Dive Brief:

• Social and economic characteristics can partially explain reading, math and science achievement gaps among racial and ethnic groups of elementary school students, according to a study released Wednesday by nonprofit think tank Thomas B. Fordham Institute.

• Between 34% and 64% of the achievement gap between Black and White students can be explained by socioeconomic factors in children's lives such as household income, family structure, and parents' education and "occupation prestige."

• Because these achievement gaps seem to appear as early as kindergarten, the study recommends school systems invest in high-quality early childhood education, adopt curricula that reflect diverse cultures, and launch programs that specifically support underrepresented students. 

Dive Insight:

"Class seems to matter in terms of understanding racial and ethnic achievement gaps," said study co-author Paul Morgan, director of the Institute for Social and Health Equity at the University at Albany - State University of New York.

But children's socioeconomic status doesn't fully explain racial achievement gaps, according to Morgan and study co-author Eric Hengyu Hu, a postdoctoral associate at the institute.  

They noted, however, that their research did not use randomized control groups and that they limited their analysis to certain socioeconomic status factors.

"We can't make any strong causal claim based on the data," Morgan said.

The study examined data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010-11, is a nationally representative sample of children in public and private schools. The longitudinal study, conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics that, tracked the same children from kindergarten through 5th grade.

The Fordham study examined a handful of opportunity factors — or socioeconomic status measures — in children's lives, including cognitive stimulation and family rules for watching TV, in addition to household income and parents' jobs and education levels.

Still, the Fordham researchers said, their analysis can help educators and policymakers realize the need to address equitable educational practices. 

"Leveling the economic playing field during early childhood should be a good investment for us as a society, because those kids are more likely to grow up avoiding a lot of negative events," Morgan said.

Hu said the study highlights the need for intentional and targeted interventions for underserved students and their families. 

Among the findings:

• Household income was the biggest contributor to the Black-White achievement gap while a mother's education level best explained the achievement gap between Hispanic and White children.

• The Black-White achievement gap grew as students aged through elementary school, while the Hispanic-White gap slightly lessened.

• Achievement gaps between Black-White and Hispanic-White 1st and 5th grade students, as explained by socioeconomic factors, were larger in reading than in math or science.