CLOSING THE OPPORTUNITY GAP IN AFFLUENT SUBURBAN SCHOOLS: WHAT SEEMS TO BE MISSING IN THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITY?

Abstract

There is a gap in achievement between African American/Black and Latinx students and their White counterparts. An abundance of researchers has concluded that it is a result of a gap in opportunities of access. Some researchers have shifted the conversation from achievement gap to opportunity gap. In the discussion and creation around school policies used to address the opportunity gap that exist in affluent suburban school districts, the exchange between school and student cultures seldom receive attention because they are hard to measure, and interventions that may stem from their results are not necessarily generalizable (Carter, 2013). This study attempts to unveil the perceptions that Black and Latinx students who attend predominately White affluent suburban schools have regarding access to tangible and intangible resources and opportunities. Through the lens of students, insight into the feelings, beliefs, and identity, of Black and Latinx students toward education and the disparities of academic achievement in predominately White affluent suburban schools will be highlighted.