Can Within-Race Achievement Comparisons Help Narrow Between-Race Achievement Gaps?

ABSTRACT

Reports on the low achievement of African American students tend to focus on Black–White achievement gaps. This study draws from official reports that also consider within-race achievement differences. An argument is presented that within-race comparisons are likely to reveal important causal factors that may go unnoticed when between-race comparisons are made. Examples of within-race comparisons for African American students include comparisons across districts, states, types of schools, and gender. Implications for efforts to improve African American achievement are discussed for each type of within-race comparison.