Are Schools Deemed Effective Based on Overall Student Growth Also Closing Achievement Gaps? Examining the Black-White Gap in SchoolsJames Solandauthorschool effectivenessgrowth modelingaccountabilityprogram evaluationachievement gapsK-12 EducationEducator preparation, professional development, performance and evaluationInequalityMethodology, measurement and dataProgram and policy effectsRace, ethnicity and cultureStandards, accountability, assessment, and curriculum2019Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown UniversityResearch has begun to investigate whether teachers and schools are as effective with certain student subgroups as they are with the overall student population.  Most of this research has examined the issue by trying to produce causal estimates of school contributions to short-term student growth (usually using value-added models) and has emphasized rank orderings of schools by subgroup.  However, not much is known about whether schools contributing to long-term growth for all students are also contributing to student growth by subgroup in ways that might close achievement gaps.  In this study, schools’ contributions to student growth are estimated separately for Black versus White students.  Results show that focusing on rank orderings of schools alone can mask troubling trends in relative achievement over time.  Options for how policymakers can sensibly hold schools accountable for student growth, including under The Every Student Succeeds Act, are discussed.engtextgrey literatureedworkingpapers.com10.26300/z9hk-q022In Copyright