Understanding the Black-White Test Score Gap in the First Two Years of School

Abstract

In previous research, a substantial gap in test scores between white and black students persists, even after controlling for a wide range of observable characteristics. Using a newly available data set (the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study), we demonstrate that in stark contrast to earlier studies, the black-white test score gap among incoming kindergartners disappears when we control for a small number of covariates. Real gains by black children in recent cohorts appear to play an important role in explaining the differences between our findings and earlier research. The availability of better covariates also contributes. Over the first two years of school, however, blacks lose substantial ground relative to other races. There is suggestive evidence that differences in school quality may be an important part of the explanation. None of the other hypotheses we test to explain why blacks are losing ground receive any empirical backing. © 2004 President and Fellows of Harvard College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Ethnic gaps in educational attainment and labor-market outcomes: evidence from France

“…Among these factors, parents may value education differently by ethnic group (Chiswick 1988;Domingues Dos Santos and Wolff 2011). The residual gap may also result from lower expectations on the part of parents or teachers toward non-native students, due to anticipated labor-market discrimination against non-natives (Fryer and Levitt 2004). Finally, the residual gap may indeed reflect discriminatory treatment.…”

“…Third, members of some communities may be (un)consciously discriminated against with regard to access to schooling and their choice of educational track (Losen and Orfield 2002;Domingues Dos Santos and Wolff 2011). For instance, teachers may have lower expectations regarding non-native students (Fryer and Levitt 2004). Furthermore, some communities may anticipate that the return to their investment in education will be lower due to discrimination, which may incite them to invest less in human capital (Altonji and Blank 1999).…”

The Long‐Term Economic Benefits of Natural Mentoring Relationships for Youth

“…AA youth are thus exposed to more risk factors associated with low income, such as higher family stress and community violence, than other youth (Cooley-Strickland et al 2009; Paschall et al 1996). AA youth also face barriers to achievement due to institutionalized racism, such as limited access to high-quality schools, which can result in lower academic achievement and lower expectations of future orientation (Fryer et al 2004; Kerpelman et al 2008; Krieger and Sidney 1996; Nyborg and Curry 2003). These risks can lead to higher rates of unemployment and poverty, and are especially salient among male AA youth (Brown and Jones 2004; Wood et al 2007), begging the question of how natural mentors benefit economic outcomes for these youth.…”

Expressive Morphological Skills of Dual Language Learning and Monolingual German Children: Exploring Links to Duration of Preschool Attendance, Classroom Quality, and Classroom Composition

“…Children’s early skills in the societal language are a strong predictor of later success in school with regard to subsequent language and literacy competences, and other academic outcomes as well (Babayigit, 2014; Prevoo et al, 2016). The importance of promoting language skills at an early age is highlighted by the finding that early language-related disadvantages tend to accumulate over time (West et al, 2000; Fryer and Levitt, 2004). Fortunately, children’s language development can be supported by environmental factors (Hoff, 2006).…”