The Achievement Gap in The U.S. Education System

The Achievement Gap in the American Education System

The achievement gap in the American education system is one of the crucial factors that leaders should consider in the modern 21st century. The discrepancy majorly affects African-Americans, Asian-Americans, and Natives that come from humble backgrounds (Howard 1). The researcher states that policymakers need to understand the concepts of race and culture to help minimize the differences that occur among learners. Change of demographics has several impacts on the scores of the affected populations because such factors may create problems across ethnic and linguistic lines (Howard 35). Similarly, deculturalization also influences the process of equality in the country as the approach incorporates the replacement of one’s culture with another that is considered superior (Spring 1). Therefore, the differences in educational success can be attained by promoting cultural equality because approach offers similar condition for individuals to access quality education irrespective of socio-economic background.

The Impact of Changing Demographics

Howard offers that changing demographics in a bid to develop the American education system has contributed to the rise in the achievement gap among students. The research supports this assertion by stating that when these changes are conducted quickly along ethnic lines, they promote social stratification in the U.S. The factors are harmful to the future of the country because learners will remain undereducated and unable to compete in the global markets. The education disparities among the students will also rise since the teenagers will be ill-prepared to make rational decisions on economic matters. The issues in the training sector will also affect the U.S. geo-political standards systems since it relies on proper teaching.

The Issue of Demographic Changes

The U.S. public schools face issues with demographic changes that lean towards cultural differences. Inadequate education and racial clashes are the direct consequences of this approach since the technique fails to offer solutions to the problem of the achievement gap. The inability to improve social standards among the African-Americans and the Latinos is one of the real-life scenarios that occur in the nations because educators are unable to address racial segregation in public schools (Howard 36).

The Concept of Deculturalization

The social-economic problems among African-Americans and the Latinos are the concept of deculturalization that occur in various places. Previous pieces of research show that European settlers initiated the process among the Native Americans because they believed that the white culture was superior to the locals (Spring 1). The method is discriminatory, and authorities should develop structures that allow intercultural programs that enable people from different backgrounds to understand each other. The application of such initiatives protects the future of the U.S. because the students will cooperate while promoting equal rights among the population.

The Use of Intercultural Programs

The use of intercultural programs is the most practical approach that educators can use to promote social equality in the U.S. The technique eliminates the discriminatory attitudes of deculturalization and demographic changes that fail to solve achievement gaps among students in the nation (Spring 22). The method promotes understanding among people; thus, the process should be enacted as a policy to reduce racial challenges in America. The model also allows learners from humble backgrounds to get a quality education as their white counterparts.

The Government’s Response to the Achievement Gap

The U.S. policymakers strive to improve the education sector to ensure that students graduate when they are prepared and can support the economy. However, observers can ask why the government has failed to address the achievement gap that has affected the quality of learning in the country for approximately two decades?

Works Cited

Howard, Tyrone C. Why Race and Culture Matter in Schools: Closing the Achievement Gap in America’s Classrooms. New York, N.Y: Teachers College Press, 2010. Print.

Spring, Joel H. Deculturalization and the Struggle for Equality: A Brief History of the Education of Dominated Cultures in the United States. Princeton, NJ: Routledge, 2016. Print.