Narrowing the Achievement Gap with a Psychological Intervention

Scientific American:

There is an academic achievement gap in the United States. Compared to their White peers, African American and Latino American students earn lower grades and are more likely to drop out of school. Compared to “the haves”— that is, students with greater economic means, “the have nots” also have lower grades and higher drop-out rates [1]. These achievement gaps are there when students come to school in the fall and widen as the year goes on.

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This new research, led by David Sherman, replicates Cohen’s findings with a population of Latino American students, a group that had received relatively little attention in stereotype threat research, despite its growing numbers. Using student diaries, the new research was also well positioned to provide insight into how the intervention affects students in their daily lives.

Read the whole story: Scientific American