Text 1Educational achievement gaps between different student populations remain a persistent challenge in American schools. Research indicates that st...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Educational achievement gaps between different student populations remain a persistent challenge in American schools. Research indicates that students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds consistently score lower on standardized assessments than their more affluent peers. The primary factor appears to be limited access to educational resources outside of school, including tutoring, educational materials, and enrichment activities. These resource disparities create cumulative disadvantages that compound over time, making it difficult for affected students to catch up academically.
Text 2
A comprehensive analysis of student performance data from over 500 schools reveals a different pattern. While achievement gaps do exist, the study found that schools with highly effective teaching practices showed significantly smaller gaps regardless of student demographics. The research suggests that instructional quality, rather than socioeconomic factors, is the most significant predictor of student success across all populations.
Based on the texts, both authors would most likely agree with which statement?
Schools need more funding to provide additional resources for disadvantaged students.
Achievement gaps between different student populations are a documented reality in education.
Teacher training programs have improved significantly in recent years.
Standardized testing accurately measures student learning across all demographics.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Educational achievement gaps between different student populations remain a persistent challenge in American schools." |
|
| "Research indicates that students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds consistently score lower on standardized assessments than their more affluent peers." |
|
| "The primary factor appears to be limited access to educational resources outside of school, including tutoring, educational materials, and enrichment activities." |
|
| "These resource disparities create cumulative disadvantages that compound over time, making it difficult for affected students to catch up academically." |
|
| "A comprehensive analysis of student performance data from over 500 schools reveals a different pattern." |
|
| "While achievement gaps do exist, the study found that schools with highly effective teaching practices showed significantly smaller gaps regardless of student demographics." |
|
| "The research suggests that instructional quality, rather than socioeconomic factors, is the most significant predictor of student success across all populations." |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Two texts present different explanations for educational achievement gaps—one emphasizing socioeconomic resource disparities, the other emphasizing teaching quality.
Argument Flow: Text 1 establishes that achievement gaps are a persistent problem caused primarily by unequal access to educational resources outside school, which creates cumulative disadvantages. Text 2 acknowledges the gaps exist but argues through large-scale research that effective teaching practices are more important than socioeconomic factors in determining student success.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- Looking at our analysis, both texts acknowledge that achievement gaps between different student populations exist in American schools
- Text 1 calls them "a persistent challenge" and Text 2 states "achievement gaps do exist"
- While they disagree on the primary causes—Text 1 blames resource disparities, Text 2 emphasizes teaching quality—they both recognize the fundamental reality that these gaps are present in education
- The correct answer should acknowledge this shared recognition that achievement gaps are a documented phenomenon, without taking sides on what causes them or how to fix them
Schools need more funding to provide additional resources for disadvantaged students.
- This focuses on funding for disadvantaged students
- Text 1 might support this since it emphasizes resource disparities
- Text 2 doesn't discuss funding—it argues teaching quality matters more than socioeconomic factors
- Text 2 author would likely disagree that more funding is the solution
Achievement gaps between different student populations are a documented reality in education.
- Both texts explicitly acknowledge that achievement gaps exist
- Text 1: "Educational achievement gaps...remain a persistent challenge"
- Text 2: "While achievement gaps do exist..."
- This is the fundamental reality both authors accept, regardless of their different explanations
Teacher training programs have improved significantly in recent years.
- Neither text discusses teacher training programs or their recent improvement
- This choice introduces information not covered in either passage
- We have no evidence either author would agree with this claim
Standardized testing accurately measures student learning across all demographics.
- Neither text evaluates the accuracy of standardized testing
- Text 1 mentions standardized assessments but doesn't validate their accuracy
- Text 2 doesn't address testing validity at all
- This choice makes a claim neither author supports