This week’s assignment has two parts. To educate all students equitably, it is important to understand what the achievement gap is in order to develop strategies that can reduce the gap. As consumers of information, we are constantly bombarded with news, reports, and statistics from a multitude of sources. Some of the information is true and credible; often times, it is not. Like all topics, the achievement gap may be represented differently by various media sources. Government sites and newspaper articles provide statistics that may seem conflicting; the news media may present biased views of the issues, and magazines and websites may not always be credible sources. Remember that all sources of information present that information from a certain perspective, and you should acknowledge that perspective in determining the credibility of any source.

For this assignment, find five different types of sources that address the achievement gap: 1) a scholarly journal article, 2) an article in a professional magazine, 3) a newspaper article, 4) an article on a website or social media site, and 5) a publication from a governmental site.

Part 1: Annotations

Write an annotation for each source, beginning with an appropriate APA citation. Evaluate each source for the following points: credibility, bias, accuracy, relevance, and overall informational value. Identify an appropriate audience for each source. For example, when might you cite a website instead of a journal article?

If you are new to writing annotations, you may choose to visit the Academic Success Center’s Writing Resources available at

Be sure to begin each annotation with an APA formatted reference. See page 198 section 7.01 of APA manual. Follow this basic formula:

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of article. Title of Periodical, Volume#(Issue#), pp-pp. doi:xx.xxxxxxxx

Part 2: Interview/Oral Reflection

Now that you have a general understanding of the achievement gap, determine how this issue is being addressed in your community schools. For the second part of this assignment, you are to interview a teacher, principal, or district level administrator within your community. Address the following points (Green 2016):

Describe how the achievement gap impacts student success in your school.

What is your school’s plan to ensure that every student has equal access to the highest quality educational experiences?

How are students grouped into classes?

How are teachers assigned to particular groups of students?

What is the school’s special education data broken down by race, socioeconomic status, and gender?

How universally accessible and culturally relevant is the curriculum and instruction?

What are some strategies you employ to help reduce the achievement gap?
Using Video Note or another audio tool, create an oral summary of your interview. Describe who you interviewed (names are not necessary). For example, “For this assignment, I interviewed the principal of Oak Creek Middle School in Colorado.” Summarize their responses to the questions above.

Length: 5 pages and a 3-5 minute oral summary of the interview

References: a minimum of five resources

Your assignment should demonstrate thoughtful consideration of the ideas and concepts presented in the course by providing new thoughts and insights relating directly to this topic. Your response should reflect scholarly academic writing, current APA standards, and adhere to Northcentral University’s Academic Integrity Policy.

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Reference
Green, T. (2016, August 10). 5 Questions to Ask at Back-to-School Night. Time Magazine.