Achievement Gaps are the gaps in achievement of groups of students as identified on standardized tests.  Achievement gaps have become a major focus or resources and research since the Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (also known as the No Chid Left Behind act, or NCLB).  This law has sought to reveal statistical differences in scores on achievement tests when the scores of groups of students are compared.

The law requires schools to dissagregate, or break down their scores by subgroups.  Examples of subgroups in our communities are:

• white
• black
• hispanic
• Asian
• students with special needs
• students from low-income family backgrounds