In the eye of the beholder: differences in perception between white teachers and African American students with regard to reasons for the racial achievement gap

The research addresses the question of differences in perception of a racial achievement gap at a particular high school in Minnesota. Students and teachers responded to questions about the learning environment, academic resources and their opinions about potential reasons for the black/white academic gap at their school. After the completion of focus groups, the responses of the participants were compared in order to locate similarities and differences in perceptions. The research was conducted in this way to emphasize that if school communities can locate common perceptions and/or differences in perceptions, they can increase the efficacy of their efforts to close the racial achievement gap, by using solutions specific to the needs of particular schools