School Readiness: Closing Racial and Ethnic Gaps

Although racial and ethnic gaps in achievement have narrowed over the past thirty years, test score disparities among racial and ethnic groups remain significant. To date, policymakers and practitioners have focused most of their attention on the gaps in achievement among school-aged children. However, sizable gaps already exist by the time children enter kindergarten.

At this event, sponsored by the Brookings Institution and Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School, panelists will discuss the latest issue of The Future of Children journal, which focuses on sources of these racial and ethnic gaps in school readiness among preschoolers. Speakers will focus especially on policies that might close the gap and improve educational outcomes for all children. Panelists will take questions from the audience following the discussion.