Black and White Achievement Gap - Sociology Essay Example

Despite the social reforms that have taken place over the years, a raging debate over the different potential of blacks and whites as far as educational achievement is concerned persists. While skin color has often been linked with racism, National Assessment of educational Progress (NAEP) data believes has further established that skin color has a lot of influence on the potential of students at the school. However, through the paper, it is easy to establish that the paper is more focused on the impact of socioeconomic status on students accomplishment rather than genetic influence that also characterize skin color. This paper has recognized the fact that skin color and socioeconomic status are closely related. This relationship must have stemmed from historical accounts of racisms and discrimination that put one race ahead of the other in the social and economic ladder.

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The black and white achievement Gap has always formed a central concern for sociologist and stakeholders in the education sector. Given the same socio-economic environment, NAEP indicates that only normal difference in academic performance can be detected. It implies that dealing with the difference requires intervention to bridge the gap between the socio-economic status between the black and the whites. The gap can be narrowed through specific intervention points such as family income and occupation. It has been stated that there was a period in history when the gap narrowed but later the narrowing stopped. This top must have resulted from the use of outdated policies.

One of the roles I can assume to foster for change is the role of a policy maker. The change in social perception need to have a long-lasting trajectory as far as social inclusion is concerned (Blair and Kopell). There is need to develop long lasting policies that will create a level playing ground for both the whites and blacks. These policies should nullify the influence of socio-economic status in the field of education. To achieve this, there is need to assess the past policies that helped in narrowing the gap to establish the reason why they became in-effective. Data and resources have to be organized and utilized in manner to create positive impact in the social reform agenda. Therefore, the civic infrastructure should have a shared vision by both blacks and whites; evidence based approach to making decisions and acting in a collaborative manner. An investment that does not only include financial investment but also social investment needs to be considered. This infrastructure should challenge people from the upper socio-economic status to embrace and support the goal of bridging the gap. Education resources should be accessible and sustainable.

There is need to put into consideration the public opinion since the public has the first-hand experience of all the impacts of socio-economic forces. The public opinion should be inclusive and not discriminative. Finally, the main source of funding for this initiative will be governmental and non-governmental organizations that support education reforms. These sectors are not only expected to provide financial assistance but also technical assistance to steer enhances social reforms.

While various policies and programs are expected to be challenging to design and implement, a positive outcome is expected that from conducting extensive consultation and relying on borrowed experience. The civic infrastructure to be established will be region specific comprising of special programs and unique policies developed through public participation.

Works Cited

Blair, Jill and Malka Kopell. "21st century civic infrastructure: Under construction." <http://aspencommunitysolutions.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/21st-Century-Report-FINAL-NoBlanks.pdf>.