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High Standards Could Reduce Inequality

If a standardized test were used as the sole criterion for high school graduation, it would drastically reduce rates of high school completion among African Americans of all social classes, says WCER researcher Adam Gamoran. Why? Because among whites and African Americans of the same social class, whites tend to have higher test scores. Economically disadvantaged students would also be adversely affected.

However, the long-run impact of high standards could be a further reduction in educational inequality between blacks and whites if the tests were used

• to bring about a more standardized curriculum;
• to foster a greater emphasis on learning opportunities in addition to outcomes; and
• to increase incentives for schools to support learning for minority students by heightening awareness of, and accountability for, unequal outcomes, without serving as the sole criterion for graduating from high school.