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DOE’s fight against racial proficiency gap stagnates

The city Department of Education’s fight against gaping racial proficiency gaps on state tests has gone largely nowhere over the past five years, a Post analysis of exam data has revealed.

The divide between black and Latino students and their white and Asian peers has actually widened in five of eight comparative categories in English and math since 2014, the numbers show.

That year, the percentage of black students proficient in math was 37.2 percentage points lower than that of white students. That gap grew to 38.2 points this year, according to state figures released this week.

The math-proficiency gap between Hispanics and whites also crept up, from 32.7 points in 2014 to 33.3 points this year.

Divides also inched up for most comparative groups — black vs. white, black vs. Asian, and Hispanic vs. Asian — in English between 2014 and last year.

The only categories where the gaps narrowed slightly were black and Hispanic students’ math-proficiency rates compared with Asians’, and Hispanics’ English proficiency compared with Asians’.

Proficiency rates on state tests, which have undergone frequent changes in recent years, have risen for all racial groups. But there’s little sign that major performance discrepancies are budging.

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“While we can’t compare year to year because of changes in the test, we can be sure that there continues to be a devastating achievement gap,” said CUNY education professor David Bloomfield.

“This hasn’t been dented by this administration. At least regarding test scores, the equity and excellence mantra rings hollow.”

Mayor de Blasio and Chancellor Richard Carranza have stressed that test scores are only one measure of progress for black and Latino kids.

Teachers union chief Michael Mulgrew echoed that sentiment this week, saying the “days of test scores being a scarlet letter in New York City are over.”

De Blasio and Carranza have touted higher graduation rates, lower dropout rates, improved college readiness, as well as better access to AP and SAT programs.

“While we’ve had some success in narrowing the gap in graduation and dropout rates, and while test scores are up for every group of students, it’s clear that our schools and have much more to do to ensure every kid is getting a great education,” DOE spokeswoman Danielle Filson said on Friday.