Ohio plans to target students' learning gaps

COLUMBUS, April 15, 2012 (AP): Ohio plans to target learning gaps between different groups of students to reinforce the point that all children should receive an equally good education.

The state Department of Education says if nothing is done it would be 90 years before black and white third-graders pass reading exams at the same level.

The Columbus Dispatch reports Sunday (http://bit.ly/IMhJR9 ) the state plans to begin grading schools on how quickly graduation rates and passing rates on state exams become equal among students regardless of their skin color, economic background or special needs.

The state wants to cut the current gap in half by 2017.

The Education Department says learning gaps occur beginning in kindergarten, with poor, black, Latino and special needs children often behind.

Information from: The Columbus Dispatch, http://www.dispatch.com

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Revised: 04/24/12 06:14:03 -0700.