Closing the gaps in Pennsylvania's student achievement levels based on disparities in race and ethnicity, economic status, and parental education could mean big economic gains. This is according to the results of a RAND Corp. study supported by Temple's Center on Regional Politics, released Monday.

The study’s findings—noted by The Philadelphia Inquirer—indicated that the narrowing of the achievement divide could boost state education rankings and gross domestic product by approximately $44 billion. Each class of students would also gain upward of $5.1 billion in earned income over their lifetime, resulting in great benefits for the state and society as a whole.

Learn more about the study’s findings.

—Erica Brooke Fajge