The No Child Left Behind Act, which became law in the United States in January 2002, promised that the educational achievement between Whites, Blacks and Hispanics, and rich and poor would be bridged by 2014.

This was a hugely ambitious claim for the federal government to make at the time, and with just six more years until the 2014 deadline arrives, there remains a lot to be done if this goal is to be achieved.

There have been some remarkable achievements in bridging the education gap over the years but they seem to be more isolated examples than the norm. However, the encouraging thing is that it can be done. It takes a lot of work and a lot of motivation on the part of both educators and students, but it can be done.

However, it remains to be seen if the lessons that can be learned from the success stories will spread to close the education gap at a national level. Surely then the answer is to follow the example and the methods of schools that have bridged the education achievement gap.