The Learning Gap is the difference between the academic progress that a student has made and the expected academic level that a student should have achieved by a certain age/grade. Similar to the Opportunity Gap, which refers to the ways in which race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and other factors contribute to academic limitations, the Learning Gap shows that, if left unaddressed, it will compound over time and become more severe and pronounced, which can increase the chances that a student will struggle academically and socially or drop out of school.