Program Evaluation For Assessing The Effectiveness Of Tracking The Academic Growth And Attendance Of Black Students In Closing The Black And White Achievement Gap

Across the United States in almost every city, every suburb, and every rural area there is a gap between the achievements of Black and White students. The term “achievement gap” has become an accepted label in situations where Black students severely underperform relative to their White counterparts. Many school districts have discretely avoided discussing and or addressing the gap for decades. School District Z, located in an urban suburb just outside of a large midwestern city, is the focus of this research as they attempt to address the gap. District Z is composed of approximately two-thirds students of color, yet the achievement gap between Black and White students is 37 and 41 percentage points in reading and math, respectively. District Z’s plan of attack is to require principals to track the attendance and academic achievement of all Black students as part of their evaluation. This research explores the effectiveness of tracking the attendance and academic growth of Black students on the achievement gap between Black and White students by examining standardized assessment data since the initiative was put in place. What I found was that District Z’s gap-closing program was not effective and, in fact, the achievement gap between White and Black students widened over a five-year span. At the conclusion of this article, I will provide an analysis of the data and research-based practices that may narrow District Z’s achievement gap