A wider academic gap

September 8, 2023

Through the 1970s and ’80s, racial inequities in academic outcomes were diminishing, but meaningful progress for students of color has stalled. The COVID-19 pandemic wiped out two decades’ worth of math and reading progress for US fourth and eighth graders, exacerbating existing disparities. Partners Jake Bryant and Duwain Pinder and colleagues show that Black fourth-graders recorded a seven-point decline in math test scores, compared with a three-point drop for White students.

To read the article, see “Advancing racial equality in US pre-K-12 education,” July 21, 2023.

China to keep on trucking

September 7, 2023

Chinese demand for heavy-duty trucks soared from 2015 to 2020, as the country experienced an infrastructure boom and increased consumer appetite for road transportation. Since then, however, the market has hit a speed bump. Partner Thomas Fang and colleagues find that the downturn isn’t likely to last and expect a rebound that buttresses a significant and stable commercial base, with trends like electrification and autonomous driving shaping the markets.