Too many African-American students are behind academically. While Latino students also score lower than Whites and Asians, Spanish speakers and other students learning to speak English (known as English Learners) receive additional funding for specialized curriculums and extended after school tutoring, many African-American students continue to fall behind without spécifie interventions designed to meet their needs. Now in a few Los Angeles area schools, Black children actually score lower than English Learners on the statewide California Standards Test (CST). The difference between the academic performance of Blacks and Latinos compared to their White and Asian counterparts on standardized tests is known as the Achievement Gap. Although the term Achievement Gap is relatively new, this phenomenon of low achieving black and brown students has persisted for generations. As a result, a disproportionate amount of African Americans drop out of high school, work low paying jobs, live in poverty, and turn to lives of crime.

While Latino students also score lower than Whites and Asians, Spanish speakers and other students learning to speak English (known as English Learners) receive additional funding for specialized curriculums and extended after school tutoring, many African-American students continue to fall behind without spécifie interventions designed to meet their needs.

Academic achievement gaps