Warning: This is an AI-generated article.
The achievement gap between the test scores of white students and black and brown students is well-documented. What’s less apparent is a parallel opportunity gap that creates differential access to high-quality educational experiences. In the last few decades, there has been a strong focus on closing the achievement gap in K-12 education. Many studies have revealed a persistent disparity between white students and black and brown students in reading, math, and science test scores.
This has led to increased funding for charter schools as an alternative to public school districts with underperforming schools. The resulting “choice” in schooling options for parents has also led to the proliferation of private tutoring services marketed as helping your child get into college.
The fact that the achievement gap is so well-known is a positive thing. But this spotlight on one aspect of inequality can lead people to overlook other important types of inequalities — specifically, the opportunity gap in high-quality educational experiences.
What is the opportunity gap?
The opportunity gap refers to unequal access to high-quality educational experiences. While the achievement gap describes the disparity between students’ test scores, the opportunity gap describes where these students are getting their educations.
Simply put, the opportunity gap is the disparity in access to high-quality educational experiences, such as Advanced Placement classes, extracurricular programs, or school facilities. The achievement and opportunity gaps differ in several ways. First, the achievement gap can be narrowed by increasing black and brown students’ test scores.
But the opportunity gap cannot be closed by increasing the numbers of black and brown students who are admitted to elite schools. This is because the opportunity gap describes the unequal distribution of educational experiences, not simply test scores. Second, the achievement gap can be narrowed by increasing black and brown students’ test scores. But the opportunity gap cannot be closed by increasing the number of white students who are admitted to elite schools.
Differential access to educational experiences
Educational experiences, such as extracurricular activities or Advanced Placement courses, are not distributed equally among the students in a school because their families don’t have access to the same resources. A good example of this phenomenon is the “trading cards” mentality that leads parents to dedicate themselves to getting their kids into “selective” or “elite” schools.
This mentality can often lead to a sense of competition among parents, and may make it more likely that they’ll push their kids to achieve more. This can lead to increased stress and pressure on black and brown students, and white students’ families may end up with better experiences.
Why is it different?
Simply put, the achievement gap describes the disparity between students’ test scores, while the opportunity gap describes where these students are getting their educations. The achievement gap has long been the focus of education policy, and the fact that it is well-documented lends it a certain legitimacy.
Meanwhile, the opportunity gap is less apparent because it is not as easy to see who is being excluded from high-quality educational experiences. Indeed, the achievement gap is a much more straightforward measurement to make: using standardized tests, we can simply see how students are performing. But how can we tell how students are being treated?
Examples of the opportunity gap in practice
The opportunity gap can be seen in the culture of elite private schools and within the admissions process for colleges. Elite private schools often have a strong focus on extracurricular activities and a competitive admissions process that prizes elite activities.
This may lead to a situation where the kids who are involved in extracurricular activities at elite private schools are disproportionately white. Colleges may also have a culture that prioritizes extracurricular activities, and a competitive admissions process that prizes elite activities. This may lead to a situation where admissions officers at elite colleges disproportionately value students’ participation in elite activities.
How can we combat the opportunity gap?
The opportunity gap can be combated by increasing access to high-quality educational experiences for black and brown students. This means creating more opportunities for black and brown students to participate in extracurricular activities at public schools.
It means providing funding for public schools so that they can offer the same quality of educational experiences as private schools. It also means demanding that elite colleges broaden the admissions criteria so that admissions officers do not disproportionately value students’ participation in elite activities. This can be done by pushing for more inclusive definitions of extracurricular activities.
Conclusion
The opportunity gap and achievement gap are two important concepts for understanding the differences in access to high-quality educational experiences. The achievement gap refers to the disparity between black and brown students’ test scores, while the opportunity gap refers to the disparity in access to high-quality educational experiences.
The achievement gap can be narrowed by increasing black and brown students’ test scores, while the opportunity gap cannot be closed by increasing white students’ access to elite educational experiences. The achievement gap is a well-documented disparity, while the opportunity gap is less apparent because it is not as easy to see who is being excluded from high-quality educational experiences.