- When considering achievement proficiency in math and reading, high school students in the United States were scoring about the same in 2004 as they were in the early 1970s.
- This result masks significant progress made by certain groups during this time.
- Between early 1970s and early 1990s, Black students made substantial progress towards closing the test score gap in math and reading.
- Since early 1990s, the math test score gap has increased again, while reading test score gap increased then decreased again in the 2004 assessment.
- Between 1972 and 2004, relative to White students, Black students’ individual and family characteristics improved. These changes were large, relating to 62.37% of the change in the test score gap.
- Overall, changes in school-level means corresponded to a 76-81% increase in the Black-White gap.
- The increases in Black students’ likelihood of being segregated in high-minority schools corresponded to a 62.50% increase in the Black-White math gap using 1972 info and a 60.57% increase using 2004 info.
- Black students were more likely than White students to attend higher-minority schools in 2004 than 1972, a change which corresponded to an increase in the Black-White math achievement gap
- Changes in the minority composition of high schools did not correspond to a decrease in the Black-White achievement gap.
- Trends in desegregation were a factor in the stalled progress between 1972-2004.
- Even though individual, family, and some school circumstances have changed in ways that benefit Blacks across cohorts, leading to a decrease in the Black-White achievement gap from 1972-2004, significant test score disparities still remain.