Insights 4 Ethnic Achievement for Web 2

8/11/2019 Insights 4 Ethnic Achievement for Web 2

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Schools shouldmonitor and

review ethnic patternsin disciplinary actionsand the ethniccomposition of setsand tiers of entry toGCSE examinations.

Insights Issue 4 Autumn2013 1

Issue 4 Autumn 2013

This study explores the size of ethnic, gender and social class gaps in achievement

at age 14 and asks what factors might account for ethnic achievement gaps.For

most minority groups, high levels of socio-economic deprivation can account for

the achievement gaps. However, Black Caribbean students are distinctive, since

socio-economic status (SES) cannot account for their achievement gap and they are

the only ethnic group making less progress than White British students aged 11-14.

Further analysis of the pattern of entry to different tiers of national tests suggests that

teacher expectations may play some part in explaining the gap for this specific group.

WHAT ACCOUNTS FOR ETHNIC ACHIEVEMENTGAPS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ENGLAND?

INSIGHTS

4321Ethnicachievement

gaps at age 14are more thanthree times thesize of the gendergap, although onlyabout one-third

of the size of thesocial class gap.

SES canaccount for

the Black African,Pakistani andBangladeshiachievement gaps,although these groupsstill underachieve given

their high motivationand commitment.

SES could notaccount for

the Black Caribbeanachievement gap andthey were the onlyethnic group to makeless progress aged11-14 than White

British students.

Black Caribbeanstudents were

systematically under-represented in entryto the higher tiers ofnational tests at age 14,and this could not be notaccounted for by prior

achievement or a widerange of other factors.

KEY POINTS

MAJOR IMPLICATIONS

321Policy needsto focus clearly

on the substantialsocio-economicgap. The new pupilpremium fundingarrangementsare welcome inthis regard.

A largeproportion of the

Black African, Pakistaniand Bangladeshigap reflects socio-economic factors,but schools needto consider whatother barriers exist tohigher achievement.

The poorprogress and

low achievement ofBlack Caribbeanstudents is aparticular concernand the resultssuggest teacherexpectations may playsome part in this.

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Insights Issue 4 Autumn2013 3

entered by their teachers to the higher tiers. Testoutcomes are not therefore entirely objectivemeasures, since the outcomes are influencedby teachers decisions about the tier to whichstudents should be entered. Patterns of entry

to higher tier papers for Black African, Pakistaniand Bangladeshi groups were consistentwith students prior attainment, indicating noevidence of bias in secondary school teachersallocation of students to tiers for these ethnicgroups. However this was not the case for BlackCaribbean students.

Black Caribbean students were under-represented in the higher tiers relative to White

British students with the same prior age 11test scores. Neither could it be explained bydifferences in any of the family background,parental attitudes, student risk/resilience orschool/neighbourhood variables. All otherthings being equal, for every three White Britishstudents entered for the higher tier only twosimilar Black Caribbean students are entered.The evidence points to systematic under-representation of Black Caribbean students inentry to the higher tier examinations at age 14.

It is not clear why teachers are less likely to enterBlack Caribbean students to the higher testtiers. It is well established that the odds of BlackCaribbean students being permanently excludedfrom school are twice as high as the odds forWhite British students, and that the odds ofBlack Caribbean students being statementedor at School Action Plus for Behavioural,Emotional and Social Difficulties (BESD) are2.3 times higher than for White British students.Research suggests that teachers judgementsof students academic potential can be distortedby affective factors such as perceptions of theirbehaviour. Black Caribbean students may bedisproportionately allocated to lower test tiers, notas a result of direct or conscious discrimination,but because teachers judgements of the studentsacademic potential are distorted by perceptionsof their behaviour. Teachers are generally cautiousand risk-averse with regard to entry to the higher

tiers, reflecting a desire to protect students fromfailure. This may impact negatively on BlackCaribbean students, even if their ability is notunderestimated, if they are seen as more likely tobe disaffected or less motivated, and at greaterperceived risk of falling through the tier floor.

MAJOR IMPLICATIONS

There has been an inordinate focus in themedia and in policy over the past 20 yearson the gender gap in achievement, but this is

actually one of the smaller achievement gaps.Policy needs to focus clearly on the moresubstantial gaps, particularly in relation toSES. There is a strong relationship betweensocio-economic disadvantage and ethnicity,and it is highly misleading to compare ethnicachievement gaps without taking into accountsocio-economic factors. Since a largeproportion of the ethnic achievement gapreflects socio-economic disadvantage, then

efforts to raise the achievement of pupils fromdisadvantaged backgrounds are likely to alsoact to close ethnic gaps in achievement.

