Black-White Achievement Gap Narrows on NAEP

American schools have made modest progress in closing the achievement gap between black and white students in math and reading, though that narrowing varies by grade and subject and from state to state, a study released today shows.

The academic disparity generally seen between African-American and white students is one of the most enduring challenges in American education. Policymakers at the state and particularly the federal level have crafted laws aimed at lifting student performance among minority and disadvantaged populations.

The study, issued by the National Center for Education Statistics, suggests that the results of...