Education achievement gap not closing, expert says

Despite a national report stating that the “achievement gap” between black and white students is getting smaller, the gap isn’t closing in Louisiana, education consultant Rhea Kiper told a meeting of the Louisiana NAACP today. Among 4th graders, 62% of black students and 82% of white students scored “basic” or higher in English language arts on the Spring 2009 LEAP test, while 50% of blacks and 80% of whites scored basic or higher in math. Among 8th graders, 48% of blacks scored at least basic compared to 77% of whites in ELA, while 42% of blacks scored basic or higher compared to 75% for whites. The federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 mandated high-stakes testing, in part, supporters said, to close the achievement gap. Kiper says the controversial law may be altered somewhat in the near future, but it’s not going away. The state NAACP conference, which started Thursday and concludes Saturday, is being held at the Sheraton Baton Rouge Convention Center Hotel.—David Jacobs