A recent paper reveals that the academic gap between the highest- and lowest-achieving students in most U.S. schools has significantly increased since 2005. This divergence is primarily due to stagnation among struggling students, which escalated into substantial learning losses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors highlight how these trends underscore ongoing challenges in educational equity.
Key Points
- Academic gap between top 90th and bottom 10th percentile students has grown in most schools since 2005.
- Stagnation and learning losses among low-achieving students, exacerbated by COVID, drive the widening gap.
- Research emphasizes the need to address educational disparities for struggling students.
Implications for Educational Freedom
This widening gap highlights government-run schools’ failure to support struggling students, reinforcing the need for school choice options like vouchers and ESAs to empower parents in selecting better educational environments. It underscores parental rights in advocating for alternatives to underperforming public systems.
Source: The 90/10 Gap: Research Shows Struggling Students Falling Behind Since 2005
