Does Lack of Investment Explain Failing Schools?

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In a recent interview, black theoretical physicist Sylvester James Gates was asked why black students don’t do as well on standardized tests. Gates stated that test scores measure the intrinsic capacity for students to excel, but test scores also measure the investment a society has made in those students.

Then Gates told the story of when he realized the differences in investment.

Gates attended a segregated high school in Florida in the 1960s. When his black chess club competed against neighboring white schools, Gates realized the white schools had better facilities and the latest equipment to assist student achievement. Gates saw that his state invested more in developing white students than black students.

It’s understandable why that tale of segregation stuck with Gates, but in the 21st century, is Gates’ answer still valid?

In recent years, only a handful of black students were able to pass entrance exams to New York City’s elite specialized schools, but New York has the highest per-pupil spending of all 50 states. On the flip side, a WalletHub study ranked Utah schools as 13th in the nation, with high marks for educational quality, campus safety, and SAT scores, but Utah is last in the nation as far as per-pupil spending.