The Achievement Gap

THE ACHIEVEMENT G Open Colleges AP 3 AVERAGE SCORE IN SCIENCE ACCORDING TO ECONOMIC GROUPS OF STUDENTS 675 650 MORE DISADVANTAGED 625 MORE AFFLUENT 600 575 550 525 500 475 450 425 400 AUSTRALIA KOREA ENGLAND USA FINLAND HONG KONG SINGAPORE JAPAN IRAN THAILAND NEW ZEALAND AVERAGE S CORE IN MATHEMATICS ACCORDING TO ECONOMIC GROUPS OF STUDENTS 675 650 MORE DISADVANTAGED 625 MORE AFFLUENT 600 575 550 525 500 475 450 425 400 AUSTRALIA KOREA ENGLAND USA FINLAND HONG KONG SINGAPORE JAPAN IRAN THAILAND NEW ZEALAND Average Reading, Science, and Mathematics Scale Scores and Selected Achievement Gaps of 8th-Grade Students in 2009 300 275 Math 250 Reading 225 200 HIGH QUALITY/ 175 LOW EQUITY 150 125 Science 100 0-25% students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch 26-50% students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch 51-75% students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch 76-100% students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch Trends in the Income Gap for Reading $2,000-$4,000 in Federal Government funding per student for private schools. Less than $500 in additional federal funding per student for disadvantaged schools. *Funding for private schools is 4 to 8 times greater than the additional funding provided to disadvantaged schools. Low SES students are 3 % years behind behind in math compared to high SES students. Low SES students are 4 years behind in science compared to high SES students. Low SES students are 4 years behind in reading compared to high SES students. 1.50 1.25 OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment results for 15 year old Australian students' failure rates in reading, mathematics and science 1.00 0.75 0.50 30 0.25 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 10 PISA Reading Scores by ESCS Percentile 700 600 Indigenous students Australian students 500 Low SES students High SES students Remote area students 400 Metropolitan students 42% of low SES 300 students failed to complete Year 12. 200 55% of indigenous students failed to complete Year 12. 100 49% of students in remote areas SWITZERLAND USA JAPAN ICELAND FINLAND AUSTRALIA CANADA BELGIUM failed to complete Year 12. 5th Percentile (Poorer households) 75th Percentile 10th Percentile 90th Percentile 40% of provincial 25th Percentile 95th Percentile (More affluent households) area students failed to complete 50th Percentile Percentile = Reading Score Year 12. *SES = Socio-economic status The index (ESCS) is based on the following variables: The international socio-economic index of occupational status of the father or mother. The level of education of the father or mother, whichever is higher, converted into years of schooling. An index of home possessions, which is based on student reports of access to education related possessions such as desks, computers and books, and availability of items such as such as televisions, cars, and cellular phones. Government schools are the main provider for educationally disadvantaged groups: 77% 86% 80% 72% 84% 68% 91% Low income Indigenous students Disabled Students from Students from students students provincial areas remote areas PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES ENROLLED 60 HIGH INCOME LOW INCOME 12th graders in high-poverty schools graduated with a diploma in 2008 12th graders in low-poverty schools graduated with a diploma in 2008 50 The proportion of indigenous and remote area students in 40 government schools is about three times that in Catholic and Independent schools. 30 Зx Children who both live in poverty and read below grade level by 3rd grade are three times as likely to not graduate from high school as students who have never been poor. 20 10 Government school Catholic school Independent school AVERAGE TOTAL EXPENDITURE PER STUDENT $15,147 53% 68% $12,303 $10,723 $10,399 Of low-income 8th graders Of upper-income 8th graders had math teachers deemed to be had math teachers deemed to be of high-quality of high-quality Government school Independent school Reading Performance and Share of Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Students Catholic Private school school 550 INCREASE IN GOVERNMENT FUNDING PER STUDENT FROM 1998-2008 525 500 112% 89% 475 84% 450 67% 425 400 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 Government Catholic Private Independent school Share of students whose score on the PISA index of economic, school school school social, and cultural status (ESCS) is below -1 The inequities existent in the funding of Australia's school system can be explained in part by: The current funding model (AGSRC) that weighs both public and private schools by the same criteria, thus inflating the economic requirements of private schools while depriving public schools of needed funds The absence of a system that takes into account the economic capabilities (sources of income, level of fees, etc.) of private schools and the attendant students (student profile) in order to properly determine the amount of funding appropriate for each schools and to ensure that the level of government funding does not exceed the level given to public schools A lack of transparency in the economic classification of schools and the absence, leading to discrepancies in alloted funding The absence of a funding system that holds Australia's Commonwealth government accountable to public education and provides increased resources to students and public schools to a level at par with private education The absence of a separate resource pool for private schools primarily catering to children with special needs or disabilities, students from low SES families, or indigenous students. Sources: Valerie Strauss - New analysis of achievement gap: 2 x 2 = 1½ http://voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/guest-bloggers/new-analysis-of-achievement-ga.html TIMSS 2011 International Results in Mathematics Mullis, I.V.S., Martin, M.O., Foy, P., & Arora, A. (2012). Chestnut Hill, MA: TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center, Boston College. http://timss.bc.edu/timss2011/international-results-mathematics.html TIMSS 2011 International Results in Science Martin, M.O., Mullis, I.V.S., Foy, P., & Stanco, G.M. (2012). Chestnut Hill, MA: TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center, Boston College. http://timss.bc.edu/timss2011/international-results-science.html PIRLS 2011 International Results in Reading Mullis, I.V.S., Martin, M.O., Foy, P., & Drucker, K.T. (2012). Chestnut Hill, MA: TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center, Boston College. http://timss.bc.edu/pirls2011/international-results-pirls.html Helen F. Ladd - Education and Poverty: Confronting the Evidence http://sanford.duke.edu/research/papers/SAN11-01.pdf Education Week - Achievement Gap http://www.edweek.org/ew/issues/achievement-gap/ Research on Closing the Achievement Gap Between High and Low Socioeconomic Status (SES) Students http://www.swcompcenter.org/pdf/conf0406/SES_Overview.pdf) Sean F. Reardon The Widening Academic Achievement Gap between the Rich and the Poor: New Evidence and Possible Explanations http://cepa.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/reardon%20whither%20opportunity%20-%20chapter%205.pd PISA 2009 Volume I, What Students Know and Can Do: Student Performance in Reading, Mathematics and Science http://www.oecd.org/pisa/pisaproducts/48852548.pdf Fred Argy - Education inequalities in Australia http://www.ias.uwa.edu.au/new-critic/five/educationinequalities vid Hornsby - Comparison of Academic Performance Between Australian Students Of High and Low Socioeconomic Status (SES) (link has been removed) Trevor Cobbold - Fighting for Equity in Education http://www.saveourschools.com.au/equity-in-education/reducing-the-achievement-gap-between-rich-and-poor-is-a-national-priority Trevor Cobbold - Closing The Achievement Gap in Australian Schools https://docs.google.com/file/d/OB_-3SXp1E5Lpb1lpempzUkl6Rnc/edit Justine Ferrari - Flaws in school funding exposed http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/flaws-in-school-funding-exposed/story-fn59niix-1226281021521 Australian Education Union - Schools Funding Review Submission 2011 http://www.aeufederal.org.au/Publications/2011/Schoolfundreviewsub.pdf 20 Average Difference in Standardized Test Scores (90/10 Income Gap)