Chairman Miller Statement on NAEP Achievement Gap Report
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, issued the following statement on a new report released by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): Achievement Gaps: How Black and White Students in Public Schools Perform in Mathematics and Reading on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. The report provides a comprehensive look at progress in closing the achievement gap between black and white students.
“It is good news that the achievement gap overall among black and white students is narrowing in most states. But this report also reinforces that major work must be done to address the discrepancies we are still seeing for eighth grade students. The fact that there has been no significant closing of the achievement gap in reading for eighth grade students is alarming. Research shows us that students who struggle in middle school are much more likely to drop out of high school. These students earn a million dollars less over their lifetime than high school graduates. In this economy, we simply cannot let another student face this harsh reality.
“This report offers further proof that we need to focus significantly more attention and resources on the high school dropout crisis that continues to threaten our economic strength and competitiveness. These results underscore the need to address the dropout crisis, and that means doing more on behalf of struggling students before they ever enter the doors of high school.”
Last month, the House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing on the high school dropout crisis in this country. For more information about the hearing and to view witness testimony, click here.
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