The achievement gap is defined as the disparity that exists between the test scores of White American students and African American and Hispanic or minority students. Test results indicate that White students score higher than minority students (except Asians) on measures of achievement. This gap is measured by test scores on a variety of instruments measuring intelligence, achievement, and aptitude. These include the National Assessment of Educational Progress, SAT, Iowa Tests of Basic Skills, and other instruments administered in the public schools of the United States.

The achievement gap is a major concern to policy makers and educators alike, and much research has [Page 7]been done to discover the cause of this test score difference. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the achievement ...