The Effects of Racial, Gender, and Economic Differences on the Achievement Gap

"Despite the academic achievement, the pay gap likely continues between the races." When we think about the Achievement Gap, we think about the effects poverty has on academic success. We know it is not race that makes minority students less successful but socioeconomic status. These children have fewer resources; they often lack parental figures in general, let alone role models for education and achievement. These children do not have someone to take them to the Franklin Institute to view the heart on a Sunday afternoon, so when the heart comes up in class, they are already at a disadvantage. How does this affect the way these students succeed in the long run, beyond high school and out in the real world of jobs? A national study found that racial and gender inequalities occur in the workforce regardless of academic achievement. Despite many factors, minority races and women received less money for doing the same work. This occurred even if they were arguably better at that work because of their educational backgrounds.

The study followed a group of young people from when they began working until age 25. They graded each participant based on race, gender, and socioeconomic status in society. They measured the third factor by factoring in the participant's parents' level of education, parental occupational prestige (such as working as a lawyer versus a secretary versus a janitor), and family household income. They also added academic achievement and success as factors. This included GPA and SAT scores, the selectivity of colleges to which they were accepted, and experience in college, trade school, or military programs. They also noted the degrees participants received and the amount of time it took to complete them.

The conclusions of the study are disheartening in their simplest form. If we compare person A and person B, we will find that they share all of the same factors studied, except that person A is white and person B is black. Person B will make an average of nearly $6000 less per year for his lifetime in the workforce. Over a forty-year time period, this adds up to nearly a quarter of a million dollars.

When we are teaching in our classrooms, it is so important that we realize the group of students we are working with. The achievement gap is not to be taken lightly. Especially in urban districts, education is the first effective line of defense against this gap. We can see from this study that this problem goes far beyond our schools, and we must be proactive in helping our students succeed beyond the next five or ten years and into the rest of their lives.

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