Society & Culture - Posted by Neil Schoenherr-WUSTL on Friday, November 12, 2010 15:12 - 3 Comments 
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(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...What can bridge education’s racial gap?
Eradicating the teaching gap is a significant part of addressing the achievement gap separating black and white students. When students have teachers who cultivate high expectations while exhibiting a high level of support, the outcomes trend toward improved student learning. (Credit: iStockphoto)
WASHINGTON U.-ST. LOUIS (US) — The achievement gap separating black and white students, particularly boys, remains—and may be even wider than originally thought.
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New research finds that only 12 percent of black fourth-grade boys are proficient in reading, compared with 38 percent of white boys, and only 12 percent of black eighth-grade boys are proficient in math, compared with 44 percent of white boys.
“Our research on Missouri high schools suggests that having a good teacher results in better learning outcomes in science for traditionally underperforming groups,” says William F. Tate, professor of education at Washington University in St. Louis.
“The same is true in mathematics. Eradicating the teaching or instructional gap is a significant part of addressing the achievement gap problem.
“The literature is clear that when students have teachers who cultivate high expectations while exhibiting a high level of support the outcomes trend toward student learning.”
It may be possible for schools with high percentages of free and reduced lunch and minority students to increase science proficiency by having more science courses taught by faculty trained in science content areas, more teachers who are regularly certified, and more teachers who have master’s degrees, Tate writes in a new research paper.
“While teacher quality is generally acknowledged in public debates as important, there remain some skeptics who view state certification as non-essential, as well as the lack of capacity and dedicated resources to address this significant equity challenge in science education,” Tate says.
His study suggests that teacher quality in high-poverty majority-minority school settings remains an important policy target for reform and improvement.
“Teacher quality is a big part of the picture, but so is parent and community involvement, school leadership, and curriculum and assessment,” says Victoria May, director of educational outreach. “Combining these efforts is crucial to closing achievement gaps in situations where race and poverty are affecting children.”
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3 Comments
Victor Vurpillat
Jeremiah
Teachers are a very important and vital role, but the only way we are going to seriously close the gap is through parental involvement. I’m not saying the parents have to show up to the school every day, but when the child comes home, how do they involve themselves?
We talk nearly every day with our children about what they are doing in their schools. We follow their grades very closely. We provide opportunities for them outside of school too, whether it be going to the library, visiting outdoor parks and recreation areas, extra-curricular school activities, to good old-fashioned family quality time together. Showing an interest in your children and going out of your way to provide opportunities for them really goes a long way. A lot of the activities that we participate in do not require any money. I realize that not everyone has access to everything, but even the inner cities have libraries. There are always things that you can do as a family, if you just take the time to find them.
Whether or not a teacher has a Master’s degree or a certification is not going to matter if you have kids who have given up because they don’t have any reason to hold on. If their parents don’t support and encourage them, then they’ll end up on the streets just like all of their friends which have parents who don’t support them. And the cycle of inner city life will continue…
Jill
The quality of a teacher’s teaching and not the level of their education seems to what makes the difference – “good teacher” and “The literature is clear that when students have teachers who cultivate high expectations while exhibiting a high level of support the outcomes trend toward student learning.”
We have all experienced teachers that “know” their subjects while still not being able to convey it clearly to different levels of learners. How to measure how well a teacher teaches?
“Waiting for Superman” has more answers tham either Tate or May