Introduction
The achievement gap—persistent disparities in academic performance between different groups of students—represents one of the most pressing challenges in education systems worldwide. These gaps, typically observed along lines of race, socioeconomic status, language background, and geographic location, reflect broader societal inequities and have profound implications for social mobility, economic opportunity, and democratic participation.
Closing the achievement gap has become a central focus for educators, policymakers, researchers, community leaders, and advocates committed to educational equity. Their work spans multiple domains: developing culturally responsive teaching practices, implementing evidence-based interventions, creating supportive school environments, engaging families and communities, addressing structural inequities, and advocating for policy changes that provide all students with the resources and opportunities they need to succeed.
The following list highlights 100 influential individuals who have made significant contributions to closing achievement gaps through their research, leadership, advocacy, innovation, and direct work with students and communities. These individuals represent diverse approaches, from classroom-level interventions to systemic reforms, from early childhood initiatives to higher education access programs, all united by a commitment to creating more equitable educational outcomes for all students.
Educational Leaders and School Reformers
1.Geoffrey Canada
Founder of the Harlem Children’s Zone, a comprehensive “cradle-to-career” approach that combines educational, social, and medical services to support children in Harlem. Canada’s holistic model has demonstrated how community-based interventions can significantly reduce achievement gaps, inspiring similar initiatives nationwide.
2.Jaime Escalante (1930-2010)
Mathematics teacher whose extraordinary success teaching calculus to underprivileged students at Garfield High School in East Los Angeles demonstrated that students from any background could achieve at the highest levels with rigorous instruction and high expectations. Escalante’s story, portrayed in the film “Stand and Deliver,” challenged deficit perspectives about minority students’ abilities.
3.Deborah Meier
Educator, writer, and advocate who founded successful public schools serving predominantly low-income, minority students in East Harlem and Boston. Meier’s small schools approach emphasized democratic governance, personalized learning, and authentic assessment as strategies for closing achievement gaps.
4.Freeman Hrabowski III
President of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) and founder of the Meyerhoff Scholars Program, which has dramatically increased the number of underrepresented minorities succeeding in STEM fields. Hrabowski’s leadership has demonstrated how institutional commitment to inclusive excellence can transform outcomes for underrepresented students.
5.Pedro Noguera
Sociologist and education leader whose research and advocacy have focused on how schools can more effectively serve students from diverse racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. Noguera’s work connects educational practice to broader social justice concerns and emphasizes the importance of addressing structural inequities.
6.Lisa Delpit
Educator and author of influential works including “Other People’s Children” and “Multiplication is for White People,” which address the cultural disconnects that contribute to achievement gaps. Delpit’s concept of the “culture of power” has helped educators understand how unexamined assumptions can disadvantage students from non-dominant cultures.
7.Linda Darling-Hammond
Education researcher and policy advisor who has extensively documented the impact of teacher quality and educational resources on student outcomes. As founder of the Learning Policy Institute and advisor to multiple presidential administrations, Darling-Hammond has shaped policies aimed at closing opportunity gaps.
8.Marva Collins (1936-2015)
Educator who founded Westside Preparatory School in Chicago, demonstrating how high expectations and culturally affirming approaches could foster academic excellence among low-income Black students. Collins’s methods emphasized classical education, phonics, and positive reinforcement.
9.Ron Edmonds (1935-1983)
Researcher and advocate who pioneered the Effective Schools Movement, which identified the characteristics of schools that successfully educated all children regardless of socioeconomic background. Edmonds’s assertion that “all children can learn” challenged deterministic views about the impact of poverty on educational outcomes.
10.Erin Gruwell
Teacher and founder of the Freedom Writers Foundation whose innovative methods helped at-risk students in Long Beach, California develop literacy skills and academic engagement. Gruwell’s emphasis on personal narrative and connecting curriculum to students’ lives has influenced approaches to engaging marginalized students.
11.Jeff Howard
Founder of The Efficacy Institute, which works with schools to develop systems that promote student efficacy and counter negative beliefs about intelligence. Howard’s work addresses the psychological dimensions of achievement gaps by fostering growth mindsets and a culture of high expectations.
