Telling scores

Achievement gaps in city schools are dispiriting

Racial and ethnic gaps in student achievement have persisted over many years in American public schools. That does not mean we should consider them to be unavoidable.

Last week, the Pittsburgh Board of Public Education released a report on the results of assessment tests that students took in the spring. Board President Regina Holley was right to state that the achievement gaps between white and black students shown in the report are “unacceptable.”

The results for fifth-grade students in English language arts and reading stand out. Thirty percent of black students scored at a proficient or advanced level in that subject, while 64 percent of white students scored at those levels. Students are placed in one of four categories based on their scores: below basic, basic, proficient or advanced.

Similarly, the scores for thirdgraders in reading and language arts show a 27 percent gap between white and black students in the proficient and advanced levels. Ms. Holley demanded a response from staff of the school district concerning their efforts to close these wide gaps in reading achievement.

To its credit, the district was able to report that many scores of elementary students showed an improvement over the previous year, and these improvements were shared by all racial groups. Gains were strongest in language arts, with smaller gains in math and science.

Corporate leaders and nonprofits have been clamoring for years for better education in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and math. While they may have succeeded in bringing change to higher education, they need to direct more efforts to the Pittsburgh Public Schools.

Superintendent Anthony Hamlet and his staff must improve student performance across the board. In addition, much needs to be done to give African-American students the basic skills they need to succeed in life and in the workplace.