Social inequality, child care, and schools
Why do educational achievement gaps persist, and what can we realistically do about them? This keynote examines growing concerns about social inequality in children's learning and development, drawing on research on child care, schools, and educational policy. I discuss recent evidence on widening achievement gaps, the challenges of interpreting trends in educational inequality, and the implications for policy and practice. A particular focus will be on how we know what we know: how causal evidence is generated, what policy evaluations can and cannot tell us, and how researchers can identify the effects of educational interventions in complex real-world settings. Drawing on my research and my work in the Norwegian Expert Commission on the role of childcare, schools, and after-school programs in promoting social equality and social mobility, I consider what policies and practices might be most likely to promote more equitable opportunities and outcomes for children in the Norwegian context.