TY  - JOUR
AU  - Fryer,Roland G., Jr.
AU  - Levitt,Steven D.
TI  - Understanding the Black-White Test Score Gap in the First Two Years of School
JF  - National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper Series
VL  - No. 8975
PY  - 2002
Y2  - June 2002
UR  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w8975
L1  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w8975.pdf
N1  - Author contact info:
Roland G. Fryer, Jr
Department of Economics
Harvard University
Littauer Center 208
Cambridge, MA  02138
Tel: 617/495-9592
Fax: 617/495-8570
E-Mail: rfryer@fas.harvard.edu

Steven D. Levitt
Department of Economics
University of Chicago
1126 East 59th Street
Chicago, IL  60637
Tel: 773/834-1862
Fax: 773/702-8490
E-Mail: slevitt@midway.uchicago.edu
AB  - In previous research, a substantial gap in test scores between White and Black students persists, even after controlling for a wide range of observable characteristics.  Using a newly available data set (Early Childhood Longitudinal Study), we demonstrate that in stark contrast to earlier studies, the Black-White test score gap among incoming kindergartners disappears when we control for a small number of covariates. Over the first two years of school, however, Blacks lose substantial ground relative to other races.  There is suggestive evidence that differences in school quality may be an important part of the explanation.  None of the other hypotheses we test to explain why Blacks are losing ground receive any empirical backing.  The difference between our findings and previous research is consistent with real gains made by recent cohorts of Blacks, although other explanations are also possible.
ER  -