Why Excellence?
The Excellence Gap
While many people have heard of the “Achievement Gap” – the difference in academic performance between advantaged and disadvantaged students – few have heard of the “Excellence Gap”. The term refers to the disparity in the percent of advantaged versus disadvantaged students who reach advanced levels of academic performance. The “gap” appears in elementary school and continues as students move through middle school, high school, college and beyond.
America has a reservoir of untapped potential.
Despite their talents, bright students from disadvantaged backgrounds struggle to reach their potential without the proper supports, according to the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation:
- 1 in 4 do not take the ACT or SAT exam.
- Less than half took at least one AP or IB course.
- Only a third joined a national honor society.
- 25% never apply for college.
Investing in bright students pays dividends.
A study by Opportunity Insights found that wealth, rather than ability, is the key determinant about whether a student innovates later in life.
Innovation is a key component of economic growth. According to the same study, if low-income students and students of color innovated at the same rate as their wealthier peers, the innovation rate in the United States would quadruple.
Patents per 10,000 children, by family income and 3rd grade math performance
High math scores
Low math scores
Educational Disparities among High-Achievers
Talent needs to be cultivated.
An analysis by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation found that bright students from low-income families fall behind their high-income peers as their educational life progresses if their talents are not recognized and cultivated.