We’ve long known of the persistent academic gap between white students and their black and Hispanic peers in public schools. Even more sobering, the analysis shows that the largest gaps between white children and their minority classmates emerge in some of the wealthiest communities, What emerges in the data is the extent to which race and class are inextricably linked, and how that connection is exacerbated in school settings. Why racial achievement gaps were so pronounced in affluent school districts is a puzzling question raised by the data. Part of the answer might be that in such communities, students and parents from wealthier families are constantly competing for ever more academic success. As parents hire tutors, enroll their children in robotics classes and push them to solve obscure math theorems, those children keep pulling away from those who can’t afford the enrichment.
At www.nytimes.com
