Minorities gain academic ground on statewide tests

The educational gap between whites and other children has been closing over the past half decade, according to new test scores released by the Georgia Department of Education.

Hispanics, blacks and kids who are not native English speakers made bigger gains in some grades and subjects on the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests than the overall average. Hispanic eighth graders tested this spring, for instance, scored 26 percentage points higher than their predecessors in 2009 on the social studies exam.

Experts have various theories about the upbeat outcome for groups that have traditionally lagged.