Disaggregating by race and income can show aggregate subgroup gaps largely reflect differing subgroup compositions (hypothetical example)¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · theoretical r2 · q1
Currency · newest study 2026 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q1 i? In a hypothetical district example, Black–white test score and growth gaps closed when comparing only FRL-eligible students of both races, indicating the aggregate gap reflected income composition. → NWEA 2026

Evidence¶

NWEA 2026¶

NWEA. (2026). A practical guide for considering and interpreting test score differences among student subgroups. https://www.nwea.org/research/publication/a-practical-guide-for-considering-and-interpreting-test-score-differences-among-student-subgroups/

q1 · i? · theoretical · r2

Hypothetical MAP Growth data example (Example 4.1) illustrating that in a large urban district, most of the overall Black–white difference reflected the disproportionately higher share of white students with economic advantages. Illustrative, not an empirical analysis.

"However, when comparing Black students who are FRL eligible to white students who are similarly eligible, the gaps close for test scores and for growth in both math and reading."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Validity evidence for the IRLA is disaggregated across grade, program, and race/ethnicity — related
• Achievement declines from 2019 to 2022 were smaller for Asian American and White first and second graders than for Hispanic, Black, and AIAN students — related
• Asian and white CPS students score consistently higher than Latino and African-American students in reading and math, and Asian students score significantly higher in math than white students — related
• Subgroup categories such as FRL eligibility and multilingual learner status mask wide within-category variation — related
• Subgroup score differences largely reflect differing opportunities to learn, not inherent group traits — a broader claim this one bears on
• When compared within racial/ethnic groups, large CPS-versus-rest-of-state gaps disappear, and some CPS groups outperform their counterparts — a narrower finding that bears on this claim