Poverty-based+Achievement+Gaps

Poverty and Achievement

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) uses the percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch in the National School Lunch program to assess the poverty-level of each public school. The NAEP then compares the poverty-level of each school to the average score of the 4th grade mathematics assessment (which is based on a scale of 0-500). Using the data from 2005, there is an inverse (or negative) relationship between the percentage of students eligible for the school lunch program and the average score on the 4th grade mathematics assessment. The highest poverty public schools had 75% of their student body eligible for the school lunch program and had an average score of 221. The lowest poverty public schools had 10% or less of their student body eligible for the lunch program and an average score of 255 on the assessment. (US Department of Education, //2005 Mathematics Assessment//)