Closing the Gap

Hundreds of educators, school and business leaders, elected officials and community members will converge on Fullerton College Nov. 5 in an effort to address the state's achievement gap. 

Cal State Fullerton is partnering with the North Orange County Community College District in presenting the second Achievement Gap Summit. Last year, the inaugural event was held at CSUF and organizers said it served as the beginning of many critical steps needed to ensure a long-term, countywide commitment to closing the achievement gap.

Caption: Among the attendees at last year’s “Addressing the Achievement Gap Summit” at Cal State Fullerton was alumnus Juan Garcia (B.A. business administration-accounting ’79), Chevron’s government and public affairs manager. This year’s event on Nov. 5 at Fullerton College will build on the 2009 summit. Photo by Kelly Lacefield

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell (B.A. history ’73) called the gap “the biggest civil rights challenge facing this generation.” 

The U.S. Department of Education describes the achievement gap as the difference in academic performance between different ethnic groups. In California, the gap exists between students of different minority groups, as well as with English learners, students in poverty and students with disabilities. 

This year’s event will feature presentations on such topics as pedagogy and literacy challenges, teacher evaluation and 21st-cenutry skills. The keynote address will be delivered by Laurie Olsen, director for the Sobrato Early Academic Literacy initiative for Spanish-speaking immigrant children, a pilot program in Redwood City and San Jose schools. Her talk, “Reparable Harm,” will focus on education’s challenges and promises. 

The summit’s agenda, registration and speaker bios are avaialble online.

Oct. 19, 2010