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Racial Achievement Gaps among Young Children: How Do Schools Matter?

Yoon, Aimee Jean, Yoon
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8512-2151
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1498142602172034

Abstract Details

2017, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Sociology.
Minorities face educational challenges in multiple institutions. Thus, it is unclear what role schools play in lower minority achievement. This dissertation utilizes a unique method—a seasonal comparison approach—to more effectively isolate the role of schools and explore whether they help or hinder the academic progress of minority children compared to white students in early education. Specifically, this study uses the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study: Kindergarten Cohort of 2010-11 to explore the seasonal changes in the black-white, Hispanic-white, and Asian-white achievement gaps in reading and math using multilevel growth models. Findings suggest that schools are responsible for the growth in black-white gaps, help close the Hispanic-white gap in math but not in reading, and temper the initial advantages of Asian students. Further investigation reveals that the narrowing of the Asian-white gap signals the equalizing role of schools, while the growing of the black-white gaps signals the pernicious role of schools. By dividing Asian Americans into smaller subgroups as well as estimating gaps across the achievement distribution, this study finds that the fading Asian advantage is an artifact of schools decreasing overall variation. In other words, as schools narrow the high-low performance gap, the Asian-white gap also narrows. In contrast, rather than exonerating schools, seasonal estimates of the black-white gaps across the achievement distribution provide greater support to fault them. It seems that even when black and white students begin school with comparable skill levels, school exposure continues to undermine black achievement. The role of schools on racial achievement gaps is complicated and varies depending on the specific gap under question. I find that while schools play an important compensatory role when it comes to the Asian-white gap, they pose more of a problem when it comes to black achievement. It appears that both the school and non-school environment play an integral role in formulating and exacerbating black-white gaps, making it the most formidable achievement gap to redress. While other achievement gaps may improve by a single-handed approach of either decreasing disparities in non-school conditions or increasing the positive impact of schools, this one-prong approach will not work for black students. These findings speak to the critical consequences that schools may have on black achievement specifically, and racial equality in general.
Douglas Downey (Advisor)
Kammi Schmeer (Committee Member)
Reanne Frank (Committee Member)
190 p.
African Americans; Asian American Studies; Educational Sociology; Elementary Education; Hispanic Americans; Sociology

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Yoon, Yoon, A. J. (2017). Racial Achievement Gaps among Young Children: How Do Schools Matter? [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1498142602172034

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Yoon, Yoon, Aimee. Racial Achievement Gaps among Young Children: How Do Schools Matter? 2017. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1498142602172034.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Yoon, Yoon, Aimee. "Racial Achievement Gaps among Young Children: How Do Schools Matter?" Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1498142602172034

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1498142602172034
190
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.