Report Raises Questions Over Persistent Achievement Gaps In Guilford County Schools

Guilford County School officials are examining a new study showing racial inequities throughout the entire system. A committee is meeting on Monday evening to discuss the findings.

GCS hired a consultant to analyze its academic and personnel data to find out how race impacts the district.

The report shows an achievement gap between students of color and their white classmates, even when their socio-economic status is taken into account. In other words, the race effect outweighs the income effect. For example, researchers found that in reading and math, white students on free and reduced price lunch outperform black students who are not.

Independent consultant Bay Love, who conducted the study, says this raises a lot of questions about racial inequities across the school system.

“The most significant finding of this report is that racial inequity exists in every corner of Guilford County Schools where we were able to look,” says Love. “It exists in student achievement, it exists in student discipline, it exists in student course assignment, it exists in the kind of scheduling and how scheduling is done in different schools. It even exists in staffing and sourcing. The study raises the most important question of why this is happening.”

At a meeting last week, Superintendent Sharon Contreras was optimistic that there are strategies to close the achievement gaps. She says the district hasn't done enough, and needs to make changes to keep in line with the progress of other school systems.

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