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Long-run Trends in the U.S. SES-Achievement Gap

Author

Listed:
  • Eric A. Hanushek

    (Hoover Institution Stanford University Stanford, CA 94305)

  • Jacob D. Light

    (Department of Economics Stanford University Stanford, CA 94305)

  • Paul E. Peterson

    (Department of Government Harvard University Cambridge, MA 02138)

  • Laura M. Talpey

    (Hoover Institution Stanford University Stanford, CA 94305)

  • Ludger Woessmann

    (Ifo Institute University of Munich Munich, Germany)

Abstract

Rising inequality in the United States has raised concerns about potentially widening gaps in educational achievement by socioeconomic status (SES). Using assessments from LTT-NAEP, Main-NAEP, TIMSS, and PISA that are psychometrically linked over time, we trace trends in SES gaps in achievement for U.S. student cohorts born between 1961 and 2001. Gaps in math, reading, and science achievement between the top and bottom quartiles of the SES distribution have closed by 0.05 standard deviation per decade over this period. The findings are consistent across alternative measures of SES and subsets of available tests and hold in more recent periods. At the current pace of closure, the achievement gap would not be eliminated until the second half of the 22nd century.

Suggested Citation

  • Eric A. Hanushek & Jacob D. Light & Paul E. Peterson & Laura M. Talpey & Ludger Woessmann, 2022. "Long-run Trends in the U.S. SES-Achievement Gap," Education Finance and Policy, MIT Press, vol. 17(4), pages 608-640, Fall.
    • Handle: RePEc:tpr:edfpol:v:17:y:2022:i:4:p:608-640
    DOI: 10.1162/edfp_a_00383
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Ryan Bacic & Angela Zheng, 2022. "Income-Achievement Gaps in Canada," Department of Economics Working Papers 2022-04, McMaster University.
    2. Pierre Lefebvre & Philip Merrigan, 2020. "Les inégalités provinciales aux tests internationaux-nationaux de littéracie : Québec, Ontario et autres provinces canadiennes 1993-2018 [Provincial achievement gaps from literacy surveys condu," Working Papers 20-02, Research Group on Human Capital, University of Quebec in Montreal's School of Management, revised Oct 2020.
    3. Pierre Lefebvre & Philip Merrigan, 2020. "Les inégalités provinciales aux tests internationaux-nationaux de littéracie : Québec, Ontario et autres provinces canadiennes 1993-2018 (Version révisée et augmentée octobre 2020)," CIRANO Working Papers 2020s-29, CIRANO.
    4. repec:diw:diwwpp:dp1808 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Jessen, Jonas & Schmitz, Sophia & Waights, Sevrin, 2020. "Understanding Day Care Enrolment Gaps," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, issue Forthcomi.
    6. Douglas J. Besharov & Douglas M. Call & Jason M. Scott, 2020. "PROTOCOL: Early childhood education programs for improving the development and achievement of low‐income children: a systematic review," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 16(3), September.
    7. Eric A. Hanushek & Jacob D. Light & Paul E. Peterson & Laura M. Talpey & Ludger Woessmann, 2022. "Long-run Trends in the U.S. SES-Achievement Gap," Education Finance and Policy, MIT Press, vol. 17(4), pages 608-640, Fall.
    8. Pi, Zhenyang & Wang, Ke, 2025. "Does lower electric vehicle production cost spur traditional automaker electrification? Spillovers of cost-reduction investments," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    9. Ryan Bacic & Angela Zheng, 2024. "Race and the Income‐Achievement Gap," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 62(1), pages 5-23, January.
    10. Emma García & Eunice S. Han, 2022. "Teachers’ Base Salary and Districts’ Academic Performance: Evidence From National Data," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(1), pages 21582440221, March.
    11. Katharine L. Bradbury, 2020. "The Roles of State Aid and Local Conditions in Elementary School Test-Score Gaps," Working Papers 21-2, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H4 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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