The "Receivement Gap": School Tracking Policies and the Fallacy of the "Achievement Gap"

Closing the racial achievement gap has been a cornerstone of recent education reform, especially as accountability measures are increasingly relied upon to drive academic performance standards. This article questions the term "achievement gap" and its implication that White students perform better on standardized tests due to greater effort and ability. The term "receivement gap" is offered as an alternative due to its focus on structures, not students, and inputs instead of outputs. Evidence is drawn from a qualitative project using a case study design with seven African American high school students in tracked mathematics and English classes. Results indicated differential treatment by school personnel as early as elementary school that influenced students' later school performance. Accordingly, research supports the recommended term "receivement gap," which is offered in the hope of inspiring a deeper and more nuanced discussion of factors that influence student achievement and distort the achievement of African American students.