Blog #2: Closing the Achievement Gap

Many seniors in high school are finishing college applications and planning their future after they graduate in just a few months. Yet, some seniors are struggling to even meet requirements for graduation and don’t know what a college application looks like.

The reason for such extreme differences in students is the achievement gap. This is the extremity in different measures of performance of groups of students based on factors such as gender, socioeconomic status, and race.

One of the many examples of the achievement gap is seen in low-income and high-income schools in Chicago. Oprah did a segment called "Trading Schools" on the differences in the way they are taught and materials available at each school. It also portrayed the difference in expectations students have for their future based on the wealth of their school.

Teach for America is one program that is made up of mostly recent college graduates who are sent throughout America to some of the lowest-income schools. The goal is to help close the achievement gap and create an equal opportunity for learning for all students, regardless of the geographic area and income of their school.

Those who are admitted to the program go through a five-week training during the summer before they begin to teach. They are matched up to a grade and topic to teach based on preference and need. The location of teaching is determined in the same way.

Laura Vinsant recently finished teaching second and third graders in Baton Rouge through Teach for America. She said her students have the ability to learn so much, but they just need a role model to help them understand that ability.

Vinsant graduated from Louisiana State University with a public relations degree. Although she was offered a job in the public relations field after graduation, she chose to take part in Teach for America for two years first. She said she feels it was definitely the right decision.

Teach for America is currently accepting applications until Feb. 19.