A recent tweet from Neetu Arnold, a Paulson Policy Analyst at the Manhattan Institute, highlights a critical distinction in the landscape of educational disparities in the United States. Arnold stated, > “Achievement gaps between demographic groups remain, but they have not changed substantially over the past decade. This stands in contrast to the high-low gap — the widening divide between top- and bottom-performing students.” This assertion points to a persistent challenge in U.S. education, where socioeconomic factors increasingly drive academic divergence.
The "high-low" gap, primarily referring to the socioeconomic achievement gap, has shown a significant and concerning widening trend over the past several decades. Research indicates that the disparity in academic performance between students from high- and low-socioeconomic backgrounds has grown substantially, with some analyses suggesting it was 30 to 40 percent larger for children born in 2001 compared to those born in 1976. This divide is often evident even before students enter kindergarten, reflecting the profound impact of family resources, early childhood development, and access to quality educational environments. The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated this trend, with recent data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) showing that scores for the lowest-level achievers reached their worst point since 1992, particularly for eighth-grade students.
In contrast, achievement gaps between various demographic groups, such as those based on race, ethnicity, or gender, have largely remained persistent without substantial change over the last decade, as noted by Arnold. While considerable focus and resources have been directed towards narrowing these disparities, overall progress has been limited. For instance, some studies indicate that while the Hispanic-White achievement gap has seen minor narrowing in certain contexts, the Black-White gap has, in some instances, grown over the course of elementary school. Girls generally show higher academic achievement in class grades, yet boys often score higher on standardized tests and are more represented in STEM fields.
The persistence of demographic gaps alongside the widening socioeconomic divide underscores the complex nature of educational inequality. Factors such as insufficient funding in low-income schools, disparities in access to high-quality resources, and varying levels of parental investment in children's cognitive development contribute significantly to the widening "high-low" gap. Neetu Arnold's observation brings critical attention to the evolving dynamics of achievement disparities, urging a re-evaluation of strategies to foster more equitable educational outcomes.