Closing the Achievement Gap

November 17th, 2014

The most imperative step towards supporting students in the future is to bridge the achievement gap in the United States. The following is a design fiction scenario, which addresses ways to correct this significant flaw in our country's education system:

The achievement gap refers to the disparity of educational performance between groups of students of different socioeconomic status, race, or ethnicity. The achievement gap is evident when comparing the significantly higher standardized test scores, grade point averages, drop out rates, and college enrollment and completion rates of middle to upper class white students compared to students of color and students low-income students.

The U.S. began chronicling the effects of this problem in 1966 in a report entitled "Equality in Educational Opportunity" by the US Department of Education. Today in 2030 there is virtually no statistical difference between the academic performance between minority students in low-income school districts and more affluent white students.

This significant change in student performance of at-risk is largely due to the use of technology in school systems across the nation. We have bridged the achievement gap through, incorporating interactive technology in school curriculums, improving access to digital technology and infrastructure both in the classroom and at home, and balancing student-teacher and student-computer engagement.

The various interactive technologies that have been introduced in classrooms has revolutionized the way that students learn and promoted equality in education in an unprecedented manner. As part of a national initiative introduced by President Chelsea Clinton each student in the public school system is guaranteed to receive his or her own laptop and tablet to use for the year, both in school and at home.

The software installed on the devices allows teachers to follow along remotely as students complete their assignments both in school and at home to track their progress and address mistakes as they occur. This technology allows teachers to understand the way that students approach and work through different assignment and allows them to better implement problem-solving strategies.

The software also facilitates learning differently according to each subject matter. For example if the student is studying geometry the software can create virtually project three-dimensional shapes for students to take apart and reassemble. If a student is learning a foreign language they can record themselves speaking and the computer will analyze their monologue and address each mistake that was made and how to correct it.

This helps address the achievement by ensuring that every student regardless of race, ethnicity, or income-level receives the same quality of education and access to technology. In our increasingly technology driven world it is particularly important for at-risk minority students to have early exposure to the tools and increase their digital know-how.

Another factor that has helped to bridge the achievement gap is access to digital technology not only at school, but also at home. Less than 20 years ago in 2012 over 30% of American households did not have Internet access. This problem overwhelming affected students of color and from low-income areas. Now in 2030 we have reached a 100% rate of household Internet access among American families.

This factor alone largely helped close the achievement gap because no regardless of how much technology a student has access to in the classroom, a student cannot learn at the same rate of their classmates is they cannot continue their lessons at home, especially as assignments become increasingly online-based.

Another factor that helped close the achievement gap is the focus on maintaining a balance between the student-computer and student-teacher relationships. In the early 2020's after our country made great strides in innovation of digital technology and artificial intelligence many school districts completely eliminated human teachers from schools. Students completed their lessons on their own computers via a high-tech operating system created by AI algorithms.

This program that was projected to be a great success by giving everyone equal access to technology, proved to be an utter failure as students did not receive the individualized support they required. Completion rates among at-risk minority students were startlingly low due to a lack of motivation and incentive to complete lessons on their own.

The failure of this initiative proved that access to technology isn't the only important factor in closing the achievement gap. Access to technology must be paired with teachers who can adequately meet the needs of each student and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment. Now in 2040 a defining feature of the American education system is a balance between student-computer and student teacher interaction. American teachers receive some of the best diversity training so they can learn how to best cater to at-risk students.

Through a strategic use of technology and the continued efforts of policymakers the United States proudly boasts the highest level of educational equality worldwide. Hopefully one day the inclusivity of our education system will be mirrored in all other aspects of American society.