The Achievement Gap: A Critical Ethnography of the Factors which Perpetuate the Gap in Academic Achievement Between Races

Abstract

The gap in academic achievement between minority (African American and Latino) students and non-minority students, also known as the racial Achievement Gap, has been a major issue within schooling in the United States. This study analyzes the factors within and outside of schools which contribute and perpetuate the racial Achievement Gap. Through the Qualitative interviews of nine participants, this ethnography looks to critically analyze how racialization and class barriers both directly and indirectly hinder the academic performance of minority students.