The Achievement Gap: How Demographics, Not Teaching, Drive 'Elite' School Scores

If "prestige" school districts like Dover-Sherborn, Weston, and Lexington have superior teaching quality, then low-income students in those districts should dramatically outperform the state average for low-income students.

Think about it: If Dover-Sherborn truly has better teachers, curriculum, and instruction, a low-income child attending those schools should benefit from that excellence and score much higher than low-income children in average districts.

If wealthy districts had superior instruction, low-income students in those districts should post proficiency rates of 40%, 50%, or even 60%—well above the state poverty average.

The researchers were explicit: "That is why Weston and Wayland have high MCAS scores and why Holyoke and Brockton have low MCAS scores."

When you're choosing a school district for your child, the question isn't "What's the average test score?" The question is: "What will this school ADD to my child's trajectory?"

Achievement gaps in wealthy districts prove that high average scores reflect student demographics, not teaching excellence. When low-income students in $2M districts perform at or near state poverty averages, it confirms: the schools aren't adding value—the students are bringing it.