[JoeFromSidney]

Unfortunately, the easiest way to "close the gap" is to hold back the bright students. Dumb everyone down, and there's no gap. I'd like to see a "No Child Held Back" law instead.

[Serenissima Venezia]

Dumb everyone down, and there's no gap.

LOL! This is very sadly the way the public school system is working. When I did my student teaching, there was nothing in place for the bright kids that were bored in their classes, but could have really accomplished something in their lives with the right motivations. But there was tons of money spent on the kids that were so far behind, they'd never be able to catch up. And these programs had such cutsy names, you'd think they were for the bright kids ('Opportunity classes', 'E=mc squared', etc). What a waste of money!