Several High-Achieving States in Education Tackle Their Academic Achievement Gaps

Education Week recently spotlighted a report featuring the efforts of Connecticut and three other states in closing their achievement gap between economically disadvantaged and minority students and their peers.  Massachusetts, Washington, and Wisconsin, along with Connecticut, have created task forces to study the gap or implement gap reduction efforts.


The report, by the Education Commission of the States, found several common themes among the states’ efforts, including:

• offering teachers and administrators professional development on topics tailored to low-performing schools,
• providing special programs and extra teacher training to assist English language learners and their teachers,
• creating initiatives to address housing and food insecurity, and
• exploring disciplinary measures other than suspensions or expulsions, which disproportionately affect students of color.

The full report can be read here.