(L-R) Hal Nelson, Belinda Williams, Ronald Ferguson
SARASOTA — Schools across the United States report significantly lower average academic achievement among minority and low-income students, compared with the achievement levels of other groups. This disparity is known as the “achievement gap.” Two nationally recognized experts on closing the achievement gap participated in a symposium on the subject April 25 at Booker High School.
Hal Nelson, the Sarasota County Schools assistant superintendent for NeXt Generation Learning, hosted the event, titled “Legacy of Achievement: A Mini-Symposium Exploring the Achievement Gap.” Participants included district administrators, school and community leaders and teachers from Sarasota County Schools and neighboring school districts.
One symposium presenter was Belinda Williams, a psychologist with 30 years of experience studying the academic achievement patterns of culturally diverse and socioeconomically disadvantaged students. Williams is the author of “Closing the Achievement Gap: A Vision for Changing Beliefs and Practices.”
The other participating expert was Ronald Ferguson, a professor at the Graduate School of Education and the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He is the author of “Toward Excellence with Equity: An Emerging Vision for Closing the Achievement Gap.”
Over the past seven months, Nelson has led a committee of district and school-based administrators, teachers and community leaders to address the challenge of improving academic achievement among low-income and minority students. The committee has discussed the disparities in student performance among various ethnic and socio-economic groups; seen presentations on careers, second-chance programs, athletics and post-secondary education planning; and explored ideas on the causes of the achievement gap and how to close it.
“The mini-symposium was the culminating event for our committee,” said Nelson. “We are pleased that Dr. Williams and Dr. Ferguson shared their expertise with our community. At a time when resources for education are limited and priorities are being reviewed, this event was particularly timely. It helped keep one of public education’s most critical goals front and center — raising the academic performance of all students.”