The Program for International Student Assessment has released findings for students in science around the world. As is almost always the case, the United States is painted as lagging behind the world.

18% of the variance of the American student science scores was related to the students’ socio-economic status. The fact that socioeconomic factors appeared to be less of a factor in higher-scoring nations is no accident, say the authors of the report, from the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which oversees PISA.

“PISA suggests that maximizing overall performance and securing similar levels of performance among students from different socioeconomic backgrounds can be achieved simultaneously,” they write. “Quality and equity need not be considered as competing policy objectives.”

Even with NCLB, our public school system continues to give low SES students a less rigorous curriculum and less educational resources. Title I funding is designed to support underprivileged children and their families.

If we could rally behind these kids and in tandem raise the academic culture and capital of their families, I believe we could be successful in closing this gap once and for all.