Explanatory Factors of the Black Achievement Gap in Montréal's Public and Private Schools

Abstract

This exploratory analysis uses multiple regression modeling to help shed light on the correlates of the Black achievement gap in Montréal's public and private secondary schools. Using school-level testing data from Québec's Ministry of Education, the authors show that there is a Black achievement gap, and that this gap is highly associated with school socio-economic status, peer family structure, and average age of the student body's parents. An important secondary finding is that there remains a significant positive association of private schooling on academic achievement, even after controlling for race and all other central independent variables.