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Show An Analysis of the Achievement Gap in Elementary Education Amy Y,LijL«vi Jon**, PuleCall Boweut, Amy McDonald (Matt Bradley) Honors Program, University of Utah 0* urrent national edur?ih?nal policies tie Funding for pubhc pd">ration to standardized testing n\sw\.r Thew 1es1sohen shew sjgnrfjc?ni arhueverpent gap? beivjeen different racialgro ¦ ¦ ¦ I¦ Mate oF Ulah. The KiOJ Uta h Core GitE-non flpFerence Test results for 1 he feu H h n-iinnritv flrcnjp? such w African AnerrHins rind L?1 int?s hnv? Hi levtl cf proFk »Eficy as cornparEd 1o Cai^asmn popul?1 en?. TIie^e- dnp?i 1 ^ cauwd us 1o explore the students hwe For p^rroi minq weJI cm theeduc?1cn celling? nt flilpy Etmentnry jrhncil throughtutorlrqand mrolament i we-?11flm pled to invwtia?1e the f-actors 1 h^t motivate tfi>dent5 to ^Kteq u?tely pflrforrn on Ized te?ts ?r>d how outside cultural faciorsrouW play? rolg. Our research rorused sp^cirVally on how students' c Liissniate? nind Familiw inHuencEdiheir opinion? reg^iding ?t?nd?rdiEed testing a^v^ell a? rts relation to actual on th*w test?. We obtained qualitative data through the u?nqp ^f rl^ssroorn wtting obwrvstions^nd interv>ews with sludents sr>d tew hers 1o revive a better sense oFihe v?r"«bles contributing to s1 udents1 p^Kepi Kjn? oF standardised test ing at Rikr Elen-iE-niriry ^Ix^l We diKovered th^Htudenn hnd varying degrees of <^ncern foi thp inpJementa I ijn of siardardizEd 1es1ing 1o deterrnine the proficier>ry levels oF LHah school. Some of the nunorrty rir>d students nt the elementary rcf>raldid not Ivive fennhal strudures^nd social resource? that prompted concern For siandnrdi^pd testing and perForrnance in 1 he pubhc rch™i sptErn. thus possjbhy <^n1 rlbuting to 1 he f hieven^Efit gn p 1 hat e^i^ts oetween diFrereni ethnic groups. More leacher attention towards individual student rjr>d assessment oF the SFerirv needs oF eac h student wourd be useful in prerxmng for rEquired siandnrdizEd lesH in Utah. The i ntp||«tual nnd nxitrvarcnakap^Pilities oF student? nE^d to betaken into cons"der?1cn atlhe elemeniary s^lx>5l fe^el to promote acquirefnent of skills for all ethnr and racial group?, aiding in ihp closing of r- ¦- |