“State Test Score Trends Through 2007-08: Are achievement gaps closing and is achievement rising for all?”

According to the report by the Center on Education Policy (CEP), student achievement gaps for minority and low-income students have narrowed across all grade levels and subjects in 74 percent of all trend lines between 2002 and 2008. But despite this progress, achievement gaps continue to be a challenge, widening in 23 percent of trend lines studied in the report.

The report reflects findings from the third year of a multi-year study of student achievement. It describes overall achievement trends and gap trends among African American, Latino and Native American students and their white and Asian counterparts, and between low-income students and those who are not low-income.

The study finds that in general, achievement for minority and low-income students has gone up and achievement gaps have narrowed in most states, although gaps are still large. Gains made by various racial/ethnic subgroups have outpaced gains by white or non-low-income students in most states. Across subgroups and states, there was more progress in closing gaps at the elementary and middle school levels than at the high school level.

Read the report.