Empowerment concepts and applications

¶ … Racial Gap in Teachers' Perceptions of the Achievement Gap," Jeffrey Uhlenberg and Kathleen M. Brown examine possible reasons for the disparity between Black and White student academic performance. In addition to examining prior research, the authors surveyed teachers to assess their perceptions and opinions about the achievement gap. The four main categories under investigation are the child; the parent(s) and home environment; the teachers; and the school system. The authors surveyed both Black and White teachers to determine whether there was any significant difference in their perceptions. While most of the results confirmed the authors' hypothesis that Black teachers would focus more on the teachers and school system than on the student or the home environment and that the reverse would be true for White teachers. However, the results of the survey show that all teachers, regardless of race, point to several factors that impact the disparity between minority and white students.

The authors demonstrate race-neutral factors that negatively impacting the achievement gap, including oversized classes, especially in inner-city schools; under-qualified teachers; relevance of standardized testing; and poor parenting or adverse home environment. In conclusion, Uhlenberg and Brown suggest such solutions as reducing class size, increasing access to supplementary education programs like tutoring, after-school or summer sessions, or parent outreach services, and increasing parent-teacher communication. The authors also suggest that more Black teachers be employed, especially to serve schools in majority-Black communities. Moreover, diversity training might be appropriate for teachers of all races and ethnicities.

Uhlenberg and Brown's study illuminates personal experience with the achievement gap as well as with simply witnessing the drawbacks of oversized classes and poorly-run school systems. I agree with the authors' suggestions about potential ways to minimize the achievement gap, and I do believe that staffing schools with more minority teachers would positively impact the achievement of minority students. As it is now, low expectations and unintentional or intentional racism hinder student performance.