The Education Trust Statement on the 2017 National Assessment of Educational Progress Results
“If we fail to educate students of color and students from low-income families, we have no future as a nation,” said King
WASHINGTON (April 10, 2018) — Today John B. King Jr., president and CEO of The Education Trust, issued the following statement:
“The persistent disparities in achievement for historically underserved students reflected on the 2017 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) are profoundly concerning and reinforce the urgent work needed to address education equity.
“Achievement gaps are without question a result of opportunity gaps — deeply troubling inequities that mean in many places throughout the country students who need the most from our education system continue to get less. Students who need the most get less access to equitable resources, less access to effective and diverse teachers, less access to a well-rounded curriculum, less access to school counselors, and less access to essential supports outside and inside the classroom. As the nation continues to transition to computer-based assessments, advocates must ensure that technology is a meaningful tool for learning available on an equitable basis.
“While there will certainly be much debate to follow on what these data mean, we must do better for students who’ve been historically underserved. If we fail to educate students of color and students from low-income families, we have no future as a nation.”
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