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Economic Factors in the Educational Achievement Gap - 2/23/15

Innumerable studies collectively indicate the presence of a chasm-like educational achievement gap between America’s richest and poorest children.  For years, educators, policymakers and others have sought to close that gap, in part to promote greater social justice.  Researchers at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth went one step further, and estimated how much the education gap costs America in terms of economic expansion and tax revenues. 

Reported in the New York Times, the study used math and science scores from the 2012 Program for International Student Assessment.  The average core in the U.S. is 978, while the developed country average is 995 and the Canadian average is 1,044.  Eliminating America’s achievement gap would require raising the U.S. average to 1,080, which would rank us third behind South Korea and Japan.  If that were accomplished, total output in the U.S. would rise by 10 percent and the lifetime earnings of the poorest quarter Americans would surge 22 percent.

Anirban Basu, Chariman Chief Executive Officer of Sage Policy Group (SPG), is one of the Mid-Atlantic region's leading economic consultants. Prior to founding SPG he was Chairman and CEO of Optimal Solutions Group, a company he co-founded and which continues to operate. Anirban has also served as Director of Applied Economics and Senior Economist for RESI, where he used his extensive knowledge of the Mid-Atlantic region to support numerous clients in their strategic decision-making processes. Clients have included the Maryland Department of Transportation, St. Paul Companies, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Players Committee and the Martin O'Malley mayoral campaign.