2.4 The Achievement Gap

National and state-level priorities to increase degree attainment and improve student success require the elimination of equity gaps experienced by African Americans, Latinas, Latinos, Native Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Southeast Asian students. Similarly, unless and until low-income and first-generation students experience equitable outcomes in degree attainment, the nation’s ambitious college completion goals cannot be realized.

-Lindsey Malcom-Piqueux & Estela Mara Bensimon, Center for Urban Education

What is an Achievement Gap?

Essentially, an "achievement gap" is an inequitable distribution of educational results and benefits. These gaps demonstrate the persistent disparity in academic success or educational performance between different groups of students. Most notably, marginalized and historically underserved students experience challenges and barriers that result in lower completion rates and inequitable outcomes. 

For example, data from the Lumina Foundation Links to an external site. clearly shows that attainment rates (percentage of people 25-64 with at least an associate degree) for African-American, Hispanic, and American Indian students continue to lag behind those of Whites and Asian-Americans.

The Achievement Gap in CCCs

The CCCCO has identified 5 key student equity "success indicators" Links to an external site. for measuring and tracking disparities in academic success:

  1. Access
  2. Course Completion (Retention)
  3. ESL and Basic Skills Completion
  4. Degree and Certificate Completion
  5. Transfer Rate

Let's look more closely at one of these key indicators: Degree and Certificate Completion.

In the CCC system, certain student groups are much less likely to reach a defined end goal such as a degree, certificate, or transfer. The 2018 Student Success Scorecard Links to an external site. shows that, when compared to White students (53.9%), completion rates are lower among African-American students (36.9%), American Indian/Alaskan students (35.1%), Hispanic students (41.6%), and Pacific Islander students (37.7%).

Bar chart depicting data described above

The Opportunity Gap

The achievement gap is often situated within the broader context of the "opportunity gap." The opportunity gap refers to the ways in which race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, English proficiency, community wealth, familial situations, or other factors contribute to or perpetuate lower rates of educational achievement.

Generally speaking, the opportunity gap refers to inputs - the unequal or inequitable distribution of resources and opportunities, while the achievement gap refers to outputs - the unequal or inequitable distribution of educational results and benefits. It is important to understand the interaction of both. For example:

  • Due to prejudice or bias, students of color tend to be disproportionately represented in lower-level courses and special-education (opportunity gap). As a result, their graduation and college-enrollment rates are typically lower than those of their white peers (achievement gap).
  • Economically disadvantaged communities may suffer from overcrowded schools, dilapidated facilities, and inadequate educational resources (opportunity gap). This can contribute to lower educational performance or attainment (achievement gap).

For additional information and powerful examples of these types of gaps, please see the 2017 Education Trust-West report, "The Majority Report: Supporting the Success of Latino Students in California Links to an external site.." This fascinating research documents how California's Latino students continue to face troubling inequities from early learning through higher education.

Attributions:

Page adopted from "The Achievement Gap" "Zero Textbook Cost Pathways: OER & Equity" by Aloha Sargent is licensed under CC BY 4.0 Links to an external site.

Textbox: Malcom-Piqueux, L., & and Bensimon, E. M. (2017). Taking equity-minded action to close equity gaps Links to an external site.. Peer Review, 19(2).

What is an Achievement Gap? adapted from "Equity & Culturally Responsive Teaching Links to an external site." by Arnita Porter and Fabiola Torres, for Online Network of Educators Links to an external site., licensed under CC BY 4.0 Links to an external site.

Lumina Foundation. (2019). A stronger nation: California's progress toward the goal Links to an external site..

California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office. (n.d.). Student equity Links to an external site..

California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office. (n.d.). 2018 Student success scorecard: Statewide degree/transfer Links to an external site..

The Opportunity Gap adapted from "Opportunity Gap Links to an external site." in the Glossary of Education Reform, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Links to an external site.