Includes bibliographical references and index.

What causes the achievement gap? Racial differences contribute to the achievement gap / Melissa Jenco -- Racial differences do not contribute to the achievement gap / Al Ramirez and Dick Carpenter -- Members of higher social classes have an academic edge / Richard E Nisbett -- Members of all social classes have equal access to educational information / Paul Teske, Jody Fitzpatrick, and Gabriel Kaplan -- The achievement gap in mathematics is caused by a lack of resources / Alfinio Flores -- The achievement gap in mathematics could be narrowed with better planning / Frances R Spielhagen -- How do schools affect the achievement gap? Schools reinforce cultural advantages / Jean Yonemura Wing -- Schools reinforce cultural disadvantages / Jamie Lew -- Poor-quality educators contribute to the urban achievement gap / Joel I. Klein -- School violence contributes to the urban achievement gap / Steve Giegerich -- Boys achieve less in literacy because schools do not support their interests / Peg Tyre -- What educational strategies narrow the achievement gap? Closing the achievement gap requires training school leaders / José W. Lalas and Ronald D. Morgan -- Personal responsibility is important for academic achievement / Barack Obama -- Age at kindergarten entry affects future disparities in student achievement / Elizabeth Cascio -- Arts programs help narrow the achievement gap / Doug Belden -- How does public policy affect the achievement gap? No Child Left Behind Act has increased student achievement / Naomi Chudowsky, Victor Chudowsky, and Nancy Kober -- No Child Left Behind Act has widened the achievement gap / Liz Hollingworth -- School vouchers narrow the achievement gap / Andrew Coulson -- School vouchers do not narrow the achievement gap / Patrick Wolf...[et al.] -- Removing bias in academic science and engineering will narrow gender barriers / Committee on Maximizing the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering -- Enforcing Title IX will not narrow the gender achievement gap in the sciences / Patricia Hausman.