Black African, Pakistani and Bangladeshichildren still achieve less well at age 14than would be expected, given the highcommitment to education of their families andother advantaging factors such as high levelsof student educational aspirations, motivationand positive attitudes to school. While

subsequent follow-up of the LSYPE sampleto age 16 indicates that these ethnic groupsmake substantial progress in the last two yearsof secondary school, it is still important thatschools consider what other barriers may existto higher achievement among these ethnicgroups earlier in secondary school.

The poor progress and low achievement ofBlack Caribbean students is perhaps themost striking concern. Follow-up to age 16continues to indicate low levels of achievementamong Black Caribbean students, althoughWhite working class students also becomeprominent underachievers (Strand, in press).The current research suggests that teacherexpectations may be one of the factorsimpacting on the Black Caribbean gap. It iswidely recognised that teacher grades aremulti-dimensional assessments, measuringnot only students academic knowledge but

also teachers judgements of their effort,participation, attendance and behaviour,as well as other factors such as the extentof parental involvement with the school.The current study demonstrates that BlackCaribbean students are systematically under-


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4 British Educational Research Association

The following DfE topic paper

reviews ethnic achievementgaps in England:

DfES (2006) Ethnicity andeducation. London: Departmentfor Education and Skills. Availableon the world wide web at:http://publications.teachernet.gov.uk/eOrderingDownload/DFES-0208-2006.pdf[accessed 10 June 2013).

Further details on the specificresearch underlying thisInsightarticle can be foundin the following papers:

Strand, S. (2011) The limits ofsocial class in explaining ethnicgaps in educational attainment.British Educational ResearchJournal, 37, (2), 197-229. http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1080/01411920903540664.

Strand, S. (2012) The

White British-Black Caribbeanachievement gap: Tests, tiers

and teacher expectations.

British Educational ResearchJournal, 38, (1), 75-101.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01411926.2010.526702.

Other relevant research: DfE (2012) A profile of pupil

exclusions in England. ResearchReport DFE-RR190. London:Department for Education.

Strand, S., & Lindsay, G.(2009) Evidence of ethnicdisproportionality in specialeducation in an Englishpopulation. Journal of SpecialEducation, 43(3), 174-190.http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0022466908320461

Strand, S. (in press)Ethnicity, gender, socialclass and achievement gapsat age 16: Intersectionalityand Getting it for the white

working class. Research Papersin Education, in press.

represented in entry to the higher tiers of

national science and mathematics tests atage 14 relative to their White British peers,and these differential entry rates cannot beexplained by prior attainment, socio-economicstatus, or a wide range of measures of

attitudes, aspirations, motivation or school andneighbourhood deprivation.

Schools need to consider the role ofinstitutional arrangements that may contribute

to the Black Caribbean achievement gap. Forexample, schools should monitor and reviewethnic patterns in disciplinary actions and theethnic composition of sets and tiers of entry toGCSE examinations.

WHAT ACCOUNTS FOR ETHNIC ACHIEVEMENTGAPS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ENGLAND?

INSIGHTS

FURTHER INFORMATIONABOUT THE AUTHOR

Steve Strand is Professor ofEducation at the Universityof Oxford and was previouslyProfessor of Education at theUniversity of Warwick. Heis interested in equity gaps,particularly in relation to ethnicity,social class and gender, in awide range of outcomes such aseducational achievement, progress,attendance, exclusion and specialeducational needs. Steve hasbeen a consultant to the EnglandDepartment for Education, servingon the Black Pupils AchievementGroup and the Gender Agenda.

Professor Steve StrandProfessor of Education andFellow of St. Cross CollegeUniversity of OxfordDepartment of Education

15 Norham GardensOxford OX2 6PY01865 [email protected]/about-us/directory/professor-steve-strand/

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The British Educational Research Association (BERA) is a member-led charity whichexists to encourage educational research and its application for the improvement ofpractice and public benefit. We strive to ensure the best quality evidence from educational research informspolicy makers, practitioners and the general public and contributes to economicprosperity, cultural understanding, social cohesion and personal flourishing.www.bera.ac.uk

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