Too many students fall over achievement 'cliff': the achievement gap is more like a cliff--one that too many students fall over. The cliff is our inheritance, but not our sole responsibility.

I've long believed that the achievement gap is not really a gap, but a cliff--a cliff that far too many young Americans Fall over, never to recover.

Take this assessment.

Item 1: Imagine a school with an API of 950 or more. The average square foot size of the students' homes at this school is:

A). Less than 750 square feet

B). 751 to 1,200 square feet

C). 1,201 to 2,000 square feet

D). 2,001 to 3,000 square feet

E). more than 3,000 square feet

Item 2: Now think of a school with an API of less than 550. The average square foot size of the students' homes at this school is:

A). Less than 750 square feet

B). 751 to 1200 square feet

C). 1,201 to, 2,000 square feet

D). 2,001 to 3,000 square feet

E). more than 3,000 square feet

Item 3: Think of that school with an API of 950 or more. If you were to describe the skin color of the students at that school using traditional American skin color descriptors, what two colors would you use?

Item 4: Think of the school with an API of 550 or less. If you were to describe the skin color of the students at that school using traditional American skin color descriptors, what two colors would you use?

My guess is that the readers of Leadership would have overwhelming agreement as to the answers to those questions. And that tells you as much about the achievement clif as API, AYP and ADA. We know for whom the achievement cliff exists; yet, as Katie Haycock has written, "We take the students who have less to begin with and then systematically give them less of everything that we believe makes a difference in school."

Burden belongs to all

We know that children of poverty need more support than children of wealth if they are to make large academic strides. We know that incredible gains can be made when we deeply align the taught, tested and learned curriculum; when we implement a challenging curriculum for all students; when we provide teachers of quality for students who need the most help. Yet, these actions alone are insufficient to crumble the achievement clif.

As educational leaders the achievement cliff may be our inheritance, but it is not our responsibility alone. When the burden of eliminating this cliff is placed solely on us, or when we try to eliminate the cliff only by improving schools, we will, in fact, ensure that the cliff remains. But we must, as the poet Wislawa Szymborska reminds us, continue to work:

   I'm working on the world,
   revised, improved edition,
   featuring fun for fools,
   blues for brooders,
   combs for bald pates,
   tricks for old dogs.

George Manthey is a professional learning executive for ACSA.