Social and economic issues in the USASocial Issue 2 - Education in the USA

There are large differences in educational attainment by racial group in the USA. Educational inequality is an issue in the US.

There are wide inequalities within schools in the USA. There are differences in exam results and experiences between pupils in private and public (or state-run) schools. The quality of education pupils receive in public schools can also be very different from one school to another.

A school’s population reflects its catchment area and the economic status of those who live there. Students from schools in more affluent rich areas where parents are well educated and have the skills and resources to motivate their children, tend to achieve better exam results. Statistics show that white Americans and Asian Americans consistently outperform black Americans and those who identify as Hispanic Americans in terms of educational attainment.

Percentage (%) of 25-29-year-olds who had completed at least high school by racial group (2010-2022)

Percentage (%) of 25-29-year-olds who had completed an associate or higher degree by racial group (2010-2022)

Percentage (%) of 25-29-year-olds who had completed a bachelor’s or higher degree by racial group (2010-2022)

The tables above show that that the lowest educational attainment level, completing at least high school, there are differences between racial groups with only 88% of Hispanics at least completing high school compared to 99% of Asian Americans. However, the educational gap between the different racial groups widens as educational attainment increases.

At the highest level, completing a bachelor or higher degree, 72% of Asian and 45% of white Americans attain at this level compared to just 28% of Black and 25% of Hispanic Americans.

Educational disadvantages of the most deprived areas

Statistically, a greater percentage of people from minority groups live in poorer areas. This can mean schools in the most deprived areas have the following educational disadvantages:

• Greater problems attracting and retaining suitably qualified teachers, resulting in classes going untaught
• Pupils having less chance of gaining the grades to secure entry to university if the school must deal with a greater number of pupils with more complex needs
• A language barrier. Parents who do not speak English may be less able to communicate with teachers and help with homework
• Students are less likely to gain other valuable life skills in extracurricular activities such as sports and competitions. This reduces their chances to impress employers
• Students in the most deprived areas experience strong peer group pressure to join gangs and drop out of school

How has the US Government tried to address educational inequality?

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

In late 2015, President Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The stated purpose of this act is to provide all children significant opportunity to receive a fair, equitable, and high-quality education, and to close educational achievement gaps.

The ESSA was an important piece of legislation as it shifted the responsibility of improving schools and exam performance from the federal government to individual states, giving states greater freedom to improve education to best meet the needs of their students. It also meant schools located in the most deprived areas receiving greater financial support than they had in the past.

Educational spending

Since President Biden came into power in 2021, he has looked to increase educational spending as well as reduce the racial educational attainment gap. Specifically, there has been extra federal government funding to schools to improve student reading and maths results, recruit extra teachers, reduce student absence and better support for student mental health.