Why do academic achievement gaps persist in the US? In this course we address social class and racial/ethnic differences in achievement by investigating societal, cultural, and familial factors; explore the roles of institutional racism, cultural beliefs, and parental socialization practices; scrutinize international achievement differences; and analyze cutting edge solutions to close the achievement gap. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Research and Information Literacy.