12.Beverly Daniel Tatum
Psychologist, author, and former president of Spelman College whose work on racial identity development has informed approaches to creating inclusive educational environments. Tatum’s book “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?” has helped educators understand racial dynamics that affect student achievement.
13.Sal Khan
Founder of Khan Academy, a free online learning platform that has helped democratize access to high-quality educational resources. Khan’s approach to personalized learning has provided supplemental support for students who might otherwise lack access to academic assistance.
14.Kim Marshall
Former Boston Public Schools principal and creator of the Marshall Memo, which disseminates research and best practices related to educational equity. Marshall’s focus on instructional leadership has helped school administrators prioritize practices that address achievement gaps.
15.Kaya Henderson
Former Chancellor of DC Public Schools who implemented reforms that significantly improved student outcomes, particularly for disadvantaged students. Henderson’s leadership demonstrated how urban school systems could raise achievement through strategic initiatives focused on teacher quality and curriculum.
Policy Advocates and Government Leaders
16.Arne Duncan
U.S. Secretary of Education (2009-2015) who led initiatives aimed at closing achievement gaps, including Race to the Top and the expansion of early childhood education. Duncan’s policies emphasized data-driven decision making and accountability for student outcomes.
17.John B. King Jr.
Former U.S. Secretary of Education, New York State Education Commissioner, and current president of The Education Trust, an organization dedicated to closing opportunity gaps. King’s policies and advocacy have consistently focused on educational equity for disadvantaged students.
18.Michelle Obama
Former First Lady whose “Reach Higher” initiative sought to inspire young people, particularly first-generation and low-income students, to complete their education past high school. Obama’s advocacy has focused on expanding educational opportunities for underserved students.
19.Marian Wright Edelman
Founder and President Emerita of the Children’s Defense Fund, a leading advocacy organization for children’s rights and needs. Edelman has been a tireless advocate for policies that support children from low-income families and children of color, including early childhood education, healthcare, and nutrition programs that address non-academic barriers to achievement.
20.Christopher Edley Jr.
Co-founder of The Opportunity Institute and former Dean of UC Berkeley Law School. Edley has been influential in shaping education policy related to equity and civil rights, particularly through his work on school finance reform and desegregation.
21.Russlynn Ali
Former Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education and CEO of XQ Institute. Ali has been a leader in efforts to ensure educational equity through civil rights enforcement and innovative high school redesign.
22.Wade Henderson
Former President and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. Henderson has been a prominent voice for civil rights in education policy discussions, advocating for equitable funding, diverse schools, and protection of students’ civil rights.
23.Amy Stuart Wells
Professor at Teachers College, Columbia University whose research on educational policy, particularly related to race and education, has influenced policy discussions about segregation and integration. Wells’s work has highlighted how structural factors contribute to achievement gaps.
24.Benjamin Jealous
Civil rights leader and former president of the NAACP who has advocated for educational equity and investment in public education. Jealous’s leadership has connected educational opportunity to broader civil rights concerns.
25.Kati Haycock
Founder and former president of The Education Trust, an organization dedicated to closing opportunity gaps that affect students of color and students from low-income families. Haycock’s advocacy has focused on college access, high academic standards, and equitable funding.
Researchers and Academics
26.Gloria Ladson-Billings
Professor Emerita at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and originator of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy theory. Ladson-Billings’s seminal work on teaching practices that support African American student achievement has transformed how educators approach cultural diversity in the classroom.
27.Claude Steele
Social psychologist known for his work on stereotype threat and its impact on academic performance. Steele’s research demonstrates how awareness of negative stereotypes can impair the performance of capable students, particularly those from marginalized groups, and suggests interventions to mitigate these effects.
28.Carol Dweck
Stanford psychologist whose research on mindset has transformed understanding of how students’ beliefs about intelligence affect their academic performance. Dweck’s work on growth mindset has provided strategies for helping students overcome fixed beliefs about their abilities.
29.James Comer
Child psychiatrist who developed the Comer School Development Program, which emphasizes the role of child development and parent involvement in educational success. Comer’s approach has demonstrated effectiveness in improving outcomes for students in low-performing schools.
