Identifying Progress Toward Ethnoracial Achievement Equity Across U.S. School Districts: A New Approach. Issue 2 (3rd April 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Atteberry, Allison; Bischoff, Kendra; Owens, Ann
• Is Part Of: Journal of research on educational effectiveness. Volume 14:Issue 2(2021)
• Page Start: 410
• Page End: 441
• Publication Date: 2021-04-03
• Subjects: Educational inequality -- achievement disparities -- elementary and middle school; Education -- Research -- Periodicals; Education -- Evaluation -- Periodicals; Education -- Methodology -- Periodicals; 371.422
• DOI: 10.1080/19345747.2020.1868032
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1934-5747

Abstract

Abstract: We draw on novel district-level test score data to describe novel approaches for measuring ethnoracial achievement gaps and assessing trends toward achievement equity from 2009 to 2016. Using SEDA data, we estimate gap trends for each grade over time in each district. We measure trends in both within-district gaps—comparing Black or Hispanic to White students in the same district—and national gaps—comparing a district's Black or Hispanic students to White students nationally. Withindistrict ethnoracial gaps shrunk in one-third to two-thirds of districts, depending on subject and ethnoracial dyad. Across subjects and ethnoracial dyads, national gaps shrunk in more than half of districts, indicating that non-White students gained on White students nationally, but not in their own districts. Our findings add complexity to the achievement gap literature by (1) estimating gaps at the district level; (2) noting considerable variation in the magnitude of gap shrinkage across districts; (3) pointing to the importance of comparison group and imperfect correspondence of within-district and national gap trends in districts; and (4) identifying variation in gap trends across grades and subjects.