Alexandra Lavelle

November 12, 2015

Persuasive Essay
Closing the Gap
According to the National Education Association (NEA), achievement gaps are defined
as the differences in academic performance between groups of students of different
backgrounds (Understanding the gaps, p. 1). The achievement gap has persisted for decades and
is still one of the largest issues currently talked about in education. One of the major focuses has
been identifying the root of the issue and researching strategies that will help educators close the
gap. There are many theories, discussions, and studies about the cause of the achievement gap.
Two commonly cited causes believed to be a factor are race and socioeconomic status. While I
agree with that those factors contribute to the issue, I believe much of the reason that the
achievement gap has not closed is a lack of well-trained teachers using research-based strategies
proven to close the gap.
For example, I have spent several years on an intermediate level campus which services
seventh and eighth grade students. The school is approximately 90% Hispanic, all of which are
economically disadvantaged. Twenty percent of these students are English Language Learners
(ELLs). These demographics are typical of a school which underperforms on state mandated
exams. However, there are nine other intermediate schools in my district and many of those have
nearly the exact same demographics as we do. The students at those schools outperform ours the
vast majority of the time. One of the main differences is the staff. We have nearly a 50% turnover
every single year compared to less than half of that on most of the other campuses.

It takes years for an educator to build their craft. With the high stakes testing
requirements for accountability, teachers are under a tremendous amount of pressure and often
do not last. According to a 2013 study (Rondfeldt, Loeb, & Wyckoff), 30% of teachers leave the
profession within 5 years. That number is as high as 50% in high-poverty, predominately
minority schools. The study showed that a high teacher turnover leads to lower performance and
a larger gap in achievement, particularly in English Language Arts (ELAR) and math. ELAR and
math skills are foundational and will follow a child throughout their educational career, so this
gap in achievement in those subject areas is detrimental. Additionally, the study showed that the
teachers were often placed with teachers of a lower quality of education and a weaker skillset
(2013). This directly affects the achievement gap.
It is true that minority and economically disadvantaged students typically do perform at a
lower level. There are countless studies about the achievement gap of low-socioeconomic (SES)
students, minorities, and ELLs. These studies list many reasons, such as poor environment for
development, fewer learning opportunities at home, lack of parent development, availability of
resources at schools (Barton, 2004). One cannot refute that the gap exists. However, many in
education are willing to leave the explanation at that when, in fact, many educators themselves
are not doing all that they can in their classrooms to begin to close the gap.
Teachers are under incredible strain, especially in public education. Administrators
arguably have even more weight resting on their shoulders. But, if one of the major issues
perpetuating the achievement gap is teacher turnover, in spite of that stress, an administrator
must make it a priority to improve climate, culture, and teacher morale to improve retention. This
will give teachers the time to develop their skills to better reach the students who are in desperate
need. Educators become better trained through years of experience as well as the professional

development opportunities afforded to them if they remain in those positions. The only way to do
this is to develop these teachers and create a climate in which they are willing to stay.
There is abundant literature regarding strategies to reach the lowest performing groups in
education. For example, the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) model has proven
very effective in helping ELLs. The SIOP model integrates language development into the
instruction of the content (Short, Fidelman, & Longuit, 2012). This will help ELLs learn the
language and the content thus narrowing the gap. As mentioned earlier, teacher turnover leads to
ELAR gaps. Siedlitz and Perryman have a research-based method for a language-rich classroom
which improves performance in content across all academic areas. These are just a few of the
types of things that increase achievement. Deliberate, specific planning using best practices will
close the achievement gap.
We live in a society that is rapidly changing. Low SES students continue to come to our
classrooms. The number of minority and ELL students is quickly growing. If we continue to
blame the achievement gap on the fact that these students have fewer opportunities to develop
outside of school, we as educators are part of the problem. We must find a way to retain teachers.
We have to develop a climate that encourages teachers to grow their practice instead of leave the
profession altogether. Teachers who interact with the most high-need students on a daily basis
must plan accordingly. It takes extra work, planning, training, and is a long-process, but the only
way the achievement gap will lessen is if educators take responsibility for their part in closing it.

References
Barton, P. (2004). Why does the gap persist? Educational leadership
62(3), 8-13.
Understanding the gaps: Who are we leaving behind- and how far? (n.d.).
retrieved October 5, 2015, from http://www.nea.org/assests/docs/18021Closing_Achve_Gap_backgrndr_7-FINAL.pdf
Ronfeldt, M., Loeb, S., & Wyckoff, J. (2013). How teacher turnover harms student achievement.
American Educational Research Journal, 50(1), 4-36.
Seidlitz, J., & Perryman, B. (2011). 7 steps to a language-rich interactive classroom: Researchbased strategies for engaging all students. San Clemente, CA: Seidlitz.

Short, D. J., Fidelman, C. J., & Louguit, M. (2012). Developing academinc language in English
language learners through sheltered instruction. TESOL Quarterly, 46(2), 334-361.