30.Richard Rothstein
Distinguished Fellow at the Economic Policy Institute and author of “The Color of Law,” which details how government policies created residential segregation and contributed to educational inequality. Rothstein’s work connects housing policy, socioeconomic factors, and educational outcomes.
31.Prudence Carter
Dean of the Graduate School of Education at UC Berkeley and author of “Stubborn Roots: Race, Culture, and Inequality in U.S. and South African Schools.” Carter’s research examines cultural explanations for racial and ethnic disparities in educational achievement and mobility.
32.Ronald Ferguson
Faculty Director of the Achievement Gap Initiative at Harvard University. Ferguson’s research focuses on racial achievement gaps, exploring school practices, parenting practices, and community involvement that support high achievement for all children.
33.Sean Reardon
Professor of Poverty and Inequality in Education at Stanford University. Reardon’s research has documented the growing achievement gap between students from high- and low-income families and identified factors that contribute to these disparities.
34.Tyrone Howard
Professor at UCLA and founder of the Black Male Institute. Howard’s research examines race, culture, teaching, and learning in urban schools, with a focus on educational experiences and outcomes for African American students.
35.Geneva Gay
Professor Emerita at the University of Washington and pioneer in culturally responsive teaching. Gay’s research and teaching have focused on developing instructional theories and practices that are responsive to ethnic diversity and effective in addressing achievement gaps.
36.David Kirp
Professor at UC Berkeley and author of “Kids First” and “Improbable Scholars.” Kirp’s research on successful school districts has identified practices that effectively address achievement gaps without relying on market-based reforms.
37.David Berliner
Regents’ Professor Emeritus at Arizona State University. Berliner’s research has consistently highlighted how out-of-school factors, particularly poverty, affect student achievement and challenged simplistic solutions to complex educational problems.
38.Edmund Gordon
Professor Emeritus at Yale University and Teachers College, Columbia University. Gordon is a pioneer in research on supplementary education and the factors that influence intellectual development in diverse populations.
39.Shaun Harper
Professor and Executive Director of the USC Race and Equity Center. Harper’s research focuses on race, gender, and student success in higher education, with particular attention to Black male achievement.
40.Angela Duckworth
Professor at the University of Pennsylvania and author of “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance.” Duckworth’s research on grit and self-control has influenced discussions about non-cognitive factors in educational achievement.
Early Childhood Education Leaders
41.James Heckman
Nobel Prize-winning economist whose research has demonstrated the high return on investment of quality early childhood education, particularly for disadvantaged children. Heckman’s work has provided economic arguments for investing in early intervention to prevent achievement gaps before they emerge.
42.Barbara T. Bowman
Early childhood education pioneer and co-founder of the Erikson Institute. Bowman’s work has focused on the development of effective early education programs for children from low-income families.
43.W. Steven Barnett
Director of the National Institute for Early Education Research. Barnett’s research on the long-term effects of preschool education has influenced policy decisions regarding investment in early childhood programs.
44.Ruby Takanishi
Former president of the Foundation for Child Development who has advocated for PreK-3rd alignment as a strategy for closing achievement gaps. Takanishi’s work emphasizes the importance of coordinated educational experiences from preschool through the early elementary grades.
45.Deborah Phillips
Professor at Georgetown University whose research focuses on the effects of early childhood education on development and school readiness. Phillips’s work has informed understanding of the features of high-quality early education programs.
46.Jack P. Shonkoff
Director of the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. Shonkoff’s research on early brain development and the impact of early experiences has influenced approaches to supporting young children’s development and preventing achievement gaps.
47.Camille Catlett
Researcher and advocate for inclusive early childhood education. Catlett’s work has focused on preparing educators to meet the needs of young children from diverse cultural, linguistic, and ability backgrounds.
48.Libby Doggett
Former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Early Learning at the U.S. Department of Education. Doggett has been a leader in advancing federal policies that support high-quality early learning opportunities for all children.
49.Bruce Fuller
Professor at UC Berkeley whose research examines how public institutions and private organizations serve young children and families. Fuller’s work has highlighted both the promises and limitations of early childhood education in addressing achievement gaps.
