Can Schools Close the Acievement Gap Between Students from Different Ethnic and Racial Backgrounds

Burris, C., Weiner, K.G., and Mathis, W. J. Issue 5: Can Schools close the achievement gap between students from different ethnic backgrounds? Taking sides. p. 108-114.

Question 1: Read the side you're supporting. Of the points made by the author, which one do you feel can be argued the most strongly? Explain your reasons. Which point do you feel is the weakest?

The point that I believe can be argued most strongly is that is all students are given the enriched curriculum that high-achieving students receive, achievement will rise. I agree with this statement because I believe that if you give students challenging work that they will want challenge themselves to accomplish the task in front of them. Even if the student is in a lower class because they do not try hard, this work will get them to work to their fullest potential. By having all students take challenging courses it gives all students the same equal opportunity to succeed and there will be no questions because every student is learning the same material.

The point that I feel is the weakest is having students that have learning disabilities take the same classes, but have a different grading system. This could make school not enjoyable for students with disabilities. Also, you could never know if the students are actually learning the material or not because they are being graded differently.

Explain.Question 2: Read the side you're arguing against. Of the points made by the author, which one do you feel can be argued against the most strongly? Explain your reasons. Which of the opposing points do you feel is the strongest? Explain.

The point that I can argue against the strongest is that to bridge the gap we need to deal with the underlying problems of society first. This argument can be argued because school are supposed to give students equal opportunities. So if the school is offering to have all the students take the same challenging course then the problems in society will not have anything to do with it.

The point that I feel is the strongest is how more affluent schools have more money to be able to provide for their students whereas lower income school will have difficulty providing for their students. This is very true in all cases. Schools get money according to how many students and where the school is located. In a more wealthy area the schools are going to get more money then school in lower income areas.