In Topeka, as elsewhere, schools focus on closing achievement gap.

Byline: Sarah Carr

TOPEKA, Kan. _ Reading: Bad. Math: Better. Science: Best.

Martin Gies knows the scorecard by heart. At Topeka's Williams Elementary School, where Gies is principal, the achievement gap between students of different races and socioeconomic classes is largest in reading. In science, the gap is small enough to give reason for hope.

So this year the school hammered kids with reading lessons, setting aside a lengthy block of time each morning when every student and teacher in the building focused exclusively on the subject. Still, Gies is not sure whether the effort will pay off.

Perhaps more than any other topic, the achievement gap is on the minds of educators in Topeka's public schools, a district that for 50 years has symbolized the fight for racially integrated schools.

In this respect, Topeka is a vivid metaphor for the nation _ even as it marks the 50th anniversary of the Brown vs. Board of Education decision Monday. In school districts across the country, enthusiasm for desegregation has waned, and some of that energy is being re-directed at closing the gap.

"I think people in this country more and more are saying, `We've got them all sitting side by side, but what can we do to make sure they…