50.Karen Matthews
Founder of the Family Resource Center on Education in Chicago. Matthews has worked to engage families in supporting their children’s early learning and school readiness, particularly in low-income communities.
Teachers and Instructional Leaders
51.Zaretta Hammond
Teacher educator and author of “Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain.” Hammond’s work connects neuroscience, cultural responsiveness, and instructional design to help teachers close opportunity gaps.
52.Pedro Noguera
(Also listed under Educational Leaders) As a former teacher and principal, Noguera has directly influenced classroom practices that support students from diverse backgrounds. His emphasis on caring relationships and high expectations has shaped teaching approaches in urban schools.
53.Jeff Duncan-Andrade
Professor at San Francisco State University and founder of the Roses in Concrete Community School. Duncan-Andrade’s work focuses on developing critical pedagogy in urban schools and supporting teachers in high-poverty communities.
54.Gloria Ladson-Billings
(Also listed under Researchers) Beyond her theoretical contributions, Ladson-Billings has worked directly with teachers to implement culturally relevant pedagogy in classrooms serving diverse students.
55.Lisa Delpit
(Also listed under Educational Leaders) Delpit’s work with teachers has focused on developing culturally responsive literacy instruction that addresses the needs of students from non-dominant cultural backgrounds.
56.Gholdy Muhammad
Associate Professor at Georgia State University and author of “Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy.” Muhammad’s work provides a framework for literacy instruction that addresses achievement gaps by connecting to students’ cultural and intellectual legacies.
57.Christopher Emdin
Professor at the University of Southern California and author of “For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood… and the Rest of Y’all Too.” Emdin’s concept of “reality pedagogy” offers approaches for engaging urban youth through connections to their cultural experiences.
58.Antonia Darder
Professor at Loyola Marymount University whose work on critical pedagogy addresses the needs of bicultural students. Darder’s emphasis on cultural democracy in the classroom has influenced approaches to teaching linguistically diverse students.
59.Alfred Tatum
Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago whose research focuses on the literacy development of African American male adolescents. Tatum’s concept of “enabling texts” has influenced approaches to engaging young Black men with reading.
60.Bob Moses (1935-2021)
Civil rights activist and founder of the Algebra Project, a national program aimed at helping low-income students and students of color achieve mathematical literacy. Moses drew parallels between the civil rights movement and the need for math literacy as a tool for accessing economic opportunity.
Community Organizers and Advocates
61.Jitu Brown
National Director of the Journey for Justice Alliance, a network of community-based organizations advocating for educational equity. Brown’s organizing work has focused on challenging school closures in low-income communities and promoting sustainable community schools.
62.Karen Lewis (1953-2021)
Former president of the Chicago Teachers Union who advocated for educational equity and challenged corporate education reform models. Lewis’s leadership connected labor organizing with broader social justice concerns in education.
63.Zakiyah Ansari
Advocacy Director of the New York State Alliance for Quality Education. Ansari has organized parents and community members to advocate for equitable school funding and resources for high-need schools.
64.John Jackson
President and CEO of the Schott Foundation for Public Education, which supports movements for educational justice. Jackson has led initiatives focused on creating more equitable opportunities for students of color and those from low-income families.
65.Helen Gym
Community organizer, Philadelphia City Council member, and founder of Parents United for Public Education. Gym has advocated for increased funding and resources for Philadelphia public schools serving predominantly low-income students of color.
66.Mark Warren
Professor at the University of Massachusetts Boston whose research focuses on community organizing for education reform. Warren’s work has documented how community engagement can drive educational change that addresses achievement gaps.
67.Oona Chatterjee
Co-founder of Make the Road New York, an organization that combines community organizing, legal services, and education to empower immigrant communities. Chatterjee’s work has connected educational advocacy to broader concerns about immigrant rights and economic justice.
68.Jeannie Oakes
Presidential Professor Emeritus at UCLA and former director of education at the Ford Foundation. Oakes’s research and advocacy have focused on tracking, unequal access to educational resources, and community organizing for educational equity.
