program
Group 2-Tesha Treasure
 There has been improvements in students’ achievements over the past several years,.
however the gaps between rich and poor, white and blacks have been an issue. In order
to close these achievement gaps, schools need to have a “master plan” that will cater
to the unique as well as diverse needs of the school population. This plan needs to
ensure that “no child is left behind”

 Teachers are significant others in their students’ lives; as significant others,

they affect the achievement and self-concept of their students, particularly
black students. (Irvine,1990, p. 49) “Differences in the effectiveness of
teachers [comprise] the most important variable accounting for change in
academic growth from year to year, far more important than class size, class
grouping, or student’s prior achievement levels” (Hughes, 2003, p. 299)
Schooling Causes of the Achievement Gap: The Instructional Program

The distribution equality of teachers is an important factor in the achievement gap. Haycock (2001) reports the
following

 Large numbers of students, especially those who are poor or are members of
minor-ity groups are taught by teachers who do not have strong backgrounds in
the subjects they teach.
 In every subject area, students in high-poverty schools are more likely than other
students to be taught by teachers without even a minor in the subjects they
teach.
 The differences are often greater in predominantly minority high schools. In math
and science, for example, only about half the teachers in schools with 90 percent
or greater minority enrollments meet even their states’ minimum requirements
to teach those subjects—far fewer than in predominantly white schools ..
 We take the students who most depend on their teachers for subject matter
learning and assign them teachers with the weakest academic foundations. (p. 10)
Schooling Causes of the Achievement Gap: The Instructional Program

All teachers need to be fully trained and equipped to teach students no matter
what level they are on. It is also important that teachers be fairly assigned to
classes no matter what level the students are on or no matter where they are
from. Everyone should be treated fairly and equally.
Causes of The Achievement Gap: The
Instructional Program continued.

 Another factor that affects the  Class size also affects the achievement
achievement gap in schools is instruction. gap. When the classroom is not
“What ultimately matters, of course, is overcrowded, then it gives educators
the quality of teaching practice—what more time to work more closely with
teachers actually do in the classroom every child. In an overcrowded classroom,
(Thompson & O’Quinn, 2001, p. 9)”. In you find that some students especially the
our classrooms, we have more diversity “slow” ones tend to get left behind.
now than before. We have students who
are different in color, race, religion, just
to name a few. The curriculum plays an
integral role in student’s achievements. It
should have rigor. Every child is different,
with that said, the curriculum should
allow for active participation of students,
activities should be tiered as well as
differentiated to meet the diverse
learners and students should be provided
with incentives that will aid in motivation.
Schooling Causes of the Achievement
Gap: The Instructional Plan continued.
 Another factor that affects the achievement gaps is the Insensitivity of
Teachers. Teachers’ attitudes and treatment of student’s impact
achievement, and teachers often treat low-income and students of color
differently than white middle-class students. (Shannon & Bylsma, 2002, p. 31)
If they are provided with professional development sessions on diversity issues
and sensitivity, then it will help in that they will be better able to interact or
communicate with students from different race, culture, backgrounds, and so
on.
Reference:

 Murphy, J. (2010). The Educator’s Handbook for Understanding and Closing

Achievement Gaps. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Corwin.