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Experimental Effects of 'Opportunity Gap' and 'Achievement Gap' Frames

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Title: Experimental Effects of 'Opportunity Gap' and 'Achievement Gap' Frames
Language: English
Authors: David M. Quinn (ORCID 0000-0003-3367-1452)
Source: Sociology of Education. 2025 98(3):203-222.
Availability: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 20
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Equal Education, Achievement Gap, Educational Opportunities, Race, Stereotypes, Preferences, Educational Policy, Political Attitudes
DOI: 10.1177/00380407251321372
ISSN: 0038-0407
1939-8573
Abstract: Racial equity in education is often framed around "closing the achievement gap," but many scholars argue this frame perpetuates deficit mindsets. The "opportunity gap" (OG) frame has been offered as an alternative to focus attention on structural injustices. In a preregistered survey experiment, I estimate the effects of framing racial equity in education around "achievement gaps" (AGs) versus OGs. I find U.S. adult respondents on MTurk gave higher priority to "closing the racial opportunity gap" versus "closing the racial achievement gap" (effect size = 0.11 SD). When randomly assigned to read an OG frame before being asked to explain the Black/White "achievement gap," respondents were less likely to endorse cultural or individual-level explanations compared with respondents only shown AG statistics (effect size = -0.10 SD). I find no evidence the OG frame affected respondents' racial stereotypes or policy preferences.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1475740
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: Experimental Effects of 'Opportunity Gap' and 'Achievement Gap' Frames
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22David+M%2E+Quinn%22">David M. Quinn</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3367-1452">0000-0003-3367-1452</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Sociology+of+Education%22"><i>Sociology of Education</i></searchLink>. 2025 98(3):203-222.
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  Data: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Equal+Education%22">Equal Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Achievement+Gap%22">Achievement Gap</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Opportunities%22">Educational Opportunities</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Race%22">Race</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Stereotypes%22">Stereotypes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Preferences%22">Preferences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Policy%22">Educational Policy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Political+Attitudes%22">Political Attitudes</searchLink>
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  Data: Racial equity in education is often framed around "closing the achievement gap," but many scholars argue this frame perpetuates deficit mindsets. The "opportunity gap" (OG) frame has been offered as an alternative to focus attention on structural injustices. In a preregistered survey experiment, I estimate the effects of framing racial equity in education around "achievement gaps" (AGs) versus OGs. I find U.S. adult respondents on MTurk gave higher priority to "closing the racial opportunity gap" versus "closing the racial achievement gap" (effect size = 0.11 SD). When randomly assigned to read an OG frame before being asked to explain the Black/White "achievement gap," respondents were less likely to endorse cultural or individual-level explanations compared with respondents only shown AG statistics (effect size = -0.10 SD). I find no evidence the OG frame affected respondents' racial stereotypes or policy preferences.
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  Data: 2025
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