69.Maisie Chin
Co-founder and Executive Director of CADRE (Community Asset Development Re-defining Education), a parent-led organization focused on educational justice in South Los Angeles. Chin’s work has centered parent leadership in efforts to address discipline disparities and other inequities affecting Black and Latino students.
70.Sally Lee
Founder and Executive Director of Teachers Unite, an organization of educators working with community organizations to ensure educational equity in New York City public schools. Lee’s work has focused on implementing restorative justice practices and challenging the school-to-prison pipeline.
Philanthropists and Foundation Leaders
71.Bill Gates
Co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which has invested billions in education reform efforts aimed at improving outcomes for disadvantaged students. Gates’s philanthropic work has focused on high school redesign, teacher effectiveness, and educational technology.
72.Melinda French Gates
Co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation who has championed education initiatives focused on equity, particularly for girls and women globally. Gates’s advocacy has emphasized the importance of addressing gender-based achievement gaps.
73.Susan Sandler
Co-founder of the Sandler Foundation and advocate for educational equity. Sandler has supported numerous organizations working to close achievement gaps and has recently focused on funding organizations led by people of color.
74.Eli Broad (1933-2021)
Founder of The Broad Foundation, which has invested in efforts to improve urban public education and close achievement gaps. Broad’s philanthropy focused on strengthening governance, management, and labor relations in urban school systems.
75.Patricia Brantley
CEO of Friendship Public Charter School, a network of schools that has demonstrated success in closing achievement gaps for urban students. Brantley’s leadership has shown how charter schools can effectively serve students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
76.Ted Mitchell
President of the American Council on Education and former Under Secretary of Education. Mitchell has led efforts to improve college access and success for underrepresented students, including through his work at the NewSchools Venture Fund.
77.Michele Cahill
Distinguished Fellow at the National Center for Civic Innovation who previously led education grantmaking at the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Cahill’s work has focused on creating more equitable educational opportunities through innovative school models and system redesign.
78.Wendy Kopp
Founder of Teach For America and co-founder of Teach For All, organizations that recruit college graduates to teach in low-income schools. Kopp’s work has aimed to address teacher shortages in high-need areas and build a movement of leaders committed to educational equity.
79.Howard Fuller
Former Superintendent of Milwaukee Public Schools and founder of the Institute for the Transformation of Learning at Marquette University. Fuller has been a leading advocate for educational options for low-income families, including school choice programs.
80.Jim Shelton
Former Deputy Secretary of Education and head of education for the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, focusing on personalized learning and addressing achievement gaps. Shelton’s work has emphasized the use of technology and research to develop more effective educational approaches.
Higher Education Access and Success Leaders
81.Freeman Hrabowski III
(Also listed under Educational Leaders) As president of UMBC, Hrabowski has developed programs that have dramatically increased the success of minority students in STEM fields. His leadership demonstrates how institutional commitment can transform outcomes for underrepresented students.
82.William Bowen (1933-2016)
Former president of Princeton University and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation who researched and advocated for increasing socioeconomic and racial diversity in selective colleges. Bowen’s work on “the shape of the river” documented the benefits of affirmative action in higher education.
83Richard Kahlenberg
Senior Fellow at The Century Foundation and advocate for economic integration in education. Kahlenberg’s work on class-based affirmative action has influenced approaches to increasing socioeconomic diversity in higher education.
84.Nicole Hurd
Founder of College Advising Corps, which works to increase the number of low-income, first-generation, and underrepresented students who enter and complete higher education. Hurd’s organization has demonstrated the impact of near-peer advising on college access.
85.Anthony Abraham Jack
Assistant Professor at Harvard University and author of “The Privileged Poor.” Jack’s research examines how class and culture shape how undergraduates navigate college, revealing hidden forms of inequality that affect low-income students’ success.
86.Richard Sander
Professor at UCLA School of Law whose controversial “mismatch theory” has sparked debate about how to best support underrepresented minority students in selective institutions. Sander’s work, while contested, has influenced discussions about effective approaches to increasing diversity in higher education.
87.Estela Bensimon
Professor at the University of Southern California and founder of the Center for Urban Education. Bensimon’s Equity Scorecard process has helped colleges and universities identify and address racial disparities in student outcomes.
