In 1954, the Supreme Court legally ended segregation in the United States in an attempt to equalize education for all ethnicities. But today, more than 54 years after the landmark decision, discrepancies in academic aptitude still exist across the nation.

Gunn’s student population is extremely diverse, but even here, an achievement gap exists between whites, Asians, Hispanics and African Americans. Hispanic and African American students score significantly lower than white and Asian students on standardized tests, and take considerably fewer Advanced Placement (AP) classes.

The achievement gap is a problem in virtually all schools, Principal Noreen Likins said, no matter how diverse or academically well rounded it is. “The school obviously knows about the problem, and we are doing our best to address it,” she said. “But no one can figure out a single solution because the issue is simply too complex.”

For freshman Micaela Flores, school is hard because she has to overcome more than just homework and tests. She must also confront long-lasting racial stereotypes because she is Hispanic. “Whenever my family gets together, my cousins and friends say I’m whitewashed and a goodie-goodie,” she said. “They ask me why I don’t go to Menlo [High School] and tease me about telling my parents where I am all the time.” This loss of familial support can distract students from school, but even at school, minority students must faced stereotypes and seclusion.

“There are people along the way that just don’t believe in you,” Flores said. “I’ve had teachers that just ignore me, even when I’m struggling.” This lack of support can cause students who are already struggling to fall behind even further. “I failed [math in sixth grade] because the teacher just thought I didn’t matter,” Flores said.

According to junior Nidia Morales, some people hold lower expectations for minority students from the outset. “Sometimes people are surprised with how well I do,” she said. “It’s not what they expect, because they don’t expect a lot. Teachers don’t fully believe in me, so some just don’t expect much of me.”

Minorities can also feel alone in class or at school because they are surrounded by people who are different. “I feel a little awkward even with my friends,” Flores said. This loneliness creates a feeling of being an outsider looking in, and can be very detrimental to a learning environment.

The achievement gap is a result of both long-standing ethnic traditions and personal choices, Morales said. “It definitely has to do with culture and identity,” she said. “Many aspects of Asian culture dictate being on top of things, being diligent and studying. I think that’s why many Asians score higher than other minorities. But in Mexico [where my family is from] we have a different work ethic. We do want to work hard, but in different areas. It’s more about working hard to get a job so you can live well.”

The cultural expectations are significant in determining a student’s motivation in school, and are difficult to escape from, according to Morales. “The traditions get passed on from family to family, so there’s always going to be that small group that keeps the habit,” she said. “The mentality is difficult to change.”

When it comes down to the causes of the minority achievement gap, however, personal choice is also an important factor. “I think that I succeed in school because I choose to,” junior Jara Montez, who is African American, said. “There may be negative cultural influences, but personal decisions are more significant in determining your success.”

The school district and the school have targeted this academic disparity, and are putting forth efforts to tackle the issue of race in education. Each school year, Principal Noreen Likins writes a report of objectives and goals called the Single Plan for Student Achievement (formerly the School Improvement Plan).

Gunn offers many different classes that attempt to close the gap. Nine years ago, the school set up the Focus on Success program to help students who were not completely prepared for the academic rigor of high school. “We realized many students were not getting the help they needed,” Likins said. “So we created the Focus on Success program as a support program.”

Students choose to enroll in the Focus on Success program like an elective. It gives students graduation credit, teaches basic study skills and gives the students time to work with tutors, study for tests or do homework. “[Focus] works on staying on track with school work,” freshman Jacob Siemens said. “There is always one tutor for math and science there, and a volunteer comes in once a week to help students with English.” Siemens initially signed up for the class because of pressure from his parents, but now he is enjoying it. “Anyone who has a free elective should take it because it’s an easy class, counts for credit and we have a lot of parties,” Siemens said. On a more serious note, “it helps me accomplish my goals a lot [too],” he added.

Team Algebra is a new program aimed at helping students in a specific subject. Many new high school students do not pass Algebra 1, so Team Algebra was developed to assist these students, Likins said. The class is run similarly to any other math class except the teacher-to-student ratio is much higher, so each student can receive more individual attention. “The idea was to assume every student can do algebra, and run the program that way,” she said. The program has had at least a 50 percent success rate each year of students moving on to the next math level.

The district is also collaborating on a larger scale to solve the problem at its roots. Gunn is a member of Pathways to College, a group dedicated to giving minorities and students from low-income families the option of going to college. With Pathways, Gunn and other schools in the district can make sure students falling behind get help as soon as they need it. “It is inspired by the realization that once you get to high school it’s too late,” Likins said. “You very rarely catch up.”

The Pathways program more directly confronts race issues than other programs. It runs on the idea that people only flourish if they feel safe and supported in their environment, Likins said. Pathways for Success “hand-schedules” incoming minority students, grouping African-Americans and Hispanics into “pods” of fours or fives, respectively. According to Likins, when students feel comfortable with other students in a class, they can perform better. “We’re trying to create an identity-safe environment for all students.,” she said.

The goal of “Closing the Achievement Gap” has existed in the Single Plan for Student Achievement for the past six years. Both the school and the district have initiated many support courses and programs—yet, there is still a long way to go. “The achievement gap is not going away any time soon,” Likins said. Morales agrees. “We can address scores and tests, but cultural tradition is hard to break from, so personal choices are hard to improve,” Morales said. “The mentality is difficult to change.”