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For the past 15 years, economist Ronald Ferguson has investigated the myriad factors that combine to create racial disparities in academic performance. In his book, Towards Excellence with Equity, he begins with his analysis of the impact of test scores in predicting racial wage gaps, and explores how rates of progress in narrowing gaps have varied over the recent decades, the roles played by various school policies and practices, and the importance of lifestyles and informal social processes that play out between children and their parents and peers.

Ronald F. Ferguson is a Senior Lecturer in Education and Public Policy at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and John F. Kennedy School of Government. He is also an economist and Senior Research Associate at the Malcolm Wiener Center for Social Policy. He has taught at Harvard since 1983, focusing on education and economic development. His research and writing for the past decade have focused on racial achievement gaps, appearing in a variety of publications. His most recent book is Toward Excellence with Equity: An Emerging Vision for Closing the Achievement Gap, published by Harvard Education Press.

He is the creator of the Tripod Project for School Improvement and also the faculty co-chair and director of the Achievement Gap Initiative at Harvard University. Ferguson earned an undergraduate degree from Cornell University and PhD from MIT, both in economics. He is the father of two and very happily married to Helen Mont-Ferguson.

Selected Publications

Book Chapters:
Ferguson, Ronald. "Helping Students of Color Meet High Standards." Everyday Anti-Racism: Getting Real About Race in School. Ed. Mica Pollock. Harvard Education Press, 2008, 78-81.
Ferguson, Ronald. "What We've Learned about 'Stalled Progress' in Closing the Black-White Achievement Gap." Steady Gains and Stalled Progress: Inequality and the Black-White Test Score Gap. Ed. Katherine Magnuson and Jane Waldfogel. Russell Sage, 2008, 320-344.

Research Papers/Reports:
Ferguson, Ronald. "Within-School Variation in the Quality of Instruction Across Course Levels and Racial Groups." Paper for Annual Conference of the American Economics Association, New Orleans, January 4, 2008.
Ferguson, Ronald. "Raising Achievement and Closing Gaps in Whole School Systems: Recent Advances in Research and Practice." Report on the Annual Conference of the Achievement Gap Initiative at Harvard University, December 2008.

Commentary:
Ronald Ferguson Commentary: What Parents Can Do For Their Kids

Praise for Toward Excellence with Equity:

“This book issues an urgent call to action to anyone concerned about the lagging success rates among minority children in American schools and the repercussions for our country’s future. Ronald Ferguson not only surveys the bleak terrain surrounding the achievement gap, but provides all of us with a road map to reach higher ground.”
—Geoffrey Canada, President and CEO, Harlem Children’s Zone

“Toward Excellence with Equity is an important book written by one of the nation’s foremost experts on education and economic development. Ronald Ferguson’s pioneering work on black/white disparities in student skill levels and achievement-test scores has significant public policy implications. This book is a must-read for anyone concerned about narrowing the racial gap in educational attainment and earnings.”
—William Julius Wilson, Lewis P. and Linda L. Geyser University Professor, Harvard University

“This book combines high-quality research, judicious insights, brilliant speculation, and common sense to set forth strategies to reduce the achievement gap dramatically. It is particularly compelling in calling for a comprehensive social movement that will not only transform schools but establish strong communities, effective parenting, and powerful peer cultures.”
—Henry M. Levin, William H. Kilpatrick Professor of Economics and Education, Teachers College, Columbia University

“Ferguson conducts an authoritative review to show that disparities in academic performance can be closed by strong parental engagement and by parents working in partnership with schools around a shared vision of success for their children. The reality is that educators can’t do it alone. This highly intelligent book gives policymakers, educators, and parents essential tools for closing achievement gaps between high-performing and low-performing schools.”
—Susan Zelman, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Ohio Department of Education

“Toward Excellence with Equity is essential reading for any businessperson who cares about the well-being of children and the future quality of the American workforce.”
—Bridgette Heller, Chairman of the Executive Leadership Council and Global President of Johnson & Johnson’s Baby, Kids, and Wound-Care Division