88.Sara Goldrick-Rab
Professor at Temple University and founder of the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice. Goldrick-Rab’s research on college affordability and student basic needs has highlighted how financial barriers affect completion rates for low-income students.
89.Ruth Simmons
Former president of Brown University and Prairie View A&M University who has led efforts to increase access and support for underrepresented students in higher education. As the first Black president of an Ivy League institution, Simmons has been a trailblazer in higher education leadership.
90.Michael Sorrell
President of Paul Quinn College who transformed a struggling institution into an innovative urban work college. Sorrell’s leadership has demonstrated how historically Black colleges can reimagine their models to better serve students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Innovative Practitioners and Program Developers
91.Dave Levin
Co-founder of KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program), a network of college-preparatory public charter schools serving predominantly low-income students of color. KIPP’s approach has demonstrated how extended learning time, high expectations, and character development can support academic achievement.
92.Uri Treisman
Professor of Mathematics at the University of Texas at Austin and founder of the Charles A. Dana Center. Treisman’s Emerging Scholars Program has dramatically improved success rates for underrepresented minority students in calculus through collaborative problem-solving and a focus on mathematical excellence rather than remediation.
93.Larry Rosenstock
Founder of High Tech High, a network of innovative schools that emphasize project-based learning and integration of students across socioeconomic backgrounds. Rosenstock’s approach has demonstrated how authentic learning experiences can engage diverse students and reduce achievement gaps.
94.Anne Williams-Isom
CEO of the Harlem Children’s Zone who has led the implementation of its cradle-to-career approach. Williams-Isom’s leadership has focused on scaling and sustaining effective interventions for children in high-poverty communities.
95.Deborah Stipek
Professor at Stanford University who has developed approaches to early mathematics instruction that reduce achievement gaps. Stipek’s work emphasizes the importance of engaging young children’s natural mathematical thinking.
96.Eric Hanushek
Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution whose research on teacher quality has influenced policies aimed at ensuring effective instruction for all students. Hanushek’s economic analysis of educational issues has highlighted the importance of teacher effectiveness in addressing achievement gaps.
97.Joshua Aronson
Associate Professor at New York University whose research focuses on stereotype threat and interventions to reduce its effects on student achievement. Aronson has developed practical interventions that schools can implement to mitigate psychological barriers to achievement.
98.Becky Pringle
President of the National Education Association who has advocated for addressing institutional racism in education and supporting a diverse teaching workforce. Pringle’s leadership has emphasized the importance of teacher diversity in closing achievement gaps.
99.Diane Tavenner
Founder and CEO of Summit Public Schools, a network of schools that has implemented personalized learning approaches to meet the needs of diverse learners. Tavenner’s model emphasizes self-directed learning, mentorship, and project-based application of knowledge.
100.Geoffrey Canada
(Also listed under Educational Leaders) Beyond creating the Harlem Children’s Zone, Canada has advocated for comprehensive approaches to addressing poverty and educational inequality. His influence extends beyond his direct work to shape broader conversations about what it takes to close achievement gaps.
Conclusion
The individuals highlighted in this list represent diverse approaches to closing achievement gaps, from classroom-level interventions to systemic reforms, from early childhood initiatives to higher education access programs. Their collective work demonstrates that closing achievement gaps requires multifaceted approaches that address both educational practices and broader social inequities.
Several key themes emerge across these contributions. First, effective approaches often combine high expectations with high support, challenging deficit perspectives while providing the resources students need to succeed. Second, culturally responsive practices that build on students’ strengths and experiences create more engaging and effective learning environments. Third, addressing non-academic barriers to learning—including poverty, trauma, and healthcare—is often essential for educational interventions to succeed. Fourth, sustainable change requires systemic approaches that align policies, practices, and resources toward equity goals.
As efforts to close achievement gaps continue, the work of these influential individuals reminds us that progress is possible through committed, evidence-based, and equity-focused approaches. The persistent nature of achievement gaps reflects deep-seated societal inequities, but the collective impact of these leaders demonstrates that intentional, sustained efforts can create more equitable educational opportunities and outcomes for all students.
