Black-White Disparities in Test Scores: Distributional Characteristics

Abstract

This paper investigates the distributional characteristics of racial differences in mathematics achievement, with particular attention to the potential influence of unexplained, and possibly unwarranted, racial differentials in rates of school suspension. It is well known that black students consistently score lower than whites on achievement tests, on average, even after controlling for family and schooling factors. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 cohort, we decompose the racial gap in mathematics test scores from the Peabody Individual Achievement Test-Revised (PIAT-R) into a component due to racial differences in underlying characteristics and another component that is unexplained by differences in measured characteristics. We account for the possible endogeneity of suspensions in our analysis and show that the portion of the racial gap that is unexplained differs

Analysis of Math Test Score Gap Between White and Non-White Students in Brazilian Public Schools: SAEB 2015

“…According to Fernandes et al (2016), it is probable that the mechanisms explaining test performance differ for students with different levels of prior academic preparation. It is also possible that the non-White students at the lower and the middle levels of the test score distribution are more susceptible to the intergenerational cycle, in which children of minority groups are from families whose parents have a lower level of education and lower wages.…”

“…The mean results obtained from the test score distribution fail to take into account that the proficiency gap could differ at different points of the distribution and also be explained by different factors. According to Fernandes, Ha, McElroy, and Myers (2016), the portion of the racial gap that is unexplained differs between the top and the bottom of the test score distribution.…”

“…It is well-known that students’ performance on standardized tests is different according to their race (Albernaz et al, 2002; Arteaga & Glewwe, 2017; Card & Rothstein, 2007; Duncan & Sandy, 2013; Fernandes et al, 2016; Fryer & Levitt, 2004; McEwan, 2008; Procópio et al, 2015). Many researchers are dedicated to analyzing why the racial achievement gap remains the same even after controlling for family background, socioeconomic status, and school characteristics.…”

“…The results indicate that less than 50% of the White–Black gap is explained by racial differences in the average characteristics. Fernandes et al (2016) investigate the racial differences in mathematical achievements and observe that the portion of the racial gap that is unexplained differs between the top and the bottom of the test score distribution.…”

Demonstrating the Efficacy of the Health Sciences and Technology Academy: Using Archival Standardized Test Scores to Analyze an OST College-Preparatory Program for Underserved Youth

“…More recently, the role of stereotype threat (Spencer et al, 1999;Steele et al, 2002), also referred to as collective threat (Cohen and Garcia, 2005), has been linked to lower academic performance in underrepresented groups. Studies (Willingham and Cole, 1997;Ryan and Ryan, 2005;Fernandes et al, 2016) have demonstrated that African American students, especially African American males, tend to score lower on standardized math tests than White and Asian students (U.S. Department of Education, 2001;Mc-Farland et al, 2017). Research has also found that African Americans significantly underperform on standardized tests, particularly in the areas of math and science (College Board, 2015;Ferreira, 2002;Finkel, 2010;Hedges and Nowell, 1999).…”