Written by Michael Gracia
Student equity gaps in academics are areas where students in a similar/the same group (ex.: women) are achieving at a lower rate than the average. These gaps are often determined by being outside of the margin of error, and often these gaps include individuals of disadvantaged backgrounds. To help students from these backgrounds succeed academically, educators and parents need to team up and find ways to close these gaps.
An example would be a high school student who has a job to help support their family. Due to their lower socioeconomic status, they may need to allocate time they’d spend studying or doing homework to work. Working with the parents could include giving extensions on assignments, for instance. Learning about and understanding these gaps can be crucial to determining best practices to help these students succeed in the academic setting.