How large are racial/ethnic achievement gaps in student achievement, and how do they vary over time?
The charts below show the achievement gaps for ACT-tested 2012 high school graduates who participated in EXPLORE® (grade 8), PLAN® (grade 10), and the ACT® (grade 11 or 12). Achievement gaps between the subgroups are present as early as in 8th grade and widen over time. For all subject areas, Asian students outperformed the other racial/ethnic groups by having both the highest performance and the greatest gains.
Average EXPLORE, PLAN, and ACT Scores by Race/Ethnicity
English
| Race/Ethnicity | Grade 8 | Grade 10 | Grade 11 or 12 |
|---|
| Asian | 16.7 | 19.8 | 24.7 |
| White | 16.0 | 18.3 | 21.5 |
| Hispanic | 13.9 | 16.0 | 18.3 |
| African American | 13.5 | 15.4 | 17.2 |
| ACT College Readiness Benchmark | 18.0 | 18.0 | 18.0 |
Reading
| Race/Ethnicity | Grade 8 | Grade 10 | Grade 11 or 12 |
|---|
| Asian | 16.4 | 19.5 | 24.2 |
| White | 15.6 | 18.1 | 21.8 |
| Hispanic | 14.2 | 16.3 | 19.0 |
| African American | 13.2 | 15.4 | 17.7 |
| ACT College Readiness Benchmark | 21.0 | 21.0 | 21.0 |
Math
| Race/Ethnicity | Grade 8 | Grade 10 | Grade 11 or 12 |
|---|
| Asian | 18.2 | 21.8 | 25.6 |
| White | 16.6 | 19.0 | 21.2 |
| Hispanic | 15.2 | 17.2 | 19.2 |
| African American | 14.2 | 15.8 | 17.7 |
| ACT College Readiness Benchmark | 22.0 | 22.0 | 22.0 |
Science
| Race/Ethnicity | Grade 8 | Grade 10 | Grade 11 or 12 |
|---|
| Asian | 18.5 | 20.8 | 24.4 |
| White | 17.4 | 19.2 | 21.5 |
| Hispanic | 16.2 | 17.8 | 19.2 |
| African American | 15.5 | 17.0 | 18.0 |
| ACT College Readiness Benchmark | 24.0 | 24.0 | 24.0 |
Note: Data are from a sample of 178,436 students in the high school graduating class of 2012 who took EXPLORE in 8th grade, PLAN in 10th grade, and the ACT in 11th or 12th grade. For more information see ACT (2012, March). Do race/ethnicity-based student achievement gaps grow over time? Iowa City, IA: Author.
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