Narrowing the Achievement Gap

Perspectives and Strategies for Challenging Times

Edited by: Thomas Timar, Julie Maxwell-Jolly

Closing persistent gaps in education outcomes among different subgroups of students is a fundamental goal of education policy and has been for the past 40 years. The commitment to this goal poses an extraordinary challenge for policymakers, school leaders, and teachers alike because the causes of these achievement gaps are numerous and complex. No single set of policy prescriptions, no matter how well thought out and managed, is likely to be successful.

While there is no ready roadmap or quick fix for policymakers, there is great pressure to come up with solutions. The collection of essays in this book, edited by WestEd Board member Thomas B. Timar and Julie Maxwell-Jolly, analyze the conditions that lead to achievement gaps and offer directions for moving forward.

Contributors include Patricia Gandara, W. Norton Grubb, and Russell W. Rumberger.