Article-Addressing+the+Rigor+Gap+in+Schools


 * //(Article Excerpt)//**

**Addressing the Rigor Gap in Schools**
In this Kappan article, Hofstra University professor Bruce Torff asks whether there might be a third explanation for the persistent achievement gap between the haves and have-nots in American schools.

Torff believes there are six factors at work when teachers opt for a less-rigorous curriculum for their disadvantaged students:
 * Students' level of prior knowledge;
 * Students' level of academic achievement;
 * Students' level of motivation;
 * Time constraints;
 * Parents' influence;
 * Colleagues' influence.

"These are the triggers of the rigor gap," he says. But he believes they can be challenged and changed through the following professional development activities:
 * Conversations, journals, and assignments designed to get teachers to reflect on their existing beliefs. Telling people what to believe doesn't work, but getting them to think about their own beliefs in light of other evidence just might.
 * Detailed analysis of case studies about disadvantaged students being denied access to rigorous curriculum experiences.
 * Evaluating programs that get disadvantaged students successfully engaging in critical thinking.
 * Involving teachers in writing curriculum that gets all students working at high levels.

"Taking aim at the beliefs underlying the rigor gap, these strategies have potential to help close the achievement gap," Torff concludes.