We need to expect the most from our students. We can close any achievement gap by supporting our teachers with the materials and professional development needed to help those who have fallen behind the most. To do this we need to keep our standards and expectations high. We must be sure our students know that the teachers, parents, and community support them but also are pushing them to succeed rather than accepting less.

Accepting that some students are behind and then lowering expectations for an entire class or group of students not only diminishes the higher-achieving students’ education, but also undermines the lower-achieving student’s confidence. Students want and need to be challenged, just as rebellious teens push the limits but really are calling for guidelines and rules to follow so they know others care and worry about them.

Budget priorities are important for closing the achievement gap. Students who are struggling academically are more vulnerable to the effects of class size increases and elimination of reading specialists, librarians, music teachers, and counselors. The more savings that can be found in unexplored parts of the budget (see Smart Budgeting), the more new revenue that can be generated—the fewer teachers will be laid off, and the smaller the achievement gap will get.