Ask a Self-Advocate: The Academic Achievement Gap

What is the Academic Achievement Gap?

The Academic Achievement Gap (AAG) is the disturbing trend in which certain groups of students have better outcomes in school than others. The AAG disproportionately impacts students of color (SOC), students with disabilities, and especially SOC with disabilities.

What factors contribute to the Academic Achievement Gap?

One factor is racist preconceptions that cause SOC to have undiagnosed disabilities. Some teachers assume SOC are unmotivated and unintelligent rather than in need of extra support, so these students do not get diagnosed. Since only diagnosed students are given Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) and 504 Plans listing their accommodations and services, undiagnosed students do not receive special education services and often struggle in school.

An additional factor is misdiagnosis. Some SOC have misdiagnosed disabilities because doctors opt to diagnose them with more severe disabilities. For example, some SOC are diagnosed with an emotional disturbance or intellectual disability when they really have autism or a learning disability. Misdiagnosed students receive IEPs and 504s that are not suited for their needs and address the wrong issues, resulting in unhelpful and unnecessary accommodations and services that cause them to struggle in school.

“The AAG disproportionately impacts students of color (SOC), students with disabilities, and especially SOC with disabilities.”

Another factor is the exclusion of SOC with disabilities from the opportunity to learn alongside their non-disabled peers as often as possible. While some SOC have properly diagnosed disabilities and receive accommodations and services well-suited to their needs, some schools opt to place them in self-contained special education classrooms as opposed to general education classrooms with special education services. As a result, these students are not educated at the same level as their non-disabled peers, further contributing to the AAG.

Delayed diagnoses for SOC also contribute to the AAG. For example, SOC with autism tend to be diagnosed at a later age than White students with autism due to the higher chances of being undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. While students can be diagnosed at any point in their academic careers, it is beneficial to be diagnosed early to receive accommodations and services to help them in school as soon as possible.

How can the Academic Achievement Gap be narrowed?

First, the AAG must be acknowledged as a problem in the education system and not the fault of SOC. Teachers should know that every student wants to and can succeed.

Second, if SOC struggle in school, they should be tested for disabilities as soon as possible. Once they are properly diagnosed, they should get IEPs and 504s with helpful and necessary accommodations and services. They should also be placed in general education classes with special education services so that they can learn at the same level as their non-disabled peers.

Jevon Okundaye is the Program Assistant for MAC’s Racial Equity and Access Project (REAP) and a former MAC Young Adult Leader Fellow. This post is a part of MAC’s Race and Disability webpage. Jevon is a Black autistic young man. He graduated from Tufts University in 2019 with majors in Africana Studies and English. Jevon hopes this blog can teach people about the intersectionality of race and disability.