If we weren’t already convinced of the devastating long-term
effects of the poor education many low-income children are
receiving, here’s more proof. A new McKinsey report, The
Economic Impact of the Achievement Gap in America’s Schools,
shows a strong correlation between low test scores in fourth-
graders and high school dropout rates, low college attendance
rates, and lower lifetime earnings. McKinsey shows that the
achievement gap between mostly minority students in poorly-
performing schools and others accounts for a permanent national
recession that’s much larger than the current economic crisis.
In fact, the report estimates if we could close the achievement
gap between low-income students and others in the U.S., the GDP
would grow by $400-$670 billion, or 3-5%. And if students in the
U.S. performed as well as those in Korea and Finland, the GDP
could be a shocking $1.3-$2.3 trillion or 9-16% higher. Once
again, it is sobering to think of the difference a CSF
scholarship may make in a child’s life. If we