TY - JOUR T1 - The Black-White Education Scaled Test-Score Gap in Grades K-7 JF - Journal of Human Resources JO - J Hum Resour DO - 10.3368/jhr.53.4.0916.8242R SP - 0916-8242R AU - Timothy N. Bond AU - Kevin Lang Y1 - 2017/06/07 UR - http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/early/2017/06/01/jhr.53.4.0916.8242R.abstract N2 - We measure the black-white achievement gap from kindergarten through seventh grade on an interval scale created by tying each grade/test score combination to average eventual education. After correcting for various sources of test measurement error, some of which are unique to forward-looking scales, we find no racial component in the evolution of the achievement gap through the first eight years of schooling. Further, most, if not all, of the gap can be explained by socioeconomic differences. Our results suggest that the rising racial test gap in previous studies probably reflects excessive measurement error in testing in the early grades. ER -