Minding the Gap: Exploring State Factors Associated with the Black­White Test Score Gap

"Racial inequality has been a persistent failing in American education. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) requires that states decrease the size of achievement gaps between racial subgroups each year and close all test score gaps by 2014. Research has explored which student, family, and school characteristics impact student achievement and the black­white gap, yet little research has focused on which state­level demographic, economic, and education factors relate to the test score gap between black and white students. The Capstone team addressed this issue by conducting a study relating state­level factors to the size of states' black­white test score gaps over time. "